Press House opens in Bangui
20-04-2007 (Yaoundé)
Maka Gbossokotto, Bernard Hadjaji and Jean Pierre Lavoie on the day of inauguration
© UNESCO
A Press House was inaugurated in Bangui, Central African Republic, in a building rehabilitated within the framework of a UNESCO project co-financed by Canada.
The Press and Journalists’ House (PJH), an open and free space to work, to exchange, to create networks or to host media associations, will provide access to ICT, the Internet and production equipment to media organizations and private journalists. The premises will also serve as a resource centre for short-term training and activities aimed at building the capacity of media professionals.
The PJH has been inaugurated at the presence of numerous media professionals by the President of the Union of Central African Journalists (UJCA), Maka Gbossokotto; the Minister of State for Communication, National Reconciliation, Democratic Culture and Promotion of Human Rights, Abdou Karim Meckassoua; the UNESCO representative in CAR, Bernard Hadjaji; and the representative of Canada, Ambassador Jean Pierre Lavoie.
This opening marks the first phase in the implementation of the "Framework for the Assistance to Media and the Reinforcement of Press Freedom in the Central African Republic", developed by UNESCO in partnership with CAR media associations and national and international partners.
In the near future, this framework of action will be continued with the implementation by the PJH of a project on lifelong training for media professionals, funded by Japan through the International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC).
UNESCO will provide technical assistance for the training of new journalists through the creation of the Department of Journalism in Bangui University under a project of South-South cooperation in partnership with a sub-regional center of excellence: Ecole Supérieure des Sciences et techniques de l'information et de la communication in Yaoundé (ESSTIC), Cameroon. Furthermore, the IPDC Bureau at its last session decided to finance a project on the creation of a pilot community radio in CAR.
During the inauguration of the PJH, an appeal was made to support other projects within the framework of the Assistance to Media and the Reinforcement of Press Freedom in CAR:
The PJH has been inaugurated at the presence of numerous media professionals by the President of the Union of Central African Journalists (UJCA), Maka Gbossokotto; the Minister of State for Communication, National Reconciliation, Democratic Culture and Promotion of Human Rights, Abdou Karim Meckassoua; the UNESCO representative in CAR, Bernard Hadjaji; and the representative of Canada, Ambassador Jean Pierre Lavoie.
This opening marks the first phase in the implementation of the "Framework for the Assistance to Media and the Reinforcement of Press Freedom in the Central African Republic", developed by UNESCO in partnership with CAR media associations and national and international partners.
In the near future, this framework of action will be continued with the implementation by the PJH of a project on lifelong training for media professionals, funded by Japan through the International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC).
UNESCO will provide technical assistance for the training of new journalists through the creation of the Department of Journalism in Bangui University under a project of South-South cooperation in partnership with a sub-regional center of excellence: Ecole Supérieure des Sciences et techniques de l'information et de la communication in Yaoundé (ESSTIC), Cameroon. Furthermore, the IPDC Bureau at its last session decided to finance a project on the creation of a pilot community radio in CAR.
During the inauguration of the PJH, an appeal was made to support other projects within the framework of the Assistance to Media and the Reinforcement of Press Freedom in CAR:
- creation of a campus radio at the Department of journalism of the Bangui University;
- development of a network monitoring attacks against press freedom; and
- procurement of professional printing equipment for the Press House, the first in the country, where the whole of newspaper industry is in A4 format.
Related themes/countries
· Cameroon
· Canada
· Central African Republic
· Japan
· Freedom of Expression: News Archives 2007
· News Archives: 2007
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Contact information
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Contact
- Andrea Cairola, UNESCO, Division for Freedom of Expression, Democracy and Peace
- Cletus Ojong, UNESCO Office in Yaoundé
- UNESCO Office in Yaoundé
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