Saturday, March 26, 2011

Nigeriaelections.org-A useful Guide for Credible Electioneering in Nigeria


It is no longer news that the apathy display by many Nigerians in the past election is due to inadequate information and education about electioneering in Nigeria, which has undermine political participation of the people in the past.
Although, there is a clamor for more political participation among the people in governance, it cannot happen in a vacuum as most people need to be well informed about the political processes before taking action.

A new website www.nigeriaelections.org created by Nigeria Election Coalition, a virtual network backed by West African Non-Governmental Organisation Network (WANGONet), is a unique news portal that is out to help bridge this age long information divide that is acknowledged by most media practitioners, community based organisation, election observers, international agencies and donors.

Information published on the website includes voter registration statistics, age group spread, gender representation at the federal and senate house level, percentage control of state by political parties, profiles of gubernatorial and presidential contestant across the major political parties, articles, features stories by key opinion leaders etc. that can serve as useful guide for credible electioneering in Nigeria.

WANGONet is a West African Nongovernmental organisation Network that has dedicated time, resources and funds towards the promotion of political participation among Nigerians. Like the Country Director, WANGONet, Tunji Lardner said “it is the people that will change the course of history when they are adequately informed on the issues at stake and their responsibility”.

The website is broken into three segments which are Agora- the pulse of the election: KYC- know your Candidate: What Where and How. A click on Agora lead users to various stories written by the Former Minister For Education, Dr. Oby Eysewisli,  Akin Akinwunmi and other writers whose insight on issues are quite empowering. It also includes information on current happening with INEC and other updates about the election, stickers that could be printed to create awareness locally about the 2011 election. Know Your Candidate provide vital information about selected gubernatorial and presidential candidates, including their principles, manifestoes, family background,  contact addresses that can be verified by key stakeholders in the coming poll. What Where and How provide information on the different polling stations in Nigeria.

Another intriguing thing is that the website provides a platform where individuals can summit stories, situation report, or happenings around them during and after the election. This would help provide a veritable alternative to election tracking in Nigeria, which is a welcome phenomenon. We all want credible elections and as much as possible this alternative means where everyone can serve as a watch-dog and be heard when they need to will ultimately provide some level of probity, transparency and facts that is needed when there is an election manoeuvrings at any corner of our country.

Meanwhile, in as much as the web site is an educating medium for all Nigerians to participate actively in the coming election,  I believe that new media can only be effectively used and managed when it provides a platform for feedback from users. Thus, the nigeriaelections.org need to develop or create a feedback mechanism on the website.

Although, Know Your Candidate aim to provide readers with a portal to read, evaluate and appreciate each of the candidates, the list currently available is not enough representation of all the contestant we have in Nigeria. It is obvious that the gubernatorial candidates in Nigeria are more than the less than 30 candidate listed on the website. Or perhaps, the others failed to provide accurate information needed to include their profile on the website.

While browsing through Nigeriaelections.org, you might think it a bit elistic in nature. The use of graphs, text and content of the videos on the website is however applauded. A good stance others can emulate. I am happy with this new site and I recommend it to everyone who is interested in ensuring that we all have a credible election in Nigeria.
If you have not visited or signed up yet, please visit www.nigeriaelections.org
by Adeola Ogunlade

Thursday, March 17, 2011

News here and there!

Youth Work- “…Empowering the next generation of communicators and Journalists to use new media and digital technologies to effect a positive global impact.” Here is a mini-report plus photos of how the 10 tactics film screening went! Read the news update on Before Graduation

Impacting Younger Persons on Use of Social Media to Effect Change - An opinion article about the event by one of the participants.


The renaissance of African prose came with writers like Adichie, Habila and many others, and is a celebrated development. However, as new novels are published in the mainstream every year, the question “is poetry a forgotten art?” remains. Read news about Preserve my Saltiness on Y!Naija
 

2011 IWMF International Conference of Women Media Leaders in Washington, D.C. Live Streamed Events for Viewing

The International Women's Media Foundation and George Washington University's Global Media Institute are partnering on a path-breaking conference in Washington, bringing together top women media executives from around the world to discuss remaining gender barriers and craft a plan for the future. A long-awaited global report on the status of women in the news media around the world will be unveiled.

