The management of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) wishes to inform all its partners, stakeholders and audience that we have moved from 30 Duade Street, Kokomlemle, Accra-Ghana to 32 Otele Avenue, East Legon, Accra-Ghana.
July 2019 Extremely Repressive – 12 Demonstrators, One Journalist Killed, Many Others Detained
It was a tumultuous month for freedom of expression in West Africa as July 2019 recorded several violations including the killing of 12 protesters and a journalist, with Guinea passing a law that allows security forces to shoot on sight.
A catastrophic intervention by security forces led to the death of 12 demonstrators and a reporter in Abuja on July 22. The twelve, who were members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), were demonstrating to demand the release from detention of their leader, Ibrahim el Zakzaky. Precious Owolabi who works for Channels Television, while covering the protest and the crackdown, was hit by a bullet and died at the hospital.
While Nigeria is counting the cost of the deadly security crackdown, Guinea’s Parliament on July 6, 2019, approved a law authorising gendarmes in the country to shoot on sight without fear of prosecution when confronted with imminent danger or terror attack. Giving the country’s dreadful record of deadly crackdown on demonstrators, this law has grave implications for freedom of assembly rights.
In Togo, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Local Authorities, Payadowa Boukpessi, banned outright a planned sit-in demonstration by the Martin Luther King Movement (MMLK-the voice of the voiceless). The MMLK had decided to picket at the premises of the Ministry in charge of Security on July 25 to protest against rising crime in the capital.
Physical Attacks
On July 5, some staff of the National Identification Authority (NIA) in Ghana assaulted Edward Twum, a cameraman from Accra-based Citi TV. Twum was filming frustrated applicants while his colleague, Elvis Washington was interviewing them when some NIA officials accosted them. They heckled Twum and tried to seize his camera, leaving him with bruises on his wrist.
In The Gambia, a group of supporters of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), the political party of former President Yahya Jammeh, assaulted two journalists who were covering court proceedings in Banjul. Modou Saidy, a journalist working with the private media outlet Fatu Network, and Romain Chanson, a reporter of Radio France International (RFI), were attacked on July 8, 2019, by the APRC militants outside the High Court complex in Banjul.
On July 30, some 20 journalists covering the vetting of Commissioners designate at the Ebonyi State Assembly, were beaten by thugs on the orders of a member of the House, Mr Nkemka Onuma. Some of the journalists also had their equipment destroyed in the fracas.
Arrests/Detentions
On July 1, the police arrested Valentin Kouassi, President of the youth wing of the opposition Parti Démocratique de Cote d’Ivoire (PDCI). Kouassi was charged with disturbing public order and detained in an undisclosed location after he organised an anti-government demonstration in the southern city of Adzopé on June 23. He was released a day later, but subject to repressive conditions; placed under judicial control, and prohibited from participating in rallies and speaking at public gatherings as well as from participating in political and national discourse on social media networks.
Ahmed Ould Wedia, a journalist with the private television station Al-Mourabitoune, was arrested by security forces in his home on July 3 during a crackdown on dissent following protests against the results of Mauritania’s presidential election. He was released without charge on July 15.
A day after Wedia’s release in Mauritania, Gendarmes in Senegal arrested Guy Marius Sagna while he was in a meeting at the office of FRAPP- France Dégage, a civil society organisation of which he is a leading member. Upon his arrest on July 16, Sagna was interrogated over a post he had made on Facebook about the neglect of the country’s health facilities. The post was in reference to the death in a France hospital of the Secretary of the ruling Party in Senegal and close ally of President Macky Sall.
“To die in a hospital of the former colonial master, when they have had 59 years to provide this country with hospital facilities worth their name!!!! How sad! Such a waste!” Sagna wrote.
In a similar incident, Adama Gaye, a freelance journalist known for his critical articles in the newspapers and social media, was on July 29, remanded in prison custody on charges of “insulting the President of the Republic.”
Gaye was arrested for a Facebook post in which alleged that President Macky Sall had an adulterous affair during an official trip abroad.
