CartIUM has invited its prospective members to take advantage of the NAMISA May 3 celebrations in Lilongwe to have their first meeting.
Interim Chairperson M'theto Lungu said among other details, the cartoonists who will meet on May 1st on the sidelines of a walk and football engagement organised by NAMISA, the cartoonists will discuss registration and what they need to do to launch fund raising events - including exhibitions.
Spokesperson, Antchona artists James Kazembe, will lead the gathering in detailing CartIUM objectives.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Malawi to censor newspaper cartoons
By: Gregory Gondwe
The Malawi Law Commission currently drafting a Gender Equality Law has suggested the inclusion of a law to regulate the print media, especially newspapers and periodicals, in the way they depict women in cartoon strips.
Father Robert Mwaungulu, a commissioner in the Special Law Commission on the development of a Gender Equality Statute, who also holds a doctorate degree in law said the aim of this particular clause in the proposed law is to protect the dignity of women.He said the commission observed that the Censorship and Control of Entertainment Act is outdated and although it was reviewed in 2001 it has not been enacted.
“Therefore the commission strongly urges the government to look into the enactment of the Act and in addition recommends the incorporation into the Gender Equality Act a specific provision in a Part specifically aimed at newspapers and other periodicals,” explains Father Mwaungulu.
He says the commission thus recommends the introduction of legal provisions that enshrine the protection of all persons in the print media; prohibition of gender stereotyping in the print media; and criminal punishment of violation of dignity in the print media.
Interim chairman of the yet to be launched Cartoonists and Illustrators Union of Malawi (CartIUM), M'theto Lungu said they are in the process of establishing a body to look at how they can avoid irresponsible regulation.Lungu, one of the country's few accomplished cartoonists and illustrators said although the union's objectives will include copyrighting, respect for intellectual property, censorship, networking, training and capacity building they will also defend the freedom of expression.
“To be a cartoonist in Malawi is a challenging thing. First, you have to balance between the political need and that of the society you need to educate and to add this kind of law...would be even more challenging,” said Lungu.
The Special Law Commission on the development of a Gender Equality Statute has already labeled a number of cartoon strips appearing in the country's daily and weekly newspaper that could be victimised once the proposed law comes to pass.
The Malawi Law Commission currently drafting a Gender Equality Law has suggested the inclusion of a law to regulate the print media, especially newspapers and periodicals, in the way they depict women in cartoon strips.
Father Robert Mwaungulu, a commissioner in the Special Law Commission on the development of a Gender Equality Statute, who also holds a doctorate degree in law said the aim of this particular clause in the proposed law is to protect the dignity of women.He said the commission observed that the Censorship and Control of Entertainment Act is outdated and although it was reviewed in 2001 it has not been enacted.
“Therefore the commission strongly urges the government to look into the enactment of the Act and in addition recommends the incorporation into the Gender Equality Act a specific provision in a Part specifically aimed at newspapers and other periodicals,” explains Father Mwaungulu.
He says the commission thus recommends the introduction of legal provisions that enshrine the protection of all persons in the print media; prohibition of gender stereotyping in the print media; and criminal punishment of violation of dignity in the print media.
Interim chairman of the yet to be launched Cartoonists and Illustrators Union of Malawi (CartIUM), M'theto Lungu said they are in the process of establishing a body to look at how they can avoid irresponsible regulation.Lungu, one of the country's few accomplished cartoonists and illustrators said although the union's objectives will include copyrighting, respect for intellectual property, censorship, networking, training and capacity building they will also defend the freedom of expression.
“To be a cartoonist in Malawi is a challenging thing. First, you have to balance between the political need and that of the society you need to educate and to add this kind of law...would be even more challenging,” said Lungu.
The Special Law Commission on the development of a Gender Equality Statute has already labeled a number of cartoon strips appearing in the country's daily and weekly newspaper that could be victimised once the proposed law comes to pass.
Cartoon Journalism Workshop Concept
Cartoonists need to come together to discuss common issues, share secrets of their profession.
