Roving Journalist
JF Roving Journalist
- Apr 18, 2017
- 2,810
- 11,981
Habari wakuu,
Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa JamiiForums, Maxence Melo amepata tuzo katika eneo la Uhuru wa Kujieleza na Uhuru wa Habari na kupata Taarifa. Maxence amekuwa mshindi wa tuzo ya Kimataifa ya (International Press Freedom Award 2019) inayotolewa na ‘The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)’.
Maxence amekuwa mstari wa mbele kupigania haki ya Watanzania kupata na kutoa taarifa kwa zaidi ya miaka mingi kupitia JamiiForums na hata kupelekea kukabiliwa na changamoto za kikazi, kuchafuliwa jina na baadhi ya watu wenye agenda zao binafsi na zaidi kukabiliwa na kesi ambazo zinazoendelea hadi sasa.
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Hotuba ya kupokea Tuzo ya Kimataifa ya Uhuru wa Vyombo vya Habari iliyotolewa na Maxence Melo (Tanzania)
Habari za jioni!
Nimekuwa Mwandishi kama ajali tu. Sikuwahi kufikiria kuwa maishani mwangu ningepokea tuzo ya heshima ya kimataifa kama hii. Tuzo ambayo ni matokeo ya kufanya yaliyo sahihi na yale ambayo kila mtu anapaswa kuyasimamia katika safari ya maisha yake. Nimefarijika sana kuwa miongoni mwa washindi wa tuzo hii. Ni heshima kubwa!
Mimi ni Mwanzilishi na Mhariri Mkuu wa JamiiForums. JamiiForums ipo ili kutoa taarifa badala ya kuzuia, kuunganisha watu badala ya kuwatenganisha, kujadili badala ya kupuuza, na zaidi kuwalinda wale wenye ujasiri wa kutosha kufunua ukweli ambao wenye mamlaka wasingependa ujulikane.
Hadi leo ninapopokea tuzo hii, nimekuwa mahakamani mara 137 katika miaka 3 iliyopita, nimekamatwa mara mbili, nimekaa siku 14 kizuizini. Nimevumilia marufuku za kusafiri. Katika siku tano zijazo, nitakuwa kortini kwa ajili ya hukumu ya moja ya mashtaka matatu yaliyofunguliwa dhidi yangu tangu nilipokamatwa Desemba 2016.
Usiku wa leo, ninaitoa tuzo hii kwa Watanzania wenzangu ambao aidha wameteseka, wameteswa, wametishiwa au kuuawa wakati wa kutumia haki yao ya Uhuru wa Kujieleza. Baadhi hawajulikani walipo. Mmoja wao ni mwandishi wa habari huru, Azory Gwanda ambaye alipotea miaka miwili iliyopita. Tunaendelea kuuliza #WhereIsAzory?
Tuzo hii ni faraja kwa Wanahabari na raia wote wazalendo. Pamoja na vitisho na mateso, lakini bado wanathubutu kuzungumza kwa uwazi juu ya masuala yanayoathiri ustawi wa mataifa yetu. Kwa kufanya hivyo, wanachukua jukumu muhimu katika kuchagiza uwazi, uwajibikaji, demokrasia na haki za binadamu.
Asante kwa Kamati ya Kulinda Waandishi wa Habari ya Kimataifa(CPJ) kwa kutambua na kuheshimu ujasiri wa watu wanaojitolea. Demokrasia inategemea raia aliye na taarifa. Bila taarifa za kutosha, raia wengi wa ulimwengu huu wanakuwa gizani. Uhuru wa Vyombo vya Habari ni uti wa mgongo wa Demokrasia.
Namshukuru Mungu kwa kunisaidia katika safari hii. Ninamshukuru Mke wangu mrembo na wanetu Watatu kwa ujasiri wao na kunitia moyo kila siku katika kazi yangu. Shukrani kwa Timu ya JamiiForums, wanachama na wadau wote wanaounga mkono kazi zetu kwa njia mbalimbali.
