1996 Zimbabwe International Book Fair
Books Group collaborates with ZIBF in the organization of an Indaba(1) More than 200 exhibitors from 36 countries gathered in Harare to participate in the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) held July 26-27, 1996. Africa’s largest Book Fair embraced a varied program of seminars, workshops and round tables on different aspects of book development. ADEA’s Working Group on Books and Learning Materials was very much involved in the event as it collaborated with ZIBF in the holding of an Indaba on National Book Policy: the key to long term book development.
Themes from the previous years’ Indabas had been Copyrighting and Freedom and Expression. The involvement of ADEA in ZIBF 96 was highly opportune because of the central role of this year’s focus Book Policy in the working group’s work plan. ADEA therefore worked closely with ZIBF’s Executive Secretary, Trish Mbangan in formulating the program, suggesting speakers for the Indaba, negotiating sponsorship from ADEA and its members, and chairing sessions of the program.
Close collaboration between ADEA’s Books Working Group and ZIBF in the organization of the Indaba helped to ensure that a wide range of over 150 policy-makers, technical advisers and/or practitioners were able to participate from all over Africa. The Indaba therefore constituted a landmark in book development in Africa by providing an unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas and opinions between Ministers of Education and Culture and Principal Secretaries (2), professionals from the education sector (teachers, librarians, literacy specialists, textbook division officers) and the commercial sector (publishers, booksellers, printers, distributors), and writers.
Ministers Edmund Garwe (Zimbabwe), Mamadou Ndoye (Senegal), Mateus Katupa (Mozambique) and Alpar Wurie (Sierra Leone) were present.
In addition, a significant number of UN agencies involved with book issues or publishing, research institutes, African publishers’ networks and funding agencies (3) attended the Indaba.
Hence, the Indaba was able to call on a wide spectrum of opinion from the various interest groups involved in different aspects of the book chain, thereby ensuring that the problems of developing an environment more conducive to fostering literacy would be fully aired.
ADEA also had a stand at the Fair displaying relevant ADEA and member agencies’ publications (e.g. Finnida, Sida, ODA). Both the ADEA Newsletter and the new leaflet for the Books Working Group aroused considerable interest from visitors to ZIBF, and there were many questions from teachers, librarians and publishers about ADEA’s program of activities.
Technical meeting
After the book fair, the working group held a technical meeting on July 28, which enabled participants to explore some of the issues raised during the Indaba in greater depth. Particular emphasis was put on the financial aspects of book policy that feature so prominently in the working group’s current work plan. Progress reports were given for two studies currently conducted by the working group, Economics of Textbook Publishing and Cost Effectiveness of Publishing Educational Materials in National Languages.
It was particularly constructive for the working group to be able to discuss current work plan priorities with members of APNET, the working group’s partner organization. APNET members present at the meeting included Victor Nwankwo, Chairman, and a number of APNET country representatives such as Woli Decansey and Richard Crabbe (Ghana), Moshoeshoe Chadzingwa (Lesotho),
ZIBF 96 marked a significant milestone in the development of book policies in Africa, not only because the Indaba provided a unique forum for policy-makers and specialists in book development and publishing to meet, but also because i t demonstrated the importance of networking. In this respect, the ADEA emerged as a significant facilitator for bringing the public and private education sectors together, particularly in inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral areas like book policy in which a holistic approach is essential. The closer links fostered in Harare between ADEA, APNET and ZIBF have created an important precedent for future collaboration on topics of mutual interest. This was indeed a historic occasion in more ways than one !
Carew Treffgarne
Convener of the ADEA
Working Group on Books and
Learning Materials
Footnotes
(1) Indaba means conference (Bantu language).
(2) from Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
(3) Participating organizations included: APNET (African Publishers’ Network); CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa); DSE (Deutsche Stiftung für Internationale Entwicklung-Zentralstelle für Erziehung);BR> FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization); IAI (International African Institute); PAWA (Publishers’ Association of West Africa); NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation); ODA (Overseas Development Administration); Sida (Swedish International Development Authority); UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Hamidou Konate (Mali), Jane Katjavivi (Namibia), Ansu Momoh (Sierra Leone), and Walter Bgoya and Elieshi Lema (Tanzania).
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