The East African Community Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation Dr. Julius Rotich has urged photographers in the Partner States to scale up the visual visibility of the regional integration process.
“Photography can create a lasting impression on regional integration issues…Your products should be able to promote debate, understanding and sensitization of the integration process among the East African citizens,” he said Tuesday when opening a three-day EAC-GIZ-organized Master Class Photographers Training Workshop in Arusha, Tanzania.
The training is attended by two professional photographers each from the five Partner States selected on merit by an independent panel.
Dr. Rotich said that photography as a concept was meant to educate and inform, to record and preserve moments in time for generations to come.
“Your role in educating and informing the EA citizens on the milestones being achieved in the regional integration is very critical,” said Dr. Rotich, adding that every moment of the historic EAC integration must be recorded and relayed positively to step up the integration process and in our common desire for a prosperous East Africa.
He also wanted the photographers to portray the region as investment-friendly and peaceful. “Often times Africa has been portrayed as a dark continent full of disease, hunger, famine and conflicts. Time has come when we have to change this,” he underscored.
The EAC official challenged the participants to publish pictorial books showcasing a region full of hope.
On the subject of ethics, Dr. Rotich urged the photographers to lead the way by demonstrating high professional values and objectivity.
“Picture manipulations or disseminating false or misleading captions all tend to negatively impact on your profession,” he counseled.
The EAC Deputy Secretary General lauded the efforts of the German International Development Agency (GIZ) for heeding to the call for support to develop and nurture media in the Community on the regional integration issues.
GIZ last year supported three trainings for journalists on regional integration issues.
The acting Head of EAC-GIZ Programme Miriam Heidtmann said that the training was a realization of one year of planning.
She hoped that the training would help to polish up the skills of the photographers, especially in the EAC integration. “It’s our utmost desire to see an increased visual coverage of the fast-growing EAC integration,” she said.
The Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Richard Owora Othieno said that the trainings are going to be continuous with view to improving media coverage of EAC issues in the region.
“These trainings have already scaled up visibility of EAC .We are committed to have more such trainings in future in diverse areas of integration process,” he said.
The training is conducted by a renowned German photographer, Hartmut Fiebig, who also has worked and captured outstanding pictures in East Africa.
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