Asante sana!
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The text of Maxence Melo Mubyazi's acceptance speech, as prepared for delivery, is below
Good evening!
I am an accidental journalist. I never imagined that I would be a recipient of such a prestigious international award. An award that is a result of doing what is right and what everyone should uphold as a way of life. I am overwhelmed to be among the recipients of this award. It’s a great honor!
I am the founder and editor-in-chief of JamiiForums. JamiiForums exists to inform rather than to censor, to unite rather than divide, to debate rather than ignore, and that will protect those who are courageous enough to expose the truth that the powerful would rather hide.
Today as I receive this award, I have been in court 137 times in the past three years, I have been arrested twice, spent 14 nights in detention. I have endured travel bans. In the next five days, I will be in court for the judgment in one of the three prosecutions against me since my December 2016 arrest.
Tonight, I dedicate this award to all my fellow Tanzanians who have suffered, been tortured, threatened, intimidated or died while exercising their right to freedom of expression. Some are missing. One of them is a freelance journalist, Azory Gwanda, who went missing two years ago today. We continue to ask #WhereIsAzory?
This award is an encouragement for all patriotic journalists and citizens. Despite threats, intimidation, and suffering, they speak out on issues that affect our nations. In doing so, they are playing a key role in enhancing transparency, accountability, democracy, and human rights.
Thank you to the Committee to Protect Journalists, for recognizing and honoring their courage and sacrifice. Democracy depends on an informed citizenry to survive. Without adequate information, global citizens are essentially disempowered. Press freedom is a backbone of that democracy.
I thank God for taking me through this journey. I thank my beautiful wife and our three amazing children for their courage and daily inspiration in my work. Thanks to the support from the JamiiForums team, members and all those who support our work in so many ways.
Thank you. Asante sana!
www.voanews.com
Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa JamiiForums, Maxence Melo amepata tuzo katika eneo la Uhuru wa Kujieleza na Uhuru wa Habari na kupata Taarifa. Maxence amekuwa mshindi wa tuzo ya Kimataifa ya (International Press Freedom Award 2019) inayotolewa na ‘The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)’.
Maxence amekuwa mstari wa mbele kupigania haki ya Watanzania kupata na kutoa taarifa kwa zaidi ya miaka mingi kupitia JamiiForums na hata kupelekea kukabiliwa na changamoto za kikazi, kuchafuliwa jina na baadhi ya watu wenye agenda zao binafsi na zaidi kukabiliwa na kesi ambazo zinazoendelea hadi sasa.
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Hotuba ya kupokea Tuzo ya Kimataifa ya Uhuru wa Vyombo vya Habari iliyotolewa na Maxence Melo (Tanzania)
Habari za jioni!
Nimekuwa Mwandishi kama ajali tu. Sikuwahi kufikiria kuwa maishani mwangu ningepokea tuzo ya heshima ya kimataifa kama hii. Tuzo ambayo ni matokeo ya kufanya yaliyo sahihi na yale ambayo kila mtu anapaswa kuyasimamia katika safari ya maisha yake. Nimefarijika sana kuwa miongoni mwa washindi wa tuzo hii. Ni heshima kubwa!
Mimi ni Mwanzilishi na Mhariri Mkuu wa JamiiForums. JamiiForums ipo ili kutoa taarifa badala ya kuzuia, kuunganisha watu badala ya kuwatenganisha, kujadili badala ya kupuuza, na zaidi kuwalinda wale wenye ujasiri wa kutosha kufunua ukweli ambao wenye mamlaka wasingependa ujulikane.
Hadi leo ninapopokea tuzo hii, nimekuwa mahakamani mara 137 katika miaka 3 iliyopita, nimekamatwa mara mbili, nimekaa siku 14 kizuizini. Nimevumilia marufuku za kusafiri. Katika siku tano zijazo, nitakuwa kortini kwa ajili ya hukumu ya moja ya mashtaka matatu yaliyofunguliwa dhidi yangu tangu nilipokamatwa Desemba 2016.
