21 August 2009

Democracy Video Challenge Finalist Chansa Tembo Takes Questions

CO.NX webchat transcript, August 21

Chansa Tembo of Zambia, filmmaker and finalist in America.gov’s Democracy Video Challenge, answered questions in an August 21 CO.NX webchat.

Following is the transcript:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Webchat Transcript

CO.NX Chat: Democracy Video Challenge Finalists: Chansa Tembo of Zambia

Guest:  Chansa Tembo
Date:    August 21, 2009
Time:    8 a.m. EDT (12:00 GMT)

CO.NX Moderator (Amelia Vance): (8/14/2009 14:30) Hello, and welcome! On August 21 at 8:00 EDT (12:00 GMT) Democracy Video Challenge finalist Chansa Tembo of Zambia will answer your questions! You can ask Chansa questions in advance of Friday's chat by entering them into this chat pod.  See you Friday!

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (07:55) Hello everyone and thanks for joining us!

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (07:56) We will get started in just a few minutes, but you can start sending in questions now.

Chansa Tembo: (08:01) Hi everyone, I am Chansa Tembo from Zambia. I am glad you could join me for this chat!

jagat: (08:04) hello sir how r u?

Chansa Tembo: (08:04) Jagat, I am fine thanks.. hope you are doing well

smbale: (08:05) hello Chansa, congratulations

Chansa Tembo: (08:07) Thank you Smbale.. I appreciate your support

michal: (08:08) Hi Chansa.  is it difficult to make your film in zambia?

Chansa Tembo: (08:08) Hi Michal, thank you for your ques.. It can be quite a challenge to make a film in Zambia, as we do not have as many resources, as say what you might expect in the more developed film industries in the West. With the Smoothie Video I used a home video camera, and fruits from the farm I live on so I did the best I could have done with the resources I had available to me

Nihata: (08:09) I am very proud of you Chansa.

Chansa Tembo: (08:13) Thank you Nihate... your support is greatly appreciated!! :)

smbale: (08:13) also, I can see an opportunity for developing political campaigns using Internet video technology, have you considered this before?

Chansa Tembo: (08:13) The internet is a great platform for developing many types of campaigns, and I have used it to try an open up a dialogue concerning democracy, using the democracy is like a smoothie video. The future for media, will be largely based on internet technologies I believe, and we shall see some great and positive campaings in the future, using things such the internet on cell phones.

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (08:14) We are going to play Chansa's winning film right now!

jakxon: (08:19) Do u think Democracy is good for Africa?

Chansa Tembo: (08:19) Yes I believe democracy is good for Africa, and Democracy is not new to Africa, it has existed in many different cultures, and traditions, where the views of society were expressed freely, through various mediums, such as music , dance, and different types of art. The concept of Multi Party democracy is relatively new to Africa though

proud: (08:21) congrulations mr tembo, we done

Chansa Tembo: (08:21) Thank you proud :)

Nicky: (08:25)(::correction::) Good day Chansa, How do you believe can effectively move nations such as Cuba, North Korea, China, and Sudan towards democracy. Do you feel it is possible, and if so, how would you do it?

Chansa Tembo: (08:25) Hi Nicky, thank you for joining us :), Yes I do beleive we can effectively move a lot of nations towards democracy, and I believe it can be done by with consistent effort, patience, opening up channels of communication with countries which are not  democractic, and a lot of dialogue.

Rodin: (08:32) how did you come up with the idea at a first place?

Chansa Tembo: (08:32) Hi Rodin, thanks for joining the chat :)  .. I came up with the idea for the smoothie, one afternoon as I was walking around the farm where I live, which has many different types of fruits on it, and I started to relate the different shapes of fruit, the different sizes, and attributes, to how we as people differ, and come from different countries, are of different races, creeds and religions.

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (08:32) Rodin is also a Democracy Video Challenge winner, and he will be chatting with us next week!

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (08:34) You can learn more about our winners here: http://www.videochallenge.america.gov/winners.html

HandyLC: (08:38) Chansa, Congratulations! Would you please explain the word FREEDOM for us in your own terms, hate and intimidation are of interest too. Great day!

Chansa Tembo: (08:38) Hi HandyLC, thank you for your kind words. I can explain freedom as the power to act, express oneself as he or she desires without any hinderance or restraint. I must add on and say that in a democracy, the rule of law is very important, and is neccessary.

proud: (08:43) how is zambia developing democratically, considering people cannot excerse there rights

Chansa Tembo: (08:43) Zambia is developing very well democratically, and it has a democratic system in place. People in Zambia are free to exercise their rights, they are peaceful and free and have means to express their disagreements, using tools such as the media.

proud: (08:50) charity begins at home hence the question, how far and fast is zambia develping democratically?

