Olivier Nyirubugara, VoicesofAfrica Coordinator - Three alumni of the VoicesofAfrica mobile reporting project attended the 2009 Global Media Forum (GMF 2009) from June 3 to June 5, 2009 in Bonn, Germany, precisely at the World Conference Centre. They met media stake holders including fellow practitioners, experts, scholars, and policy makers from all over the globe. Together with the Voices of Africa Media Foundation, the three alumni contributed to the workshop on  ‘the mobile phone as a conflict prevention tool’. Besides, they attended other workshops and lectures, and gave many interviews to international news media. It should be stressed that the VoicesofAfrica  was invited to the Forum by Deutsche Welle, the Voice of Germany, which declared the project the Best Video Blog for 2008.

Walter Nana Wilson, VoicesofAfrica alumnus in Buea, Cameroon -Many African bloggers and enthusiasts of the new media are breaking the myth that the digital divide between the north and the south is too wide. At the just ended Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum 2009, which took place at the World Conference Centre in Bonn, Germany, Ivorian born blogger, Israel Yoroba Guébo, distinguished himself and his blog. He won the Deutsche Welle BOBs (Blogosphere) Award 2008 in the category; Best Weblog French ‘Le Blog De Yoro’. In the video interview you are going to follow, granted in French by Guébo, to Voices of Africa Media Foundation, VOAMF, in Bonn, after receiving his award, the Ivorian blogger holds that Internet and the other forms of new media have a place in the African continent and his country, Ivory Coast in particular. He defined the blog as a personal website where you share your ideas with others.  Read the report

Walter Wilson Nana, VoicesofAfrica alumnus, Buea, Cameroon -TheVoices of Africa Media Foundation, VOAMF, did not go to Bonn, Germany, for the Second Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum just for the gallery. Amongst their intentions, VOAMF, were eyeing one of the Oscars of the blogosphere. And they grabbed it! In what category? The Deutsche Welle Best Video Blog for 2008. Managing Director of VOAMF, Pim de Witt was all glee. But, he will quickly give kudos and dedicate the award to his young Mobile Reporters, scattered across the African continent, who make the institution tick as the leg soldiers in the field. According to de Witt, the award is just the beginning of greater things to happen for VOAMF and their Mobile Reporters in the African continent. Read the report

Voices of Africa Media Foundation - “Most jobs are given to the big people while we keep suffering. That is why most of us engage in criminal acts”, a high school pupil in Baringo, Kenya told VoicesofAfrica mobile reporter in November 2007. A month later, the tribal violence that followed the rigged presidential poll proved him right.“Unless the world intervenes, there might be another problem, worse than the previous one”, an internal displaced man now living in Meru, told another mobile reporter in March 2009. “ You have to speak their language, otherwise they cannot deliver such a sensitive message”, the mobile reporter Peris Wairimu says. In 2007, signs were sent out. We and you did not intervene. New signs are coming in. Its our and your duty to act, NOW. Read more

Walter Wilson Nana, VoicesofAfrica alumnus in Buea, Cameroon -Good journalism does work. It is a source of hope for those who want to promote development and democratisation through supporting journalists worldwide. Those who aim for sustainability in media development have to be aware of and consider the dominant factors of influence, which shed light on the degree to which professionalisation projects can be successful. At the just ended Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum 2009 in Bonn, Germany, distinguished and South African born Journalism Professor, Guy Berger, highlighted some of the influencing factors, which are beneficial for the sustainability of media projects, especially in the African continent. The man behind the prestigious Highway Africa Project, organised and set at Rhodes University in South Africa posed some questions on how these factors can be influenced positively. Read the report

Walter Wilson Nana The VoicesofAfrica alumnus in Buea, Cameroon - After winning The Deutsche Welle BOBS (Blogosphere) Award 2008 in the BEST VIDEO BLOG CATEGORY, one of the three Camera Journalists, CAMJO, of Voices of Africa Media Foundation, present in Bonn for the Global Forum, had an exclusive video interview with Deutsche Welle's General Manager, Erik Bettermann. Amongst other issues raised, Bettermann gives reasons for his institution's organisation of the Global Media Forum, which was in its second edition, the relevance why Germany must be well represented in the international competition for opinions, the digital divide still existing between the North and the South, despite the enthusiasm being demonstrated in the coming of bright new media in the world, such as the mobile phone as a reporting/journalistic tool, twitters, face books, blogging and more. Read the report.

Peris Wairimu Wanjohi, VoicesofAfrica alumna in Meru, Kenya- The Deutsche Welle (DW) Global Media Forum kicked off on 3rd- 5th June 2009 in Bonn, Germany for a second time after its invention last year. The Deutsche Welle Managing Director Mr. Erik Betterman officially opened the conference. The main theme of the forum was conflict prevention in the multimedia age. How can the media personalities, reporters, broadcasters, newscasters and camera crews use their training techniques in preventing violence and fights amongst our communities, countries, continents and in the whole world. In the conference centre, journalists through various discussions tried to come up with solutions to challenges most of the media organizations face in their day to day activities. Read the report.

Daniel Nana Aforo VoicesofAfrica alumnus in Accra, Ghana – The Head of Communications at Rhodes University Prof. Guy Burger has urged journalists to practice citizenship and vice versa. He said in Africa , citizen journalism is more different since many people are not citizens and have no right to be called “citizen journalists”. He said one should have consciousness, rights and responsibilities and many people have to understand citizenship in Africa since is a great concept for democracy. According to the communications lecturer the idea of citizen journalism comes mainly from America and is the idea that private people could do journalism, since people have more access to internet they can blog and contribute photographs ,texts to mainstreams media. Read the report

Daniel Nana Aforo VoicesofAfrica alumnus in Accra, Ghana - Journalists in Africa can do their best with the use of new media in the 21 century. “Journalism is going through a critical phase of the moment by re-examining themselves on what role they have to play in society” said Prof. Harry Dugmore, Head of MTN Chair of New Media and Mobile Communications at Rhodes University, South Africa. The Professor said this when this reporter asked him about his view of journalism on the continent of Africa. According to him the media and journalism are looking for renaissance in Africa and the role are becoming more important not less with the proliferation of voices with new media. “Journalism in Africa is going through critical stage of the moment by thinking about the role to play on the society”. He said with the proliferation of voices, journalism are becoming important and more committed, campaigning and crusading journalism and the role are becoming more important with thousands of new voices everyday. Read the report

Daniel Nana Aforo VoicesofAfrica alumnus in Accra, Ghana - The United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Chief Information Technology Officer Soon-Hong Choi has lauded the use of new media in promotion of democracy and prevention of conflict in the globe. Speaking to Africanews’ sister organization - Voices of Africa Media Foundation – the assistant UN Boss applauded the use of mobile report as one of the best ways to create news which will be important in national development. Earlier in an address to the Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany, he said: “In society at large, new information technologies and new media solutions have woven themselves into the fabric of what we do from all sides whether it is social engagement, economic development, humanitarian assistance, or even UN's peacekeeping mission.” Read the report