Why African media leaders will be heading to Ethiopia this November

PHOTO | PPS President Uhuru Kenyatta (C) of Kenya and President Yoweri Museveni (R) of Uganda meet on June 24, 2013 ahead of the Infrastructure Investment Summit to be held in Kampala.  PPS

By AMADOU MAHTAR BA

In Summary

• As media owners, our greatest strength lies in our ability to confront issues as we seek to fulfil our mandate”

From November 6 to 8, the African Media Initiative (AMI) will hold its flagship annual convention, the African Media Leaders Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focused on the theme “Media and the African Renaissance”. It will be AMLF’s sixth edition.

Over the years, the forum has become the largest gathering of media owners, operators and managers from across the continent and beyond. In November 2012, some 550 delegates attended the 5th AMLF in Dakar, Senegal.

While many have saluted the courageous decision of the AMI board to hold the forum in Ethiopia, others have remained either sceptical or critical. The critics cite Ethiopia’s huge challenges in fostering an environment in which both press freedom and freedom of expression can thrive.

While I fully understand the concerns raised, I am convinced Ethiopia remains the most appropriate venue for AMLF 2013 for a number of reasons.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the African Union, previously known as the Organisation of African Unity. Since its inception in 1963, the organisation, a symbol of Africa’s determination to forge ahead in the true spirit of pan-Africanism, has been headquartered in Addis Ababa.

The AU is marking a positive resurgence under the leadership of its chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. It is our responsibility, as thought leaders and as Africans, to both encourage Dr


Dlamini-Zuma and her team and to roll up our sleeves to participate in the AU’s endeavours by contributing the best way we can.

For these reasons, I am convinced that the story of the AU is the story of all Africans. Consequently, we must all participate in writing it. The organisation deserves to be honoured in its golden year in the same place where its story started – Addis Ababa.

The city is also where another key African institution is headquartered – the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) – which continues to work relentlessly for the improvement of the continent’s human and economic development.

As a strong advocate of constructive engagement, I see our coming together as a great opportunity to engage with media stakeholders within the country.

In our preparations for the forum, we have been both encouraged and actively supported by the Ethiopian media community – through its publishers association and the leaders of the nascent media council – which is known for its independence and commitment to building free and balanced media.

True to the spirit of AMLF’s theme, “Media and the African Renaissance”, the heads of the three most influential African institutions have been invited as co-chairs of the forum: Dr Donald Kaberuka, president of AfDB, Dr Carlos Lopes, executive secretary of UNECA, and Dr Dlamini-Zuma, chairperson of the AU Commission.

AMLF 2013 intends to engage all stakeholders in Ethiopia and elsewhere to discuss openly ways that the media can contribute constructively to renewed efforts to craft a narrative about Africa that both promotes a dynamic pan-Africanism, and reflects the demands and expectations of the continent’s citizens.

A number of key challenges await us to ensure that in the next 50 years, Africa’s growing youth population has access to a good education and jobs; that the poorest segments of our communities are lifted out of poverty; that the environment, which is a source of livelihood for so many of our people, is not destroyed, and that peace and security prevail.

In the midst of the media and public discourse, a range of conversations will contribute to a new pan-African narrative to inspire and re-energise us all.

 I remain convinced that participating in Addis Ababa Governance Week 2013 is the right thing to do for the African media community. We cannot miss this unique occasion to engage with leaders from around the continent and beyond to advance the cause of a free and prosperous Africa.

As media practitioners, our greatest strength lies in our ability to confront issues, no matter how daunting, as we seek to fulfil our mandate of serving the public interest.

Mr Ba is the chief executive of the African Media Initiative, a pan-African effort aimed at providing the continent’s media owners and practitioners with the tools they need to play an effective role in their societies.