Pictured front row from left are Mahamat Ababderamane Souleymane, president, Maison des Medias du Chad; Anthony Newbold, president, The Bahamas Press Club; Anny Adrianaivonirina, presidente, Centre de Presse Malagasy; Edouard Adzotsa, secretair general, Federation Syndicale des Travailleurs de la Communication, Republic of Congo; and Albert Rudatsimburwa, Press Club of Kigali. Second row from left are Lance Polu, secretary general, Journalist Association of Samoa; Joseph Ailonga, president, Editor's Forum of Nimibial; Abdou Gningue, journaliste president, Club de las Presse du Senegal; Ambassador Dr. Len Ishmael, St. Kitts and St. Lucia; Onel Sandford-Belle, Association of Caribbean Media Workers; Dr. Patrick I. Gomes, ACP secretary general; and Derek Fox, Cook Islands Media Association
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Executives of the newly formed African Caribbean & Pacific (APC) Press Clubs Federation took a conscious decision on November 30 to encourage more involvement from journalists in member states, especially the Caribbean and Pacific, as it moves to establish an identity for the new organization.
Bahamas Press Club President Anthony Newbold and Jewel Forde, assistant secretary general, Association of Caribbean Media Workers, represented the Caribbean region. Meeting at ACP House on the Avenue Georges-Henri in Brussels for the first time since being appointed in Kigali in October, executives of the federation pledged to do all within their power to ensure the presence of the ACP and the federation in all member states is evident.
"The first recommendation to the president for action was my suggestion to mount a competition for the design of the federation's logo," said Newbold. "Graphic artists from news organization, who are hopefully members of the areas press clubs, would be asked to submit samples for consideration."
Leading the discussions was Albert Rudatsimburwa, from Kigali, who represented ACPC Federation President Gaspard Safari, who could not attend because of health reasons.
"It is important that we agree a vision for this organization," Rudatsimburwa said. "Because we must move quickly to establish the ACP Press Clubs Federation as a vibrant and relevant force in our member states in raising the cause of press freedom."
The vision for the ACP PCF, as articulated by the executive council, is: "To strengthen and sustain media associations in ACP countries to be a catalyst for development, by bolstering transparency in public affairs, rising public awareness on important issues as well as facilitating open debate and the dynamic exchange of information and ideas."
The ACP PCF will initially be directed from Brussels, which will allow the federation to lean on the support of the ACP Group Secretariat, which in the initial stages will provide the funding necessary for the operations of the organization.
ACP PCF Interim President Gaspard Safari is expected to soon release the agenda for the next meeting of the council, which is scheduled for February 2017 in Kigali, Rwanda ahead of the World Congress of Press Clubs.
The ACP Press Clubs Federation was established at a special meeting in Kigali in October 2016, with the primary objective being "to foster dialogue, cooperation and an exchange of practical experience and ideas between ACP-PCF members".
An interim executive council was appointed comprising 12 members, two from each region represented: West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean region.
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