FROM PARIS THE MINISTER FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND HIGHER EDUCATION,HONOURABLE DR. PIUS NG’WANDU ADDRESSES MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES THROUGH THE TGDLC

On Wednesday the 12th October 2005 the Tanzania global Development Learning Centre (TGDLC) hosted a talk by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Honourable Dr. Pius Ng’wandu. The Minister was speaking from Paris, France, to local media representatives in Dar es Salaam on the on-going 33rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference. The 33rd session opened on Monday, 3 October, 2005 and will conclude its work on Friday, 21 October, 2005.

Honourable Ng’wandu informed the media representatives on the effective performance of the Tanzania Delegation at Conference. The Conference was opened by the Director General of UNESCO and the Tanzanian Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Joseph Mungai, who gave his address in Kiswahili.

Honourable Ng’wandu informed the gathering that our Minister’s speech in Kiswahili was greatly applauded, particularly by Delegates from African Countries, and that it put the national language on the global map.

Commending UNESCO for important achievements, Honourable Ng’wandu praised in particular the excellent performance of UNESCO’s current Director General, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, who was re-elected for another four (4) year term and whose re-election enjoyed Tanzania’s full support. He further reiterated Tanzania’s support for UNESCO since joining the Organization on 6th June, 1962.

The Minister made reference to a few initiatives led by UNESCO, including the Global Declaration of 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth and the promotion of the Culture of Maintenance, which in Tanzania is being implemented at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT).

Honourable Ng’wandu also spoke about the different UNESCO Major Programmes and Commissions, reiterating that Tanzaina was represented in all the Commissions. He listed UNESCO’s five Major Programmes as being (i) – Education comprising strengthening of Education For All EFA coordination and planning; attaining basic education for all; enhancing quality education; and supporting post-primary education systems (ii) Natural Sciences, encompassing sciences, environment and sustainable development; and capacity-building in science and technology for sustainable development (iii) Social and human sciences, covering ethics of science and philosophy; human rights and social transformations (iv) Culture, embracing protecting and safeguarding cultural heritage worldwide; and strengthening cultural policies, cultural industries and intercultural dialogue (v) Communication and information, i.e. empowering people through access to information and knowledge with special emphasis on freedom of expression; and promoting communication development and ICTs for education, science and culture.

The ensuing questions from media representatives discussion centred on the issue related to the work of the different Commissions and how the issues handled by the Commissions benefited Tanzania, Exchange programmes in education and training, the role of civic education, UNESCO’s position on ICTs, impact of ICTs on culture, and role of ICTs in national development.

The Honourable Minister gave clarifications to issues raised, and Mr Kowero supplemented the Minister’s responses, particularly on issues of ICT.

Welcoming the media representatives earlier on, the TGDLC Director had brought to their attention the fact that it was Honourable Minister Ng’wndu who had officially inaugurated the TGDLC on 21 June, 2000.

Lastly, the Minister thanked the TGDLC Director and the representative of the World Bank Institute for having enabled the activity to take place