African Media Convention kicks off in Zambia
Opinion
By
William Oloo Janak
| May 10, 2023
The 2nd African Media Convention has kicked off in Lusaka, Zambia, with over 300 media stakeholders gathering to review the state of freedom of expression and freedom of the media in the continent and develop strategies for safeguarding these rights.
The convention, which is being held from May 11-13, is themed: Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights. It is part of efforts by African media stakeholders to emphasize the relevance and role of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), marked annually on May 3.
The media event will also mark 30 years since the UN General Assembly proclaimed the International day of Press Freedom through the Windhoek Declaration in 1991.
The convention is hosted by the Southern Africa Editors Forum (SAEF) and the Media Liaison Committee-Zambia, in partnership with UNESCO, the African Union (AU), and a multi-stakeholder team drawn from journalists' associations, civil society, and government representatives from AU member states.
The event will feature keynote speeches from notable figures, including Zambia's Minister for Information and Media Hon. Chushi Kasanda, Ghana's Deputy Minister for Information Hon Fatimatu Abubakar, as well as representatives from UNESCO and the AU.
READ MORE
Unmet promises haunt Rift Valley governors ahead of 2027 elections
Opposition unity push boosts Kalonzo's 2027 poll prospects
Ruto courts Gusii in 2027 poll push amid Matiang'i's rising influence
What MPs owe the media is more than money
Opposition backs Rotich in Emurua Dikirr contest
Opposition tears into Ruto as Kalonzo moves to lock Ukambani
Political violence signals troubled road to the 2027 General Election
Shujaa name squad for Hong Kong SVNS World Series Championship
Religious leaders want Kenyans to elect leaders with integrity, warn leaders against insults
Bitok unlocks Grade 11 textbook stalemate, hours after expose
Organizations represented at the convention include the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ), Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA), East Africa Editors Society, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Congress of African Journalists (CAJ), Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), and Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU).
The First African Media Convention was held in May 2022 in Arusha, Tanzania, and was addressed by Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu. It was at the first convention that a resolution was made to make it an annual event.