On July 30, the Police in Nigeria detained Oke Epia, Editor in Chief of Order Paper, after the journalists honoured an invitation over “criminal complaints” lodged by a former Member of Parliament, Tony Nwulu. The former lawmaker complained that Epia had made false claims about him in his profiling of Governorship candidates. The journalist was released on bail later the same day after several hours.
Defamation Suits
The month also recorded a host of defamation suits against journalists. In Guinea, journalist Habib Marouane Kamara was dragged to court on July 10 for defamation after he posted corruption allegations on Facebook against the Director of the National Tax Service, Aboubacar Makhissa Camara. Marouane Kamara, who works with Radio Nostalgie, is on bail with the case pending.
On the same July 10, a journalist working with the New Dawn Newspaper, Othello B. Garblah, was summoned by a judge of a criminal court in Monrovia, Liberia to answer charges of contempt of court. The charges related to a critical article about judges written by the journalist which was published with the photo of Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh.
Welcome Developments
In the most progressive development recorded during the month, Mauritanian blogger, Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkheitir, was released on July 29 after five years in detention on blasphemy charges. Mkheitir who was sentenced to death in 2014, remained in detention even after an Appeal Court granted him reprieve by commuting his sentence two years’ imprisonment on November 9, 2017.
In another important development that can help bring closure to the unresolved murder of Dayda Hydara, a Gambian soldier who worked as a member of the hit-squad of former President Yahya Jammeh, on July 22, 2019, confessed that he was involved in the killing of the former Editor of The Point newspaper. Lieutenant Malick Jatta told Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that Hydara’s murder on December 16, 2004.was carried out on the orders of the exiled ex-President.
In Mali, UNESCO and the Ministry of Communication launched a project themed “Strengthening the contribution of the media for a future of sustainable development.” The project aims at the tackling issues such as the safety of journalists, public access to information and media access to official sources. A senior UNESCO official, Saip Sy explained that the project would “promote freedom of expression to allow a plurality of voices, ensure transparent governance as well as fight oppression, conflict and poverty.
President Patrice Talon on July 22 affirmed his support for freedom of expression and urged the Haute Autorite de l’Audiovisuel et la Communication (HAAC), media regulator in Benin, to protect press freedom. These remarks made by the President during the inauguration of the 6th term of the HAAC are quite significant and encouraging because Benin recently witnessed a wave of freedom of expression violations that are at variance with the country’s reputation of respect for freedom of expression.
In Sierra Leone, four journalists regained their freedom on July 2, 2019, having spent four nights in detention in a defamation case brought against them by a lawyer. The four had failed to meet stringent bail conditions imposed by a Magistrate Court in Freetown when they appeared on June 28.
Journalist Detained over Complaint by Former Member of Parliament
The police in Nigeria have detained the Chief Editor of the Order Paper, following a criminal complaint lodged by an influential politician over an article published by the journalist.
The National Assembly Division of the Nigerian Police Force detained Oke Epia on July 30, 2019 after he honoured their invitation for interrogation over “false publication” by his news media.
The invitation was based on a complaint by Tony Nwulu, a former member of the House of Representatives and a candidate for governorship in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections.
The newspaper had before the 2019 general elections, published a report in which individuals vying for governorship and deputy governorship positions were profiled.
In profiling Tony Nwulu, the newspaper claimed to have information about some “missing funds and projects” under the 2016 budget of Nwulu’s constituency, adding that the newspaper had reached out to him but had not received any response.
Following the publication, Epia received an invitation from police to respond to questions related to the publication. After being kept for about seven hours, he was released on bail.
Meanwhile, about nineteen media and civil society organisations including MFWA’s national partner in Nigeria, International Press Centre (IPC) have condemned the detention of the Editor as an act of “harassment and attack on press freedom.”
The MFWA equally condemns the detention of the journalist as an attempt to intimidate him and his media house. We call on the police to handle the matter fairly and professionally and to resist pressure from the former Member of Parliament to abuse the right of the journalist.
WAMECA 2019 Receives 724 Entries from 15 West African Countries
The third edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA 2019) has attracted 724 entries from 15 countries across West Africa, up from last year’s 600 entries from 12 Countries.
