Graphic and Al-Ahram to exchange stories (Spread)

Ghana’S leading newspaper, the Daily Graphic, and its counterpart in Egypt, Al-Ahram Hebdo, are exploring the possibility of exchanging stories for the benefit of their peoples.
The management of the two newspapers are yet to work out the modalities for the exchange to enable their respective readership to learn directly about each other’s country and practices without relying on a third source.
This came out during a call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, by the Editor-in-Chief of the Al-Ahram newspaper, Dr Mohammed Salmawy, who is also the President of the Egyptian Writers Union. Accompanying Dr Salmawy to the offices of the GCGL was Professor Atukwei Okai, the Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA).
Dr Salmawy was in Ghana to participate in the 20th anniversary of PAWA, as well as the centenary celebration of the birth of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. He was honoured with a long-term achievement as a writer.
Making the proposal, Dr Salmawy said the time had come for countries in Africa to tell their own stories to each other instead of relying on third parties who might not see anything good about the continent and its people.
He said Ghana, like Egypt, on many occasions, had had the opportunity to host many important events and observed that it was important some of the issues that came out of such events were shared with each other.
On Pan-Africanism, Dr Salmawy said it would be wrong for anybody to think that the concept was no more relevant, adding that the issues which gave relevance for the concept in the 1960s when African countries were fighting for independence continued to exist and so Pan-Africanism was important.
Dr Salmawy commended the Daily Graphic for its high standard, adding that this visit to Ghana, which is his first, had been fruitful as he had had the opportunity to observe some of the things he had only previously read about.
Mr Awal assured Dr Salmaw that the idea of exchanging stories between the two top newspapers, one in North Africa and the other in West Africa, was laudable and gave the assurance that the issue would be discussed at the next management meeting of Graphic.
He also proposed to Dr Salmawy to look at the possibility of an exchange programme involving journalists of the two establishments.
In his remarks, Professor Atukwei Okai said there was the need for Africans to know more about each other instead of always allowing others from outside the continent “to tell our story”.
He took the opportunity to express his appreciation to the management of the Daily Graphic for supporting the work of PAWA over the years.