IWMF and GW are pleased to invite you to participate in the conference by viewing the conference’s three live-streamed events. You can gather a group, or simply watch on your computer without leaving your desk.  Live streamed events take place on Tuesday, March 22nd  and Thursday, March 24th.

Don’t miss your opportunity to follow us on twitter #iwmfconf or go to twitter.com/iwmf.


Tuesday, March 22   8:00 pm – 9:15 pm ET

The Kalb Report
, "Diane Sawyer: A Life in News"

Diane Sawyer, anchor of ABC’s World News, joins legendary journalist Marvin Kalb to share her insights on the transformation of journalism, the state of the evening news, and gender barriers in the newsroom.  The Kalb Report public television, radio and online series is produced by the George Washington University Global Media Institute, Harvard University and the National Press Club.  The series is underwritten by a grant from Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.  This program is presented before a live studio audience comprising students and professional journalists at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The live webcast will be available at http://kalb.gwu.edu
<http://kalb.gwu.edu> .

Thursday, March 24  9:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET

“Influence, Relevance and Power”

Panel moderated by Judy Woodruff of PBS Newshour will focus on the relevance of media and the influence of social media on global causes. Featured on the panel will be:
    
  Matt Winkler, Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder, Bloomberg News
    
  Howard G. Buffett, Howard G. Buffett Foundation
    
  Alberto Ibargüen, President and CEO, The John S. and James L. Knight
         Foundation

This interactive panel will allow for questions from all viewers. You can participate in the session by blogging your questions live to IWMF.  The full site with the video and blog will be shown on one screen, easily viewed on your computer.

The live webcast and blog site for your questions will be available at www.iwmf.org <http://www.iwmf.org>


Thursday, March 24, 2011  1:00 PM -2:15 PM ET

“Myths about the Media: Audience, Business, and Money”

Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ), recently released PEJ’s eighth “State of the News Media 2011” report. He will join moderator Frank Sesno, director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, and a panel of media experts for an interactive analysis that will use PEJ’s research to counter some of the popular misconceptions and myths about contemporary media.  

  • Tom Rosenstiel, director, PEJ
  • Frank Sesno, moderator; Director, School of Media and Public Affairs, GW
  • Alberto Ibargüen, President, Knight Foundation
  • Jane McDonnell, Executive Director, Online News Association
  • Matthew Hindman, Assistant Professor of Media and Public Affairs, GW

Monday, March 14, 2011

Creative space this Wednesday! March 16th… @info_activism @disgeneration #10tactics #leapafrica


Empowering the next generation of communicators and Journalists: 
“A group of 20 communicators, Journalists and grassroots organisations, will meet at Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria at 11am on March 16th for a screening of 10 Tactics and a discussion on how to utilise new media for greater social impact.”

Guest Trainer: Oreoluwa Somolu, Executive Director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) http://www.w-teconline.org

Key Sponsors:
LEAPAfrica http://www.leapafrica.org/
Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria http://nigeria-aids.org/

A project of Before Graduation www.beforegraduation.com

Modestus Diko on “The Enslaved Virgin Girl” & “The Philosopher’s Grief”

Modestus Diko is a student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State. I had a short chat with this young writer of purpose and immense potentials who recently published The Philosopher’s Grief and The Enslaved Virgin Girl!

What inspired the poems- The Enslaved Virgin Girl & The Philosopher Grief?
 For the enslaved virgin girl, I was inspired when I discovered that many ladies face so much prejudice on their decision to keep their virginity.
 The inspiration for the philosopher's grief came when I was grieved by what was going on in our world, so many atrocities committed against the human race such as injustice, greed, avarice, corruption, depression of the grieved widows, cries of the orphans etc.
What key message are the books sending to the readers?
      The message the philosopher's grief is sending across is for us to rise and correct the evils addressed in the book and put a lasting solution to the problems affecting the human nature. The enslaved virgin girl is strictly to imbibe morals in our young girls, and to reduce youth restiveness.  
What has been your most challenging task as a poet? 
      Wow! My most challenging task is just the fact that I’m a science scholar- as you may know even art scholars and graduates most times find it very difficult to understand poetry not to talk of a poet with a science background.  
How do you combine your science background with your interest with poetry?
      It not that easy, most times I find it difficult. I go the extra mile to understand the meaning of those poetic terms… but what has been helping me is the fact that I have always loved and still love reading poetry, and also with my science background I bring science into poetry.
 
