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Dear Colleague,
RE: AFRICA MEDIA & DEMOCRACY CONFERENCE – (www.amdmc.org)
Please find enclosed details of The Africa Media & Democracy Conference (AMDMC). The conference will take place from the 18th – 20th August 2010, in Accra Ghana. The Africa Media & Democracy Conference is a registered non-governmental organization in Ghana with University of London Goldsmiths College as one of its academic institutional partners. The organization objectives are:
• To constructively promote and ensure positive influence on the role of the media in the practice of democratic governance in Africa.
• To facilitate a stronger relation between the academia, media practitioners and governance.
• To encourage, and assist in the development of media programmes (AMDMC Media programmes for civil society e.g. radio and television) which specifically engages civil society on issues of governance, democracy and the media.
• To foster the development of a culture of democracy and promote the rule of law
• To mediate in national development, sustainable peace and growth.
The organisations key activities consists of three projects (a) The AMDMC CONFERENCE (a) AMDMC PUBLICATION (b) THE AMDMC CHAIR AWARD.
THE CONFERENCE: The Conference takes place annually in a selected African country and examines various aspects of media engagement in a democratic dispensation with emphasis on local themes. The conference is addressed by speakers drawn from a range of political, media, and political, academic background.
THE AMDMC PUBLICATION: The AMDMC publication aims at documenting discourses on media and democracy in Africa. Material on various aspects of the media and democracy is to be published on regional basis. The first publication aims to provide a range of essays and perspectives on the practices of media and democracy within the West African states (ECOWAS). The second series of publications will focus on southern African, eastern and northern African countries. The publication is intended to provide and contribute scholarly material for the purposes of highlighting the role of media in the practice of democracy.
THE AMDMC CHAIR AWARD: The AMDMC-Chair Award programme is awarded to a distinguished African scholar to take a one year residency at a nominated African university and a non-African University. Currently Goldsmiths College, University of London is our participating European institution for the AMDMC Chair Award. Future collaborations are welcome.
We will be most grateful for support in disseminating this information to relevant stakeholders.
I look forward to hearing from you.
BARIMA ADU-ASAMOA
Director
Mobile: + 44 7538106491
CALL FOR PAPERS: ACCRA CONFERENCE 2010: Theme: “Mediating Democracy In Africa”
THE ACCRA CONFERENCE 18th -20th AUGUST 2010: The Africa Media & Democracy Conference invites papers for its annual Africa Media and Democracy Conference, to be held from 18th -20th August 2010, Accra – Ghana. The theme for the Conference is: “Mediating Democracy in Africa”.
Recent developments of the growing influence of the media in Africa’s fledgling democracies in particular radio and television in monitoring, pollstering, and ‘nuancing’ election results ahead of the Electoral Commissioner, has been contested by politicians, constitutional experts and media practitioners. The Conference aims to address and examine among others the location of such media practices, their constitutional legitimacy and their relevance to freedom of information in a democratic dispensation. It will seek to address media practices such as the ‘announcing of elections results’ ahead of an Electoral Commission or the ‘deployment of Press Conferences’ by political parties as political posturing during voting and ballot counting period of an election. The conference will provide context for comparison, dialogue and analysis between media practices situated in different cultural-political environment. When does ‘announcing’ becomes ‘endorsement’ of a particular political party contesting a democratic election? What is the impact on the electorate of such early announcements of election results from electoral constituencies? What are implications for social and national cohesion of such practices in fiercely contested elections? what is the way forward? The event is open to academics, media industry professionals, government agencies, policymakers, regulators, UN agencies, donors, civil society organisations, independent consultants and research groups and students.
Papers are also invited on the following sub-themes listed below; submissions could be made from a range of issues in relation to democracy & media practices in Africa. It must address specific media practices in the context of democracy in Africa, such as the role of radio commercials as political communication tool in electioneering, the corrosive effects of partisan media practices in popular democracy or the role of the media in the concept of popular democracy etc.
Sub-Theme
Media, democracy and governance
Media, ethnic identity and democracy
Media ownership, democracy and governance
Media, concept citizenry and democracy
Media and the concept ‘good of governance’
Media and political communication
Media, political rhetoric’s and political violence
Media and coupe d’états
Media reportage and democracy
Media, democracy and political education
Media, democracy and traditional governance
Media , political activism and governance
Media, conflict and crises management
New Media and democracy
Media, democracy and aid
Media Law and regulation
Media, Gender and democratization
Media, Democracy and Human Rights
Community media and democracy
Media and Ethics
Media and African centeredness
Digital media and the renewal of local democracy
Media and cultural politics
New Media and the renewal of local democracy
New media, democratic theory and public sphere
‘Development Democracy’ and the media
In addition to those listed above the organisers will consider other relevant sub-themes from contributors.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION: ABSTRACTS & PAPERS: Please email abstracts (maximum one page) along with contact information and a 500-word bio to: info@amdmc.org.
All Abstracts must be in English, full papers may be submitted in either English or French.
Deadline for receipt of abstracts: 30th April 2010
• Notice of acceptance of abstracts: 5th May 2010
• Deadline for receipt of full papers: 30th May 2010
CONTACT
GHANA: THE AFRICA MEDIA & DEMOCRACY CONFERENCE (AMDMC)
P O BOX BT 440 C2 TEMA, GHANA
TEL: 00 233 (0) 220 208185 – FAX: 00 233 (0) 220 208185 – MOBILE: +233 540875985
E-mail: info@amdmc.org http://www.amdmc.org
UNITED KINGDOM: THE AMDMC @ DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS, GOLDSMITHS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, NEW CROSS LONDON SE 14 6NW UK – MOBILE: + 44 7538106491 – TEL: + 44 207 919 7171
EMAIL: b.adu-asamoa@gold.ac.uk – g.stanton@gold.ac.uk