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The Elders Bring Together Kofi Annan’s Diplomatic Team with Kenya’s Media in Internews-led Roundtable
In Wake of Violence, UN Official Urges Kenyan Journalists to Secure Peace Deal
NAIROBI, Kenya- (March 3, 2008) A senior member of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s team in Nairobi has appealed to the Kenyan media to hold political leaders accountable on the power–sharing agreement signed Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at a roundtable organized by Internews on Friday, Martin Griffiths, political advisor to Annan, told senior journalists in Nairobi today that the country’s media have a special responsibility to find ways of ensuring that the deal works and bringing the people of Kenya into the process.
He emphasized that signing the agreement was the easy part, but that hard work remains in the implementation.
“The voice of the people must be brought into play in the next year and this will be especially important when it comes to constitutional reform,” he said, urging them to ensure that people’s organizations have a voice in the national media.
He said media have an important role in making sure that agreements were not forgotten: “It’s not just about yesterday’s agreement. Let’s not forget what was agreed to two and three weeks ago,” he said. Griffiths was referring to agreements to end the violence that crippled Kenya following a disputed election in December and agreements on disarming of militia and terms for forming the mediation committee.
Griffiths was speaking at the end of a gathering of editors and journalists hosted by Internews Network. The meeting was the first opportunity since the signing of the most recent agreement for journalists and editors to explore the constitutional and legal amendments needed to effect the 50-50 power-sharing deal. The media also explored international protocols relating to human rights, which may come to bear when addressing violations committed in the past two months.
It was part of a series of roundtables designed to support journalists in finding their role in the humanitarian crisis that has confronted Kenya following weeks of violence ensuing from the election dispute. Internews Network has been training and mentoring journalists in Kenya since 2002.
Griffiths' participation in the roundtable was made possible by The Elders, a group of world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu, who are applying their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. Elders' Kofi Annan and Graça Machel were 2 of the 3 member African Union mediation panel, which Mr. Annan led to a peaceful resolution in Kenya last week.
The Elders
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