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DVC on Media and 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections Leads to Discussion on Fair Media Coverage
On October 27, PAS Gaborone hosted a DVC on "The Media and the 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections" for an audience of journalists and media studies faculty and students from the University of Botswana. Our panelists in Washington were Ken Rudin, Political Editor at National Public Radio, and Maralee Schwartz, National Political Editor at the Washington Post. 2004 is a Presidential election year in Botswana as well, so there is keen interest in Botswana about issues like fair media coverage of political campaigns. The media are also keen to find ways to make political reporting more interesting for their readers. In addition to informing a key audience with insights into this interesting U.S. Presidential election, the program provoked an animated discussion among journalists and future journalists about what constitutes fair media coverage of political campaigns. (complete text)
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Latest Headlines From the Embassy |
U.S. Embassy Presents UNHCR in Botswana with $20,000 Grant
On October 21, Ambassador Huggins presented a check for US$20,000 to the Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Botswana and the Executive Director of the World Refugee Academy in Botswana. The grant from a special fund from the U.S. Department of State called the “Ambassador’s Fund for Refugees Initiative,” will support the project, “Towards the Enhancement of the Quality of Life in Dukwi Refugee Camp”. This project focuses on health education, counseling, and skills training for young refugees at Dukwi, which is not far from the border with Zimbabwe. UNHCR and the World Refugee Academy’s program, which brings students from the United States to work directly with refugees in camps on the African continent, will administer the grant.(complete text)
Batswana Experts Study Biotechnology In The United States
A delegation of three Batswana officials will arrive in the United States this week to begin a 10-day visit to learn more about biotechnology, particularly as it relates to agriculture. In Washington, they will meet with officials from the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The group will then travel to the midwestern state of Iowa to meet with Congressman Steve King in Sioux City as well as to visit a pharmaceutical corn farm and the Monsanto seed farm. Monsanto is a leading producer of biotech seeds. The visitors have also been invited to participate in the "2004 Biotechnology Information Conference" in Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. The U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Government of Botswana are funding the trip.
Members of the delegation are Dr. Samodimo Ngwako, Lecturer at Botswana College of Agriculture; Dr. Kekgonne Baipoledi, Principal Veterinary Officer at Department of Animal Health and Production; and Mr. Tlhaloganyo Ofentse, Agricultural Scientific Officer (Plant Genetics in Crop Production) at the Department of Agricultural Research.
The study tour stems from a July 2004 visit by Congressman Steve King to Botswana as part of a Congressional delegation led by Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. During meetings with President Festus Mogae, Minister of Trade and Industry Jacob Nkate and Minister of Agriculture Johnnie Swartz, Congressman King offered to host a group of Batswana scientists in Iowa to study the U.S. biotechnology industry first-hand. The study tour is designed to provide Batswana experts with an opportunity to learn about the U.S. biotechnology industry and to help them develop a more comprehensive policy and regulatory framework on biotechnology for Botswana. The three officials are involved in drafting a Policy Paper on Biotechnology to be completed by April ...(complete text)
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