Each of the participants will present a short overview of their work, against the backdrop of the prevailing political, economic and social conditions in their respective capacities. Several common themes will emerge from the presentations, but censorship - both in its direct and indirect forms - is the issue that will elicit the most vociferous debate.
A key objective of the workshop is to stimulate discussion around the idea of national association of cartoonists and illustrators. Such a body could benefit cartoonists in a number of ways: it could facilitate networking across geographical divides; provide opportunities for cross-pollination, training and the development of new talent; assist cartoonists with problems relating to copyright and intellectual property; and, possibly most important, perform an advocacy function on behalf of cartoonists who find themselves in hot water as a result of their satirical activities.
The first step towards realising these objectives is taken with the formation of a working group comprised of all cartoonists. Provisionally called "Cartoonists and Illustrators Union of Malawi", its purpose is to provide a platform from which the idea of a national association of cartoonists can be advanced. The participants will be tasked with returning back to mobilise fellow cartoonists to become part of the An advisor, convenor and co-ordinator will be elected.
Sporadic assessments show this initiative was long overdue. For most, it will be the first time they met so many of their peers. Though they may live and work under very different conditions, cartoonists everywhere are clearly united by common experiences, not least of which is the eternal search for a great, pithy image that sums up its subject with power and wit.
Many cartoonists have complained of unsympathetic editors who are empowered to squash an idea for the wrong reasons, others of the isolation of long hours at the drawing board, marginalised from the camaraderie of the newsroom. Translating political events and social challenges into the unique language of cartooning requires talent and a lot of hard work, and for the creators of daily and weekly editorial cartoons, the pressure seldom lets up. The dedication required of the successful cartoonist can be heavy.
After a long day of conferencing, during which participants will deliver intriguing lectures about their methods and techniques, members will settle down to carefully selected group discussions with results been aired in plenary.
CENSORSHIP AND PRESS FREEDOM
Censorship is still a very real problem for many, although it often takes the shape of more subtle forms of self-censorship by newspaper managers and owners. It is clear that a healthy culture of political cartooning and satire requires some measure of press freedom in order to exist. Cartooning relies on caricature to get its message across, and the purpose of caricature is to ridicule and demean those in positions of wealth and power. Accentuating the ugliest physical characteristics of eminent personages may be highly subversive - a blow struck against the establishment on behalf of the powerless and the anonymous. The licence enjoyed by cartoonists to caricature and parody public figures is therefore an indicator of a fairly robust democratic culture and certainly does not prevail in all countries. There is no need to restrict oneself to broad social themes alone in fear of political or gender enhanced reprisals.
Cartoonists flourish best where the press is relatively free. Opportunities for emerging cartoonists must be created by a new spirit of openness and critique, reflected in a rapid proliferation of independent newspapers. It is sad that some 20 Malawian cartoonists who emerged to celebrate previously unknown levels of freedom of expression are now silent as there are few forums to publish cartoons. Those who enjoyed momentary prominence have disappeared back into obscurity, and journalists look back with nostalgia on that brief period of press freedom and political vitality.
There is every need to enjoy vigorous cartooning cultures. We need to enjoy the freedom to record the country's travails, despite its steadily failing socio-political scenario and declining standards of living. Cartoonists’ biggest problem is obtaining drawing materials. Nevertheless, humour sustains us and our countless anecdotes shed satirical light on the political processes of post-colonial Africa.
THE STATE OF MALAWIAN CARTOONING
There is an obvious gap that needs to be filled by female cartoonists in Malawi. Despite a vigorous cartooning tradition that goes back to the turn of the democracy, when papers like The Democrat, New Vision, Malawi News and The Daily Times, Monitor, The Nation, and The Independent carried satirical cartoons, there has been no known female cartoonist in the country. Cartoons and comic strips in the country's papers and magazines have, with a few exceptions, mainly been created by male cartoonists. The contributions of artists like The Chronicle and other smaller newspapers have remained largely unrecognised by the broader public.