Usiku wa leo, ninaitoa tuzo hii kwa Watanzania wenzangu ambao aidha wameteseka, wameteswa, wametishiwa au kuuawa wakati wa kutumia haki yao ya Uhuru wa Kujieleza. Baadhi hawajulikani walipo. Mmoja wao ni mwandishi wa habari huru, Azory Gwanda ambaye alipotea miaka miwili iliyopita. Tunaendelea kuuliza #WhereIsAzory?
Tuzo hii ni faraja kwa Wanahabari na raia wote wazalendo. Pamoja na vitisho na mateso, lakini bado wanathubutu kuzungumza kwa uwazi juu ya masuala yanayoathiri ustawi wa mataifa yetu. Kwa kufanya hivyo, wanachukua jukumu muhimu katika kuchagiza uwazi, uwajibikaji, demokrasia na haki za binadamu.
Asante kwa Kamati ya Kulinda Waandishi wa Habari ya Kimataifa(CPJ) kwa kutambua na kuheshimu ujasiri wa watu wanaojitolea. Demokrasia inategemea raia aliye na taarifa. Bila taarifa za kutosha, raia wengi wa ulimwengu huu wanakuwa gizani. Uhuru wa Vyombo vya Habari ni uti wa mgongo wa Demokrasia.
Namshukuru Mungu kwa kunisaidia katika safari hii. Ninamshukuru Mke wangu mrembo na wanetu Watatu kwa ujasiri wao na kunitia moyo kila siku katika kazi yangu. Shukrani kwa Timu ya JamiiForums, wanachama na wadau wote wanaounga mkono kazi zetu kwa njia mbalimbali.
Asante sana!
-----
The text of Maxence Melo Mubyazi's acceptance speech, as prepared for delivery, is below
Good evening!
I am an accidental journalist. I never imagined that I would be a recipient of such a prestigious international award. An award that is a result of doing what is right and what everyone should uphold as a way of life. I am overwhelmed to be among the recipients of this award. It’s a great honor!
I am the founder and editor-in-chief of JamiiForums. JamiiForums exists to inform rather than to censor, to unite rather than divide, to debate rather than ignore, and that will protect those who are courageous enough to expose the truth that the powerful would rather hide.
Today as I receive this award, I have been in court 137 times in the past three years, I have been arrested twice, spent 14 nights in detention. I have endured travel bans. In the next five days, I will be in court for the judgment in one of the three prosecutions against me since my December 2016 arrest.
Tonight, I dedicate this award to all my fellow Tanzanians who have suffered, been tortured, threatened, intimidated or died while exercising their right to freedom of expression. Some are missing. One of them is a freelance journalist, Azory Gwanda, who went missing two years ago today. We continue to ask #WhereIsAzory?
This award is an encouragement for all patriotic journalists and citizens. Despite threats, intimidation, and suffering, they speak out on issues that affect our nations. In doing so, they are playing a key role in enhancing transparency, accountability, democracy, and human rights.
Thank you to the Committee to Protect Journalists, for recognizing and honoring their courage and sacrifice. Democracy depends on an informed citizenry to survive. Without adequate information, global citizens are essentially disempowered. Press freedom is a backbone of that democracy.
I thank God for taking me through this journey. I thank my beautiful wife and our three amazing children for their courage and daily inspiration in my work. Thanks to the support from the JamiiForums team, members and all those who support our work in so many ways.
Thank you. Asante sana!
Despite Arrests and Intimidation, Tanzanian Journalist Fights to Ensure Press Freedom
The Committee to Protect Journalists, a global press freedom group, in July named Maxence Melo, a Tanzanian journalist and founder of Jamii Forums, winner of this year’s International Press Freedom Award
www.voanews.com
