FOJO / WIOMSA SPONSORED ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM COURSE BEGINS IN ZANZIBAR

Twenty Prominent Journalists from Kenya, the Seychelles and Tanzania are set to converge in Zanzibar for a two week Environmental Journalism Course –focusing Coast Management, starting early next Month.

The Conference sponsored by Fojo (The Institute for Further Education of Journalists) of Sweden, in cooperation with WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association) runs from 3rd to 14th November, 2008 at Mazsons Hotel in Stone Town, Zanzibar .

The Course which is organized in two steps, the first one to be held Zanzibar from 3rd to 14th November 2008 and a second, the follow-up , from 27th April to 1st May 2009 will be focusing on coastal management in the region and its relation to the global environmental situation.

Kenya online Journalists Association –KOJA, Interim National Chairman Charles Ogallo is among the 20 lucky participants selected to attend the workshop.

According to Ingemo Johann, one of course organizers, all participants will be assigned a story or investigative project during the first part of the course for presentation during the follow –up course.

The course will provide some of the basic tools in covering environment issues with a special emphasis on coastal and marine environment. Methods of reporting and planning of the work will also be discussed and practiced in the course.

The course will also focus on how to get access to and analyze scientific information and how to make it interesting to the general public.

Impacts of human activities on coastal and marine environment will be presented and discussed as well as the opportunities and benefits provided by coastal and marine environment will also be highlighted.

The course will also provide opportunity for participating journalists to interact with scientists and experts on the regions environmental and coastal challenges. Another objective of the course is to establish a network between scientists and journalists for future communication and interactions.

Some field trips will be arranged in order to see and experience some of issues that would be presented and discussed during the course.

Key speakers cum trainers have been invited to take participants through various environmental topics among them Mrs Nariman Jiddawi from Zanzibar , who will take participants through challenges and opportunities for artisan fisheries. Mrs Rose Mwaipopo will also delibarate on social dimension of Marine Parks Authority in Zanzibar .

Other Speakers are Mrs Eva-Pia Worland, a Journalists, trainer and Project leader from Fojo. She will be Introducing the 20 participants on Maestro Method and social dimensions for artisan fisheries.

Four scientists have also been invited to presents their items on Coral; that will be. Mr. Christopher Muhando from the Institute of Marine Sciences. He will be shading some lights on Fisheries Partnership Agreements.

Mr.Edward Kimakwa from WWF Eastern Africa Marine Eco region will tackle a topic on Mangrove, Mr James Kairo from the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute will deal with Pollution in Coastal water, while Mr Salim Mohammed from the Institute of Marine Sciences will talk on the relationship between scientists, journalists and the public.

The course comes to an end on 14th November with a topic on Impacts of climate change on coral reefs of Western Indian Ocean region.