As cartoonists, we also need to produce comic books about democracy, AIDS, community development and other social issues apart from strips in newspapers. CartIUM will remain committed to the vision of a popular Malawian visual literature, and envisages a time when popular indigenous comics will be sold by street vendors to a public eager for popular reading material. We are hopeful that the year 2009 may stimulate interest in comic stories as a means of promoting "a reading culture" amongst a population that barely reads through efforts of the union.
We do not have to rely on syndicated cartoons from the U.S., but must prefer to support the development of local cartoonists. The use by local papers of cheap internationally syndicated material is one of the major reasons for the failure of indigenous cartoons and comic strips to break into the mainstream. Syndicated strips, with their tried and tested formulae, are presumably cheaper and more convenient than having to coach inexperienced and under-resourced local cartoonists.
Those freelance cartoonists who succeed, generally cobble an income together by drawing for several different publications, working in a variety of styles and formats. For less accomplished artists, making a living as a cartoonist is extremely difficult. For instance, one of the reasons for the emergence of indigenous cartoonists in Tanzania and other African countries such as Kenya may be that the currencies of these countries are so weak in dollar terms that it is cheaper for newspapers to buy their work than to opt for syndicated material. Or it may simply be that the existence of a vigorous vernacular newspaper publishing has allowed cartoonists working in the vernacular to flourish.
This is why cartoonists and editors need to get together to think of ways to develop our own unique indigenous culture of cartooning. A CartIUM initiative to launch a competition with a substantial cash prize to identify new cartooning talent, is a step in the right direction, and hopefully other Malawian groupings papers will follow suit. As marginal and innocuous as they may seem, cartoons and comic strips are a barometer of the social and political climate of the environment from which they emerge. In simple, direct and often very funny messages, they tell an extraordinary amount about their time and place. Unfortunately, in Malawi, they still continue to tell a story of political tussling.
If it helps to stimulate public interest and investment by the newspaper and publishing industries in the development of a vibrant cartooning culture in Malawi, the CartIUM workshop will have succeeded admirably. If the momentum it will generate results in the formation of a workable and effective association of cartoonists across the country, this modest meeting of cartoonists and enthusiasts may one day be seen to have been truly historic.
Each of the participants will present a short overview of their work, against the backdrop of the prevailing political, economic and social conditions in their respective capacities. Several common themes will emerge from the presentations, but censorship - both in its direct and indirect forms - is the issue that will elicit the most vociferous debate.
A key objective of the workshop is to stimulate discussion around the idea of national association of cartoonists and illustrators. Such a body could benefit cartoonists in a number of ways: it could facilitate networking across geographical divides; provide opportunities for cross-pollination, training and the development of new talent; assist cartoonists with problems relating to copyright and intellectual property; and, possibly most important, perform an advocacy function on behalf of cartoonists who find themselves in hot water as a result of their satirical activities.
The first step towards realising these objectives is taken with the formation of a working group comprised of all cartoonists. Provisionally called "Cartoonists and Illustrators Union of Malawi", its purpose is to provide a platform from which the idea of a national association of cartoonists can be advanced. The participants will be tasked with returning back to mobilise fellow cartoonists to become part of the An advisor, convenor and co-ordinator will be elected.
Sporadic assessments show this initiative was long overdue. For most, it will be the first time they met so many of their peers. Though they may live and work under very different conditions, cartoonists everywhere are clearly united by common experiences, not least of which is the eternal search for a great, pithy image that sums up its subject with power and wit.
Many cartoonists have complained of unsympathetic editors who are empowered to squash an idea for the wrong reasons, others of the isolation of long hours at the drawing board, marginalised from the camaraderie of the newsroom. Translating political events and social challenges into the unique language of cartooning requires talent and a lot of hard work, and for the creators of daily and weekly editorial cartoons, the pressure seldom lets up. The dedication required of the successful cartoonist can be heavy.
After a long day of conferencing, during which participants will deliver intriguing lectures about their methods and techniques, members will settle down to carefully selected group discussions with results been aired in plenary.
