Development, Governance and the Media

 On 22 March 2007, POLIS held a major conference in partnership with the BBC World Service Trust, Open University, Concern, Panos, Communication for Social Change Consortium, UNESCO UK and DFID.

The conference was chaired by Myles Wickstead, former Head of the 2005 Commission for Africa. Other participants included: DFID's Sue Owen; Amadou Mahtar Ba, President of AllAfrica Global Media; renowned Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow; leading South African academic Prof Fackson Banda; Eric Chinje of the African Development Bank; Paul Mitchell, Director of Communications at the World Bank.

Eric Chinje's speech is available here. Paul Mitchell's speech is available here.

To get a flavour of the day's events please click here for a taster video podcast and here for a video recording of the lunchtime debate with Jon Snow and Nigerian journalists Ibiba Don Pedro and Shola Oshunkeye. By clicking on the links, you can also download podcasts of the morning session and the plenary.

 This POLIS conference brought together academics, policy makers, donors and media practitioners to set out practically how the international development community can respond effectively to the credible demand from Africa for the media to play a role in its development.

The conference press release is here.

Click here for the conference briefing papers.

The conference report was launched on 27 June 2007. You can listen to an mp3 of the launch event, with the African Development Bank's Eric Chinje, by clicking here. To download a pdf of the report click here. For hard copies please email us.

For more information contact Laura Kyrke-Smith here.