Scheduled for October 17-19, 2019, at the Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana, this year’s event, focusing on the theme: Social Media, Fake news and Elections in Africa, will explore the impact of the rise of misinformation, disinformation and fake news on elections in Africa and make key recommendations for good governance and media development.
The 724 entries from the print, electronic and online media were submitted by journalists from over 200 media houses across the region.
“We are delighted about the growing interest and increasing participation of journalists across the region every year. We are committed to showcasing and honouring journalism excellence as part of our efforts to improve quality and independent journalism in West Africa and that is what we will be doing on October 19, when the awards event for WAMECA 2019 will be held,” said Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
The entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges made up of distinguished, experienced and renowned journalists and media experts. The list of finalists for WAMECA 2019 will be announced in early October.
The West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards is an annual initiative of the MFWA to promote media excellence in the sub region.
Call for Applications: Support for Sustainability of Media Organisations in Ghana, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia and Senegal
As part of its efforts to help improve the quality of journalism and sustainability of media organisations in West Africa, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is seeking to offer support to media organisations to help strengthen their viability and sustainability prospects. The target countries are Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Senegal.
Under the support, the MFWA will cover the costs of a mutually identified experienced expert from any part of the world, to work with the beneficiary media organisations to help improve a specific area of the organisations’ work, fix a problem that challenges the sustainability of the organisations, or to help design and implement a strategy for boosting the financial sustainability of the organisations.
The MFWA is particularly interested in media organisations, who intend to build, strengthen or improve their online or digital platforms as part of a wholistic sustainability effort.
Interested media outlets should submit applications not later than August 19, 2019.
Call for Entries – Continental Journalism Awards on AU Charter
Encontre a tradução portuguesa abaixo
A consortium of 14 prominent civil society organisations working to advance the implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) is calling for entries from journalists for the Journalism Awards on the Charter.
The Awards is an initiative to recognise and honour journalists in Africa who have been working on critical, analytical and high-quality reports that are advancing the course of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) in their countries.
An applicant of the Awards must be a citizen of AU member states and must be working with a media organisation (print, electronic, online) in Anglophone, Francophone or Luscophone AU member state. An entry for the Awards must have been published or broadcast between January 1, 2017 and August 16, 2019.
The Awards will honour outstanding stories that focus on the following thematic areas:
- Culture of Democracy and Peace
- Democratic Institutions, Elections and Transitioning of Governments
- Transparency, Accountability and Decentralisation of Power
- Inclusion and participation of the youth in democratic processes
The deadline for the submission of the entries is on August 16, 2019 at 17.00 GMT. Finalists for the Journalism Awards on the ACDEG will be announced on October 1, 2019.
Interested applicants should upload published works via the entry form. The entry should be an original work published through a media outlet in Africa and must show date of publication/broadcast and the medium in which the work was published. Applicants may submit entries to a maximum of two thematic areas. For each thematic area, a maximum of two entries is permitted.
Finalists for the Awards will be hosted at a ceremony by the MFWA in Accra, Ghana on October 19, 2019 during this year’s West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA 2019).
The competitive awards scheme forms part of activities under the Africa We Want project, titled “Mobilising Civil Society Support for Implementation of the African Governance Architecture,” which is being implemented by the consortium with funding support from the European Commission.
The Africa We Want project consortium is made up the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), ActionAid Denmark, the West Africa Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (WACSOF), ActionAid Ghana, Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (SADC-CNGO), ActionAid Mozambique, ActionAid Nigeria, Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) in Zimbabwe, ActionAid Zambia, ActionAid Tanzania, East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF), ActionAid Uganda, ActionAid Sierra Leone and ActionAid Zimbabwe.
For more information, visit www.mfwa.org or email us at ecpanaf[@]gmail.com or call the MFWA on +233 302 -242470.