CENSORSHIP AND PRESS FREEDOM
Censorship is still a very real problem for many, although it often takes the shape of more subtle forms of self-censorship by newspaper managers and owners. It is clear that a healthy culture of political cartooning and satire requires some measure of press freedom in order to exist. Cartooning relies on caricature to get its message across, and the purpose of caricature is to ridicule and demean those in positions of wealth and power. Accentuating the ugliest physical characteristics of eminent personages may be highly subversive - a blow struck against the establishment on behalf of the powerless and the anonymous. The licence enjoyed by cartoonists to caricature and parody public figures is therefore an indicator of a fairly robust democratic culture and certainly does not prevail in all countries. There is no need to restrict oneself to broad social themes alone in fear of political or gender enhanced reprisals.
Cartoonists flourish best where the press is relatively free. Opportunities for emerging cartoonists must be created by a new spirit of openness and critique, reflected in a rapid proliferation of independent newspapers. It is sad that some 20 Malawian cartoonists who emerged to celebrate previously unknown levels of freedom of expression are now silent as there are few forums to publish cartoons. Those who enjoyed momentary prominence have disappeared back into obscurity, and journalists look back with nostalgia on that brief period of press freedom and political vitality.
There is every need to enjoy vigorous cartooning cultures. We need to enjoy the freedom to record the country's travails, despite its steadily failing socio-political scenario and declining standards of living. Cartoonists’ biggest problem is obtaining drawing materials. Nevertheless, humour sustains us and our countless anecdotes shed satirical light on the political processes of post-colonial Africa.
THE STATE OF MALAWIAN CARTOONING
There is an obvious gap that needs to be filled by female cartoonists in Malawi. Despite a vigorous cartooning tradition that goes back to the turn of the democracy, when papers like The Democrat, New Vision, Malawi News and The Daily Times, Monitor, The Nation, and The Independent carried satirical cartoons, there has been no known female cartoonist in the country. Cartoons and comic strips in the country's papers and magazines have, with a few exceptions, mainly been created by male cartoonists. The contributions of artists like The Chronicle and other smaller newspapers have remained largely unrecognised by the broader public.
As cartoonists, we also need to produce comic books about democracy, AIDS, community development and other social issues apart from strips in newspapers. CartIUM will remain committed to the vision of a popular Malawian visual literature, and envisages a time when popular indigenous comics will be sold by street vendors to a public eager for popular reading material. We are hopeful that the year 2009 may stimulate interest in comic stories as a means of promoting "a reading culture" amongst a population that barely reads through efforts of the union.
We do not have to rely on syndicated cartoons from the U.S., but must prefer to support the development of local cartoonists. The use by local papers of cheap internationally syndicated material is one of the major reasons for the failure of indigenous cartoons and comic strips to break into the mainstream. Syndicated strips, with their tried and tested formulae, are presumably cheaper and more convenient than having to coach inexperienced and under-resourced local cartoonists.
Those freelance cartoonists who succeed, generally cobble an income together by drawing for several different publications, working in a variety of styles and formats. For less accomplished artists, making a living as a cartoonist is extremely difficult. For instance, one of the reasons for the emergence of indigenous cartoonists in Tanzania and other African countries such as Kenya may be that the currencies of these countries are so weak in dollar terms that it is cheaper for newspapers to buy their work than to opt for syndicated material. Or it may simply be that the existence of a vigorous vernacular newspaper publishing has allowed cartoonists working in the vernacular to flourish.
This is why cartoonists and editors need to get together to think of ways to develop our own unique indigenous culture of cartooning. A CartIUM initiative to launch a competition with a substantial cash prize to identify new cartooning talent, is a step in the right direction, and hopefully other Malawian groupings papers will follow suit. As marginal and innocuous as they may seem, cartoons and comic strips are a barometer of the social and political climate of the environment from which they emerge. In simple, direct and often very funny messages, they tell an extraordinary amount about their time and place. Unfortunately, in Malawi, they still continue to tell a story of political tussling.
