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National Chapter Activities

Vice President of Mauritius Formally Launches the OSSREA Mauritius Chapter

The OSSREA Mauritius Chapter held its inaugural conference on the theme ‘Media and Democracy in an Age of Transition’ from 17 - 18 May 2004 at the University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius. The opening conference ceremony was done by the Vice President of Mauritius, His Excellency Raouf Bundhun in the presence of the Executive Secretary of OSSREA, Dr. Alfred G. Nhema and the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, Professor Indur Fagonnee and the liaison officer of the Mauritius Chapter, Dr Roukaya Kasenally. This was a double event as the OSSREA Mauritius Chapter was also officially launched by Dr. Alfred G. Nhema.

The regional conference gathered some 70 participants from Mauritius as well as from the region, namely Madagascar, Reunion island, Seychelles, Comoros islands, Namibia, South Africa and India on a theme that is currently shaping the regional/ local media landscape. Papers presentations were made along four broad sub themes: Media and Governance, Media – Articulating the Private and Public Sphere, Media, Language and Culture: New Forms of Exchanges and Media and the Management of Diversity in Pluriethnic Societies. In addition to the formal panel sessions, two workshops were held on ‘The Emergence of an Ethical Press in Mauritius?’ and ‘Broadcasting in a Liberalised Environment: The Way Forward’. 

The regional conference provided the Mauritius Chapter with the opportunity of bringing together and engaging researchers from Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros islands as the Mauritius Chapter also has the responsibility of promoting OSSREA related activities in those islands. The regional conference was seen as an ideal stepping-stone towards greater networking and research exchanges between the different Indian Ocean islands.

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