Submit Entry Here
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Inscrições Abertas – Prémios de Jornalismo Continental sobre Carta da UA
Um consórcio de 14 organizações proeminentes da sociedade civil que trabalham para avançar a implementação da Carta Africana sobre Democracia, Eleições e Governação (ACDEG) abriu inscrições a jornalistas para os prêmios de jornalismo nessa carta.
A premiação é uma iniciativa para reconhecer e honrar jornalistas em África que têm trabalhado em relatórios críticos, analíticos e de alta qualidade que abordam a Arquitetura de Governação Africana (AGA) e Carta Africana sobre Democracia, Eleições e Governação (ACDEG) em seus países.
O candidato para os prêmios deve ser cidadão de um dos estados membros da UA e deve estar a trabalhar com uma organização de mídia (impressa, eletrônica, online) em anglófonos, francófonos ou lusófonos estados membros da UA. Uma entrada para os prémios deve ter sido publicada/transmitida em diversos midias no período de 1 de Janeiro de 2017 e 16 de Agosto de 2019.
Os prémios serão atribuidos a conteudos sobre a Carta Africana sobre Democracia, Eleições e Governação (ACDEG) nas seguintes áreas:
- Paz e Cultura da Democracia;
- Instituições democráticas, eleições e transição dos governos;
- Transparência, prestação e contas e descentralização de poder; e
- Inclusão e participação dos jovens em processos democráticos.
O prazo para a submissão das propostas é no dia 16 de Agosto de 2019 às 17horas GMT. Os finalistas dos prémios de jornalismo no ACDEG serão anunciados ate dia 1 de Outubro de 2019.
Os candidatos interessados devem fazer upload de trabalhos publicados através do formulário de inscrição no site: www.mfwa.org. A entrada deve ser um trabalho original publicado através de um órgão de mídia em África e deve mostrar a data de publicação/difusão e o meio em que o trabalho foi publicado. Os concorrentes podem submeter entradas até duas áreas de foco acima mencionadas. Para cada foco, um máximo de duas entradas é permitida.
Finalistas para os prémios serão premiados numa cerimônia que será organizada pelo MFWA em Accra, Gana no dia 19 de Outubro de 2019 durante a Conferência de Excelência de Mídia e de Prêmiação da África Ocidental do corrente ano (WAMECA 2019)
O esquema de prêmios competitivos faz parte das actividades do projecto “Mobilizando o Apoio da Sociedade Civil para a Implementação da Arquitetura Africana de Governação”, conhecido como ‘Africa We Want’ que está sendo implementado pelo consórcio em Africa com o apoio financeiro da Comissão Europeia.
O consórcio do projecto ‘Africa We Want’ é constituído pela Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), ActionAid Denmark, the West Africa Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (WACSOF), ActionAid Ghana, Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (SADC-CNGO), ActionAid Mozambique, ActionAid Nigeria, Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) in Zimbabwe, ActionAid Zambia, ActionAid Tanzania, East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF), ActionAid Uganda, ActionAid Sierra Leone e ActionAid Zimbabwe
Para mais informações, visite www.mfwa.org, pode enviar e-mail para: [email protected] ou liga para MFWA pelo contacto +233 302 -242470.
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50 Media Outlets from the 16 Countries in West Africa Partner MFWA for WAMECA 2019
Fifty influential media organisations across the West Africa region are partnering the MFWA for this year’s West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA 2019). The media outlets which are made up of radio, TV, online and newspapers are contributing to highlighting the event in their respective countries through various forms of publicity.
“We are excited at the increase in media partnership for WAMECA this year. Indeed, this is a demonstration of the rising impact and recognition the event is gaining across the West Africa region. The MFWA remains committed to rewarding outstanding journalism and inspiring media professionalism,” said Abigail Larbi Odei, Programme Manager for Media and Good Governance.
WAMECA 2019 is scheduled for October 17-19, under the theme: Social Media, Fake News and Elections in Africa. The event will be held at the Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
On Thursday and Friday, 17th & 18th October, 2019, the Conference will bring together journalists, media professionals, editors, academics, freedom of expression advocates, diplomats and the business community in West Africa to deliberate on how Social Media and Fake News are impacting Elections in Africa. The following day, Saturday, 19th October, outstanding journalists whose stories are impacting society will be recognised and honoured at the Awards ceremony.