If it helps to stimulate public interest and investment by the newspaper and publishing industries in the development of a vibrant cartooning culture in Malawi, the CartIUM workshop will have succeeded admirably. If the momentum it will generate results in the formation of a workable and effective association of cartoonists across the country, this modest meeting of cartoonists and enthusiasts may one day be seen to have been truly historic.
List of members
M'theto Lungu (Lip Smile)
Hazwel Kunyenje
Courage Golowa
James Kazembe
Njawala Salanje
Gift Apeya
Gift Kumbanga
Elube Chibwana
Zaya Kunkhongo
Hazwel Kunyenje
Courage Golowa
James Kazembe
Njawala Salanje
Gift Apeya
Gift Kumbanga
Elube Chibwana
Zaya Kunkhongo
Cartoons against monotony
(This article is sourced from the web)
The party goes on. Once again, there are many cartoons against monotony at the World Press Cartoon Sintra 2008. Monotony has the grey face of global warming, the sad gaze of insolvable crises, the arrogance of dictators or the shallowness of democracies that have lost their souls and blow down the cold corridors in which the law of the market is always the law of the strongest.
Cartoons show that there are screams of protest, and smiles of innocence, and vivid colours of hope to give us the will to live on. Always more and better. As with this event, now into its fourth year, and get ready for another four, and another, and another... Oil at 100 dollars a barrel. Scandals are amusing! What E.U. Babel is under construction in Brussels, how do they understand each other? Have they caged the Dalai Lama? If it is all too bad to be true, it makes you laugh... That's the cartoon festival! The vitality of World Press Cartoon is the vitality of the universal humour revealed year after year on the walls of this exhibition in Sintra - and that is then taken, with costs to be met certainly, to other parts of the world.
The words of encouragement that we receive, we pass on to the cartoonists. And the editors of those publishing them. Today more cartoons than ever before are getting published. There are so many humorous drawings and caricatures in circulation whether in the traditional press or in the new media, wherever you go and in so many languages or no language at all. Every year, we receive new work from new authors, in new countries and from new newspapers and magazines, seeing the quality rise, delighting at the technical details of some, blown away by the critical genius of others... how utterly marvellous! In this organisation, as in all, there are its highs and lows as it is never easy to ensure the ship safely reaches harbour year after year. The waters are too dangerous and the obstacles unexpected. We count on those who share our belief in the virtues of freedom of speech as the cumulative strength behind this project. Support, large and small, combine to enable that this unique moment arrives each April.
Our respective seasons may be well defined but for us, our true Spring arrives in January. It is fantastic to see arrive, from the four corners of the earth, the cruelties that these artists are capable of doing to the great and mighty. They mix it with kings and princes, with stars and financiers, with presidents and ministers. And, beyond all of this, they enjoy themselves at the expense of each one of us, setting out the weakness of so many firmly held convictions and the ridiculousness of so many other prejudices.
Special thanks must go to the Sintra Municipal Council - whose support is critical to the viability of this event - to the Olga Cadaval Cultural Centre - that so hospitably annually welcomes in the jury meeting and the awards ceremony - and to the Sintra Museum of Modern Art Berardo Collection - that decently gave up some of its best rooms to host the 2008 exhibition even while having to alter its own programming for this purpose. As always, we must also thank those who undertook the effort of selecting what they considered to be the best of what they had done throughout the previous twelve months, cut out the newspaper page, wrap it up very carefully and send it off to people unknown and in a far distant place. And we have also to thank all of those who have rendered support and assistance in putting on the exhibition and publishing this catalogue that is the collective pride of all. To many here and there go our special thanks. And what now: do you want more? Then send more! So the party can restart and the smiles multiply.
The party goes on. Once again, there are many cartoons against monotony at the World Press Cartoon Sintra 2008. Monotony has the grey face of global warming, the sad gaze of insolvable crises, the arrogance of dictators or the shallowness of democracies that have lost their souls and blow down the cold corridors in which the law of the market is always the law of the strongest.
