Why did I cry in IFJ congress, Cadiz May 2010?

Why did I cry in IFJ congress, Cadiz May 2010?

Mekki Elmograbi
mekkielmograbi.blogspot.com

All these delegations are my friends and colleagues? A number exceeds two hundred if you count reporters and free lance!
Trade unionists from big and small countries, rich and poor, cold and hot, Americans, Asians, Africans, Australians and Europeans, all of them speaking different languages, but all of them speaking one concern, all of them have to solve the problems of my career (Journalism). But what their share in the plight of my country, Sudan?
We are obliged as Sudanese journalists to defend the right of Southern Sudanese people in 2011 Referendum; they have the right to choose unity or separation. At the same time we are obliged to support attractive and fair unity. The Sudanese Constitution after CPA stated the two tasks very clearly leaving us to face the challenge of being balanced, professional and ethical in our work, but time is running, we have just six months!
Although the world media must be supportive and positive to all human issues it seems that they just want to divide Sudan. Moreover some of them want to base the referendum on ethnic and religious issues. These trials is going to cause many problems for Sudan even after referendum. Not just for Sudan but for many African war torn regions in many countries. The plight of Sudan is just a model for many counties. Now we there are ongoing six wars based on ethnic or religious issues, many other wars in (silent profile) but they are active and ready. That means more divisions, more refugees, more and continuous human crisis in Africa.
It is not just the matter of unity or separation. It the matter of how to free the Sudanese and African will to deal with problems in democratic and safe atmosphere, the atmosphere that can lead to peaceful unity or peaceful separation. Not to give innocent people the right of division after stirring hate and anger among them.
The media role now is not just to reflect the reality; we do know that media share in shaping the reality. To be ethical in the Sudanese case, media must let the choice of unity to grow or at least to not let the ethnic and religious division to happen.