The media outlets are as follows:
MFWA, Partners Train Journalists on AU Charters and Protocols in Addis Ababa
A consortium of 14 prominent civil society organisations working to advance the implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) will from July 18-19, 2019, hold a training workshop for outstanding journalists drawn from across the continent on the protocols and mechanisms of the African Union (AU).
The training workshop which will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia aims at raising the awareness and understanding of journalists on the mechanisms, protocols and charters of the African Union (AU), especially the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). It will also provide journalists with the requisite skills on how to report more effectively on the AU and the ACDEG.
The workshop forms part of activities under the ‘Africa We Want’ project, titled “Mobilising Civil Society Support for Implementation of the African Governance Architecture,” which is being implemented by the Consortium with funding support from the European Commission.
The Consortium will also use the training as a platform to launch the Global Citizens’ Report which details systematic feedback from citizens from some selected countries in the world on the quality and performance of public service delivery by their governments. The report aims at highlighting and stemming the gaps in public service delivery and governance globally.
Meanwhile, to inspire more journalists on the continent to report on issues that advance good governance, democratic practices and peaceful elections in Africa as espoused by ACDEG, the CSO Consortium has also launched a special journalists’ awards initiative to recognise and honour African journalists who have been promoting the course of the ACDEG through excellent journalistic pieces. Currently, a call for entries has been opened for submissions from journalists on the continent.
An awards ceremony to honour such outstanding journalists will be hosted by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in Accra on October 19, 2019 during this year’s West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA 2019).
The Africa We Want project consortium is made up the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), ActionAid Denmark, the West Africa Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (WACSOF), ActionAid Ghana, Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (SADC-CNGO), ActionAid Mozambique, ActionAid Nigeria, Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) in Zimbabwe, ActionAid Zambia, ActionAid Tanzania, East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF), ActionAid Uganda, ActionAid Sierra Leone and ActionAid Zimbabwe.
For more information, visit www.mfwa.org or email us at ecpanaf[@]gmail.com or call the MFWA on +233 302 -242470.
Critical Times for Press Freedom in Ghana as Violations Near Alarming Proportions
Events unfolding in Ghana over the past 18 months paint a gloomy picture of the press freedom situation in the country.
Attacks on journalists have been rampant and severe, there is a growing sense of intimidation of the media, and a growing culture of intolerance for dissenting views. There has been arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement of laws to shut down mainly pro-opposition media outlets. The independent broadcast media industry has been battling government over industry-crippling policy proposals.
During the 18-month period, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has documented 31 cases of violations against journalists and media houses. The 31 attacks have involved over 40 victims as some attacks involve multiple individuals.
The majority of these violations have been physical attacks and severe threats. There has also been one incident of murder and for the first time in over a decade, the MFWA had to provide a safe haven support to a Ghanaian journalist who faced death threats.
In the latest of a series of very sad developments for media freedom in Ghana, National Security operatives on June 27, 2019, stormed the offices of an online media, ModernGhana.com, and arrested two of its staff, including a deputy editor.
The operatives, who did not present any warrant, arrested the journalists, blindfolded them and took them to offices of the national security. The journalists have subsequently reported that they were tortured.
Whatever crime the media house and/or its journalists might have committed, the Rambo-style raid, arrest, seizure of equipment and arbitrary detentions, and above all, the reported torture of the journalists are a sad spectacle, which is typical of military and autocratic regimes. These are unimaginable developments in Ghana, a country with a globally respected human rights and press freedom records.
Apart from the rampant abuses against journalists, the current government has also sought to introduce a number of unfriendly media industry policies. On June 6, 2019 for example, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and other stakeholders had to convene a forum to contest a draft policy by the government that seeks to encrypt all free-to-air television channels in the country and to grant conditional access to viewers subject to the payment of digital access fees.