The Books:
The Enslaved Virgin Girl - is a book with great insight, set to reactivate in youth the blessedness of purity, the worth of the lady’s pride; virtues so long forgotten by many. It is a book which touches the lives of every young lady in order to carry on the legacy of pure wholesome living in our modern society.
The Philospher’s Grief – is a book which awakens our hearts, it helps us discover our purpose and potentials of life, cultivates our thoughts and feelings towards others, believing in our dreams, touching lives and inspiring others

The Launch at Terra Kulture! (While you are there...stop by at the Bookstore and buy a copy of "Preserve my Saltiness.")
It is scheduled to hold on the 25th of  March 2011, by 11a.m and venue is Terra Kulture Plot 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Philosopher's Grief will be reviewed by Mr Chude Jideonwo of the Future Project while I will be reviewing The Enslaved Virgin Girl,.The purpose of the launch is to promote a healthy reading culture amongst the youths.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

R is for REGISTER. S is for SELECT #RSVP

For all those who successfully registered for the 2011 Elections,
despite the ups and downs of the registration exercise-congratulations
again! The April elections are right around the corner. It is legit to
say we are now at the phase of deliberately selecting the candidates
whom we think ought to represent us.

When it comes to selecting the government leaders, the strong opinion
of others might influence our choices but after casting the vote
during election, we’ll all bear the brunt of our decision. So please
select wisely!

Have you been able to successfully participate in any town hall
meeting with the candidates at the different leadership level? What is
your opinion about the current campaign strategy? And their proposed
manifestos? Some politicians have been accused of plagiarizing each
other’s manifestos. How far can they keep up with the charade?

The “What About Us?” Presidential Debate
(Press Release): Building on the momentum from a mass voter
registration drive, a coalition of several youth empowerment groups,
and blogs, including Vote or Quench, Enough is Enough Nigeria, Sleeves
Up and Nigeria Leadership Initiative, are calling for the first-ever
presidential youth centered debate in Nigeria. Looking ahead to the
April elections, the debate would focus on the key issues affecting a
critical voting demographic, with the age group of 30 and under
representing 70% of the population.

The debate will be a direct conversation with Nigerian youth, inviting
presidential candidates to answer questions posed by young Nigerians,
at home and abroad via social media networks including FaceBook and
Twitter, text message and phone, about key topics of concern. For the
first time, the candidates will have a platform to share their agenda
with the nation in a live-televised format, laying out specific and
concrete solutions. The debate is tentatively scheduled for the last
week of March, 2011.

“It is easy for politicians to promise change without having a clue
about the realities Nigerian youth face every day. However, we know
that their decisions now will largely determine our future so we want
to know where they stand. This time around, we are engaged aware and
empowered and believe that our vote should be earned and not
expected.” The group said in a joint statement.

The group’s mission started on January 11th, 2011, with the
#IfNaijaVotes donate your status initiative, prompting Nigerians
across the globe to voice their predictions on the nation’s prospects
if free and fair elections are held. The group now seeks to further
educate the Nigerian youth on the missions and motives of presidential
aspirants and will continue to collaborate on various initiatives to
drive voter awareness and participation. More details can be found on
www.whataboutusnigeria.org or FaceBook page:
www.facebook.com/whataboutusnigeria. Or email
info@whataboutusnigeria.org

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

"Preserve my Saltiness" now available in a Book store near you!

"Preserve my Saltiness" now available in a Book store near you!

  • Paperback: 81 pages

  • Publisher: Step Out Creatives Publications; First Edition edition (20 Feb 2011)

  • Language English

  • ISBN-10: 1906963266

  • ISBN-13: 978-1906963262



  • To buy your copies, please visit:

    Naija-Sistas Book-stop
    Henry Nelson Consulting
    26 Festival Road off Adetokunbo Ademola Street
    Victoria Island
    Lagos

    Terra Kulture (Bookshop)
    Plot 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street
    Victoria Island Lagos.

    Florence & Lambard Publisher and Booksellers
    202-204 Ikorodu road, Palm Grove, Lagos

    Amazon.co.uk: Buy and Share your reviews!