Chansa Tembo: (08:50) I beleive democracy can be looked at not as destination, but rather as an ongoing journey..So with time things will evolve, people will get to understand each other better, understand the society they live in more for so, as long as there is opportunity for the citizens to express their disagreements and resolve them

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (08:53) Democracy Video Challenge is on Facebook! After the chat come join us! http://www.facebook.com/democracychallenge

ANTHONY PHIRI: (08:53) I did't not have  an opportunity as to watch your film, however I just want you to highlight  to most essential element  of your film and eixplain the impact it will bring to our nation Zambia and the world at large

Chansa Tembo: (08:53) Thank you very much Anthony Phiri, the video can be found online, on youtube and for more information you can visit http://www.facebook.com/democracychallenge

IRC Lusaka: (08:57) Matilda Sakala from Lusaka, Zambia.  Chansa, first and foremost I wish to congratulate you once again for the job well done! You've really done us proud as a nation. Tell me Chansa how do you envisage sharing your U.S. experience with the Zambian people when you come back from the U.S. I'm aware that you are still in Zambia but I'm sure you've already started planning towards clinching a multiplier effect for what you will have achieved from out there.  Cheers!

Chansa Tembo: (08:57) Thank you for your ind words, and support IRC. I will be taking footage and lots of photos every step of the way in America, and will come back and share them with everyone in Zambia, and look out for updates online at http://www.facebook.com/democracychallenge as well as on America.gov where I am sure there will be constant updates of the events and places I shall tour

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (09:00) Chansa has a lot of questions to answer! Thanks everyone for being such an active audience.

Rodin: (09:01) Chansa, Do you think that symbolism is a good way of expression in filmmaking?

Chansa Tembo: (09:01) Hi Rodin, I love your work too! Yes I think symbolism is a good way of expressing ideas in film making, it gives viewers the opportunity to think of things in the abstract, and allows them to personalise concepts

Nicky: (09:02) Are you all excited to meet one another? Is there a possible collaboration?!

Chansa Tembo: (09:02) Hi Nicky :) Yes I am very excited to meet the other videographers, they are all tremendously talented

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (09:03) For those of you who use Twitter, Democracy Video Challenge is there too! http://twitter.com/demvidchallenge

Rodin: (09:04) Thanks and hope to see u soon

IRC Lusaka: (09:07) Hi Chansa! Is there a limit to the number of ingredients you can have in a smoothie? In answering this, What do you have to asy about countries that limit the number of political parties that can operate in a country? This is Chileshe Kanyanta from Zambia.

Chansa Tembo: (09:07) There are no limits to the ingredients you can have in a smoothie, as everyones opinions, rights, beliefs, all matter.

EDWIN ZULU ZAMBIA: (09:08) CHANSA Congratulations, you deserve the prize!

Chansa Tembo: (09:08) Thank you Edwin Zulu

proud: (09:11) how do u suppose our film helps the zambian people from a democratic poit of view?

Chansa Tembo: (09:11) I believe it gives Zambian people the opportunity to think about democracy, my intention was not to dictate what democracy is, but rather open up a dialogue, and allow people to think about what democracy means to them.

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (09:12) We have just a few minutes left and too many questions to answer - we apologize if Chansa does not get to yours.

EDWIN ZULU ZAMBIA: (09:15) Wish you safe journey and God's blessings and enjoy yourself

ANTHONY PHIRI: (09:18) We need to move forward and we need young people like your chansa who can understand to word democracy in our nation, are you prepared to chance the status of democracy in Zambia?

Chansa Tembo: (09:18) Thank you Anthony, I am going to continue advocating for democracy :)

EDWIN ZULU ZAMBIA: (09:21) HOW DO YOU HOPE TO ENHANCE DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA, ZAMBIA IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE YOU ARE OUR AMBASSADOR?

Chansa Tembo: (09:21) I am going to continue making different styles of productions, some abstract and some which will not be and will continue to actively advocate for democracy in Africa!

Chansa Tembo: (09:24) Thank you for taking time out to chat with me today, unfortunately I am out of time :(   There were so many questions, I appologise to you for any questions which I have not been able to answer

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (09:25) Thank you Chansa for joining us, and thank you to everyone for all of your questions!

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (09:26) Chansa will answer a few more questions after the chat. We will post those questions and answers on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/democracychallenge

Chansa Tembo: (09:26) Good bye everyone

Chansa Tembo: (09:26) have a great day ahead of you, and best wishes

CO.NX Moderator Michelle: (09:26) Thanks again everyone, and feel free to join us for our next chat on Friday August 28 at 1200 GMT with Rodin Hamidi, another democracy video challenge winner.

EDWIN ZULU ZAMBIA: (09:27) THANK YOU GOD BLESS YOU, BYE

Nicky: (09:27) Wishing you the best!

proud: (09:27) thks for sharing mr tembo

(end transcript)