The convening of the forum by GIBA followed attempts by the government to implement the draft policy despite the concerns expressed by broadcast industry players about the negative implications of the implementation of the draft policy on the survival of the local broadcast industry. Indeed, the implementation of the said draft policy would impact negatively on the ability of the majority of citizens to access television content.
In May, the National Communication Authority (NCA) shut down a number of radio stations in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. In a non-transparent exercise, the authority shut down the two main pro-opposition radio stations in the capital at a time when the said radio stations were providing live coverage of an event by the main opposition party.
These developments have the potential of reintroducing the once dreaded culture of silence in the country. They also affect the capability of the media to be critical players in the growth of the country’s nascent democracy. Democracy cannot certainly thrive without press freedom. Governments that truly uphold the fundamental principles of democracy should, certainly, appreciate the importance of a free media and must at all times act in ways that not only guarantee press freedom but support media development.
The MFWA calls the President of the republic to take a personal interest in the on-going development in the media space and personally intervene to ensure that press freedom and safety of journalists are fully guaranteed. The creeping culture of attacks, intimidation, threats and censorship must cease and perpetrators must be punished to end the culture of impunity in Ghana.
Call for Applications: Support for Sustainability of Media Organisations in Ghana, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia and Senegal
As part of its efforts to help improve the quality of journalism and sustainability of media organisations in West Africa, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is seeking to offer support to five (5) media organisations(one in each target country) to help strengthen their viability and sustainability prospects. The target countries are Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Senegal.
Under the support, the MFWA will cover the costs of a mutually identified experienced expert from any part of the world, to work with the media organisation to help improve a specific area of the organisation’s work, fix a problem that challenges the sustainability of the organisation, or to help design and implement a strategy for boosting the financial sustainability of the organisation.
The MFWA is particularly interested in media organisations, who intend to build, strengthen or improve their online or digital platforms as part of a wholistic sustainability effort.
Interested media outlets should submit applications not later than August 19, 2019.
Click here to access the application form.
CSO Consortium Announces Continental Journalism Awards on AU Charter
Por favor, encontrar Tradução Português abaixo
A consortium of 14 prominent civil society organisations working to advance the implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) has announced an award scheme for African journalists whose reports advance the course of the Charter.
The competitive awards scheme forms part of activities under the Africa We Want project, titled “Mobilising Civil Society Support for Implementation of the African Governance Architecture,” which is being implemented by the consortium across the continent with funding support from the European Commission.
The Africa We Want project consortium is made up the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), ActionAid Denmark, the West Africa Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (WACSOF), ActionAid Ghana, Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (SADC-CNGO), ActionAid Mozambique, ActionAid Nigeria, Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) in Zimbabwe, ActionAid Zambia, ActionAid Tanzania, East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF), ActionAid Uganda, ActionAid Sierra Leone and ActionAid Zimbabwe.
“The Awards is an initiative to recognise and honour African journalists who have been promoting the course of the ACDEG through excellent journalistic pieces,” said Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). “We hope that the Awards will also inspire more journalists on the continent on reporting issues that advance good governance, democratic practices and peaceful elections on the continent as espoused by ACDEG.”
An awards ceremony to honour African journalists whose works over the last two years have advanced the spirit and letter of the ACDEG will be hosted by the MFWA in Accra on October 19, 2019 during this year’s West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA 2019).
Applicants of the Awards must be citizens of AU member states and must be working with a media organisation (print, electronic, online) in any AU member state. A call for entries, which will provide additional information on requirements on how to submit an entry, will be announced by the end of June 2019.
The ACDEG focuses on promoting human rights, democracy, the rule of law and good governance on the continent.
For more information, visit www.mfwa.org or email us at ecpanaf[@]gmail.com or call the MFWA on +233 302 -242470.
Kindly find Portuguese translation below
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Consórcio de ONGs Anuncia Prémio Continental de Jornalismo sobre a Carta Africana
Um consórcio de 14 proeminentes organizações da sociedade civil que trabalham para promover a implementação da Carta Africana sobre Democracia, Eleições e Governação (ACDEG) anunciou um prémio para jornalistas africanos cujos artigos promovem o conteúdo da Carta.