Cartoons show that there are screams of protest, and smiles of innocence, and vivid colours of hope to give us the will to live on. Always more and better. As with this event, now into its fourth year, and get ready for another four, and another, and another... Oil at 100 dollars a barrel. Scandals are amusing! What E.U. Babel is under construction in Brussels, how do they understand each other? Have they caged the Dalai Lama? If it is all too bad to be true, it makes you laugh... That's the cartoon festival! The vitality of World Press Cartoon is the vitality of the universal humour revealed year after year on the walls of this exhibition in Sintra - and that is then taken, with costs to be met certainly, to other parts of the world.
The words of encouragement that we receive, we pass on to the cartoonists. And the editors of those publishing them. Today more cartoons than ever before are getting published. There are so many humorous drawings and caricatures in circulation whether in the traditional press or in the new media, wherever you go and in so many languages or no language at all. Every year, we receive new work from new authors, in new countries and from new newspapers and magazines, seeing the quality rise, delighting at the technical details of some, blown away by the critical genius of others... how utterly marvellous! In this organisation, as in all, there are its highs and lows as it is never easy to ensure the ship safely reaches harbour year after year. The waters are too dangerous and the obstacles unexpected. We count on those who share our belief in the virtues of freedom of speech as the cumulative strength behind this project. Support, large and small, combine to enable that this unique moment arrives each April.
Our respective seasons may be well defined but for us, our true Spring arrives in January. It is fantastic to see arrive, from the four corners of the earth, the cruelties that these artists are capable of doing to the great and mighty. They mix it with kings and princes, with stars and financiers, with presidents and ministers. And, beyond all of this, they enjoy themselves at the expense of each one of us, setting out the weakness of so many firmly held convictions and the ridiculousness of so many other prejudices.
Special thanks must go to the Sintra Municipal Council - whose support is critical to the viability of this event - to the Olga Cadaval Cultural Centre - that so hospitably annually welcomes in the jury meeting and the awards ceremony - and to the Sintra Museum of Modern Art Berardo Collection - that decently gave up some of its best rooms to host the 2008 exhibition even while having to alter its own programming for this purpose. As always, we must also thank those who undertook the effort of selecting what they considered to be the best of what they had done throughout the previous twelve months, cut out the newspaper page, wrap it up very carefully and send it off to people unknown and in a far distant place. And we have also to thank all of those who have rendered support and assistance in putting on the exhibition and publishing this catalogue that is the collective pride of all. To many here and there go our special thanks. And what now: do you want more? Then send more! So the party can restart and the smiles multiply.
Malawi cartoons gets a platform at last!
You bet. There have been cartoonists and illustrators in Malawi time immemorial. And to think that the web craze never quite featured Malawi's stitch business on the cyberworld - might just as be an unbelievable insult.
But here we come, the Cartoonists and Illustrators Union of Malawi (CartIUM) is finally here and in the offing. First, the establishment has been laced up, with close to 15 cartoonists and illustrators on the list. Secondly, this blog spot will provide the much needed platform for all sun and dry in the field.
We therefore welcome all those that feel and believe are in this business to contact us and be part and parcel of this great initiative - a platform where Malawian cartoonists and illustrators can showcase their skills and talents - complete with ways on how to reach out to clients and sale their products.
Contact us on cartiumalawi@gmail.com and enjoy the experience.
But here we come, the Cartoonists and Illustrators Union of Malawi (CartIUM) is finally here and in the offing. First, the establishment has been laced up, with close to 15 cartoonists and illustrators on the list. Secondly, this blog spot will provide the much needed platform for all sun and dry in the field.
We therefore welcome all those that feel and believe are in this business to contact us and be part and parcel of this great initiative - a platform where Malawian cartoonists and illustrators can showcase their skills and talents - complete with ways on how to reach out to clients and sale their products.
Contact us on cartiumalawi@gmail.com and enjoy the experience.
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