SECRETARY-GENERAL
malnutrition and deplorable sanitation are often displayed in isolation of any positive prospects existing in a given society. Most often, the international media do not care to present even brief backgrounds to show how the poor countries were historically – and in some cases continue to be – vandalized, exploited and the people disorganized and marginalized through slavery and colonialism. These exploitative activities against poor countries continue in present times
through human trafficking and modern slavery, economic domination and exploitation, cheap labour, aid, psychological dependency and environmental destruction. Although there are many efforts being made by the developing societies
themselves to overcome the effects of centuries of exploitation, the international media make no linkages with present-day failures and challenges. The focus of foreign media has been to simply blame these societies for corruption, lack of good governance and insufficient democracy. The focus is often on how these poor countries should mimic the democratic
values and practices of former colonial powers, sometimes without making cultural or environmental adjustments to suit their local needs and what their people want. I am delighted to note, however, that efforts are now being initiated by the
local media in developing countries to kick-start “positive message” journalism for their people. Sometimes supported by public funds, local media organizations in some African, Asian and Latin American countries are now working on positive media documentation to portray the development efforts their governments, Parliaments and people are carrying out. There is no doubt that soon after independence 50 to 60 years ago, a
number of countries in Africa and Asia did not have a clear choice on leadership and development. The international community was divided between the West and East Blocs. This division bred an intense Cold War. In the contemporary times, when even China is supporting the construction
of democratic institutional infrastructures such as Parliament buildings in some Commonwealth countries, the international media ought to change their stance.
Yes, the last 50 to 60 years saw countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia move from the same level of development as some countries in Africa to become present-day fairly developed countries. The argument made by some leaders in Malaysia and Singapore is that they followed their own development path, navigating their own way to progress with the support of their own media. Similarly, however, in contemporary times, many countries that made
“mistakes” of copying foreign development models are now quickly changing to diversify their political and economic pathways, with the support of their media, to enable the maximum utilization of their human and material resources. The international media are currently but surprisingly reporting that the next
decade will see some of the rapidly developing countries being those in Africa and Asia. This means that the local media in Africa and Asia should drum it loud to show that their leaders and citizens have redoubled their efforts, having been left in deep pits of underdevelopment and misery in the immediate post- independence period. Indeed, it is important for the local media in Africa and Asia to drum it up loud
to show how education and other social services have multiplied in 50 years. For example, in several countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda and others, which at independence between 1957 and 1963 had countable numbers of doctors and engineers, have now moved on to supply specialists in various fields of occupation at home and abroad. Policies in those countries have enabled both women and men to access
education, even by just gaining basic literacy. There are several other comparative statistics to show that our Commonwealth countries in Africa and Asia are moving rapidly towards modernization, and the political landscape is encouraging for both men and women. The other aspect of negative international media images is that aid organizations display gaping pictures of malnourished and miserable children in Africa and other parts of the world, apparently to support the campaign for funds from potential donors. The images, repeated again and again, appear to be deliberately used to convince potential donors that misery could be overcome by
Commonwealth gallery
onal Women’s Day at the Commonwealth Secretariat. Seated from left to right: n, Commonwealth Secretary-General H.E. Kamalesh Sharma, United Kingdom Baroness Lindsay Northover.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Quebec and CPA Branch President Hon. Jacques Chagnon, MNA, (right) with the Secretary-General.
VIEW FROM THE
The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue One | 11
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