Zimbabwe: Media as Key-Factor for Development and Democracy

Free, professional media, an intact media landscape and a civic society which fights for the right to freedom of opinion: “These criteria “, says Patrick Leusch, “are the primary goals of the plan." Leusch is head of project development at DW-AKADEMIE. His department submitted the application to the EU and, over the last year, has been the driving force behind the tender process for the project “Media in Zimbabwe: Key Factor for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedom of Opinion”.

The project is being supported by the European Union to the tune of 1.1 million euro. The funding comes from the EU’s human rights program “European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights" (EIDHR). The project aims not just to train journalists and media professionals but also to create the right conditions on the ground for free media. “There is no point in sending well-trained journalists back to a political, legal or economic environment in which they cannot work", emphasizes Leusch.

It’s hoped the project can achieve its ambitious goals by tapping into existing networks. DW-AKADEMIE, according to Leusch, intends to take a largely coordinating role in the project, in which ten partners are cooperating – including, from Europe, Europa IMS from Denmark, IWPR from London, Press Now from the Netherlands and FOJO from Sweden.

“The project’s success or failure in the coming years will all depend on the political climate“, warns Leusch. The coalition between Mugabe’s erstwhile government party and the opposition led by Morgan Tsvangirai has been in a stalemate for months now: the opposition accuses Mugabe of continuing to try to rule the country by dictatorship.

“If the coalition were to collapse, Mugabe would once again become the sole ruler. Then the situation in the country as a whole would become more difficult, including and especially for the media “, says Leusch, while at the same time stressing that it is in such difficult times that support is most needed. He adds that the project has no chance of being implemented against the regime’s wishes: “We don’t need their support – but we do need to be tolerated“.

The goal of EIDHR is to bolster human rights and basic freedoms in those countries where they are at greatest risk. Organizations from around the world can propose projects which are then evaluated by the EU and, if approved, partly funded by it. In the last tender process, 11 of 206 proposals submitted to the EU were selected for co-funding. They included DW-AKADEMIE’s Zimbabwe project and another extensive project for Turkmenistan in which DWA is also a partner. “The fact that we got the approval of the EIDHR for our projects “, says Patrick Leusch, “shows how highly regarded DW-AKADEMIE is around the world“.