Freedom of Expression on the agenda

To start with I must say that I'm back to zero in terms of laptop logistics. No internet, no sound, not even microsoft office. Too much help from too many machos around me who each wanted to do their thing, trying to get me on the fixed internet line (which all 3 other laptops in the house now have), but in the end left me in the dark, blaming my laptop - which I know is not right. Well, I take a deep sigh and hope for better days.

This week is World Press Freedom Week (at least baptized as such by the Mozambican Media Institute - around the occasion of 3d of May, World Press Freedom Day). So MISA had organized a number of afternoon debates around media matters in the country, which I could all attend. Was good to take the media temperature in this election year (28th of October: presidential, parliamential and for the first time provincial parliaments' elections). And interesting to see the actual level of debate, with a handful of journalists really having grown to a professional level (the most outspoken one rightly saying that even he was far from being at an international level, compared with the New York Times and such), whereas others claiming that "we now have so many educated journalists who passed through the Journalism School", implying they know all the tricks of the trade and don't need to learn more. Whereas the sad truth is that, for lack of good salaries and means, everyone depends heavily on the party, government officials and even the firms that finance the "independent" press in buying advertisement space. It's true that nowadays there are a lot of stories on corruption at high level in the press, but always based on anonymous sources (everybody afraid to loose jobs, promotion chances or study opportunities abroad for their kids). But then, one can hardly expect the journalist class to be way ahead of the rest of society in this country that is still struggling to become a functioning state. South Africa was often mentioned as an example where, despite high levels of poverty and unequalness, at least the justice system is functioning.

I'm reading new publications, scientific or journalistic, where the memories of the war are still very present, all the destruction and massacres, the difficult peace talks that lasted over two years in Rome, and those days come easily back in my memory. Compared to those days, Mozambique has come a long way. It really should be an example to a number of other African countries. And in a strange way I'm proud of somehow being part of its history since the liberation struggle. Maybe proud is not the word, but it makes me part of everything, makes me somehow responsible too (for all the negative things the "West" did and continues doing to this country, and for the positive things as well).

I had underestimated the weight of the "cunha" system, giving jobs and contracts to family and friends not on the basis of merit but of social relations. I also hadn't counted with the high level of distrust, unfair methods (stealing each other's ideas) and general falseness in the consultant community. Which is, therefore, no community at all. Quite unlike Holland, where we have this association of consultants in development (Nedworc), continuously striving for more ethics in the job, a code of conduct, continuous individual learning and also generously sharing experience (of older ones) with those that are just starting. My idea to start a kind of Nedworc daughter for local consultants here, possibly with some small funding from the Netherlands, will need a lot of ponderation. But some old friends of mine from different backgrounds (economic justice, journalism, anthropology) that have started consultancy companies besides their other jobs, say I'm welcome to join once I come with creative ideas. That's a challenge.

And so, with support of my always creative Southafrican friend Carva, I'm starting to work out alternatives, not just waiting till someone will give me a contract. C is willing to share his own course material with me, which I'll have to adapt to the Mozambican situation. Plus look for funding possibilities etc., but it's a good exercise to think "out of the box". Meanwhile continuing to contact all kinds of organizations. I just need patience, and hard work, and an end to technical problems...