[FoME] Online Forum 'Strengthening Africa's Media' Starts 20 April 2006

[Christoph Dietz]

Dear colleague, 

As a media practitioner working in or on Africa, we're writing to invite you to participate in 'Strengthening Africa's Media', an online forum - due to kick off on Thursday 20 April 2006 and lasts for 12 weeks. 

The forum will provide a platform for African media actors, in collaboration with their support partners, to articulate concerns and perspectives, identify priority issues and areas requiring support, and propose concrete initiatives and programmes towards a strengthened media sector.  We define media inclusively, spanning the mainstream press and broadcast media, alternative and community media, civil society media, formal and non-formal communication, and new media. The definition also includes special interest media, addressing cross-cutting concerns such as gender equity and human rights.   

The 'Strengthening' online forum is part of a broader consultation process - supported by the Department for International Development
(DFID) - that includes physical meetings, both at sub-regional level and on specific issues of concern. Your views will form the basis of a
'Strategic Framework for Strengthening Media in Africa', a document intended to make the case for enhanced investment in media. What you have to say will also be of critical importance in framing the issues for a Stakeholder Conference, to be held in September 2006, at which the priorities for strengthening Africa's media will be further discussed and agreed upon. 

The content of the electronic consultation will be structured around four groups of media actors - Owners, Practitioners, Trainers and
Support Organizations. Two weeks will be dedicated to discussions related to each group, with a two-week period of open discussion at the end during which the main points contributed will be revisited and summarized. Each segment of the consultation will be informed by a
series of questions. 

These questions, along with instructions on how to participate, will be sent to you in a Welcome Message which you will receive once you confirm that you are interested in taking part. Once we get confirmation from you, we will register you and you will receive the Welcome Message and guidelines as to how to participate. Should you wish to do so, you can also sign up on your own by visiting http://www.dgroups.org/groups/AMDP and following the instructions. 

We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you can join us in what promises to be a lively and stimulating discussion! 

Best regards 

Martha Mogus 
For the Secretariat 
'Strengthening Africa's Media' 
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
africamedia at uneca.org 
 

The Electronic Consultation on Strengthening Africa's Media kicked off today. 

The e-consultation will last for 12 weeks and will be divided into five thematic segments, each covering a two-week period, as follows: 

1. PRACTITIONERS - Thursday 20 April - Wednesday 3 May. 

2. OWNERS - Thursday 4 - Wednesday 17 May. 

3. TRAINERS - Thursday 18 - Wednesday 31 May. 

4. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - Thursday 1 - Wednesday 14 June. 

5. SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS - Thursday 15 - Wednesday 28 June. 

In the final 2 weeks of the electronic consultation, issues raised will be revisited, and participants will be asked to clarify and flesh out
their proposals. 

To join the discussion go to http://www.dgroups.org/groups/AMDP/index.cfm