O esquema de prêmios competitivos faz parte das actividades do projecto “Mobilizando o Apoio da Sociedade Civil para a Implementação da Arquitetura Africana de Governação”, conhecido como ‘Africa We Want, que está sendo implementado pelo consórcio em Africa com o apoio financeiro da Comissão Europeia.
O consórcio do projecto ‘Africa We Want’ é constituído pela Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), ActionAid Denmark, the West Africa Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (WACSOF), ActionAid Ghana, Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (SADC-CNGO), ActionAid Mozambique, ActionAid Nigeria, Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) in Zimbabwe, ActionAid Zambia, ActionAid Tanzania, East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF), ActionAid Uganda, ActionAid Sierra Leone e ActionAid Zimbabwe.
“O prêmio é uma iniciativa para reconhecer e homenagear os jornalistas africanos que têm promovido o conteúdo da ACDEG através de excelentes artigos jornalísticos”, disse Sulemana Braimah, director executivo da Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). “Esperamos que os Prêmios também inspirem mais jornalistas no continente a relatar questões que promovem a boa governação, prácticas democráticas e eleições pacíficas no continente, como defendido pela ACDEG.”
Uma cerimônia de premiação para homenagear os jornalistas africanos cujas obras nos últimos dois anos avançaram o espírito da Carta Africana (ACDEG) será realizada pelo MFWA em Accra no dia 19 de Outubro de 2019 durante a Conferência de Excelência de Mídia e de Prêmiação da África Ocidental do corrente ano (WAMECA 2019).
Os candidatos aos Prémios devem ser cidadãos dos estados membros da UA e devem trabalhar com uma organização de mídia (impressa, eletrônica, on-line) em qualquer destes estados. Uma chamada para inscrições, que fornecerá informações adicionais sobre os requisitos de como enviar uma inscrição, será anunciada até o final de Junho de 2019.
A ACDEG centra-se na promoção dos direitos humanos, democracia, estado de direito e boa governação no continente.
Para mais informações, visite www.mfwa.org ou envie um email para [email protected] ou ligue para o MFWA no +233 302 -242470.
WAMECA 2019: Call for Entries
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is calling for submissions for the third edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA).
WAMECA 2019 will be held on October 18 and 19 in Accra, Ghana and will focus on the theme: Social Media, Fake news and Elections in Africa.
The Awards are opened to journalists from print, electronic and online media in Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries in West Africa. An Applicant must be West African, working with and for a media organisation(s). An Entry for the Awards must have been published or broadcast between the period January 1 to December 31, 2018.
WAMECA 2019 will honour outstanding works of journalism in West Africa in the following categories:
Telecoms & ICTs Reporting
Oil and Gas Reporting
Banking and Finance Reporting
Business and SMEs Reporting
Anti-Corruption Reporting
Investigative Reporting
Environmental Reporting
SDGs Reporting
Human Rights Reporting
Health Reporting
ECOWAS and Regional Integration Reporting
Photo Journalism
The deadline for the submission of the entries is on June 30, 2019 at 17.00 GMT. Finalists for WAMECA 2019 Awards will be announced on October 1, 2019.
Interested applicants should upload published works via the entry form on the website: www.mfwa.org/wameca. The entry should be an original work published through a media outlet in West Africa and must show date of publication/broadcast and the medium in which the work was published. Applicants may submit entries to a maximum of two categories. For each category, a maximum of two entries is permitted.
Finalists for the awards will be hosted at West Africa Media Excellence Conference on October 18-19 2019, where the awards ceremony will be held. The Conference will feature sessions on topical journalism issues and also provide opportunities for networking among journalists, editors, and experts from West Africa.
Below are the important dates:
Deadline for submission of entries: June 30, 2019
Assessment of entries and selection of finalists: August, 2019
Announcement of finalists: October 1, 2019
Conference: October 18, 2019
Awards Night: October 19, 2019
For more information, visit www.mfwa.org/wameca or email us at wameca[@]mfwa.org or call the MFWA on +233 302 -242470
WAMECA is an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) MFWA to promote media excellence in the sub region.