MEDIA ALERT

10th African International Media Summit (AIMS)

Mobilizing Media: Re-Writing the Narrative on Ebola Through a Responsible and
Coordinated Effort.

"We are conscious of the urgent need for all of us to do more, and to act faster."
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, African Union Commission Chairperson

The African Union Commission (AUC) and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) have joined with the African Communications Agency (ACA) to host the 10th Annual African International Media Summit (AIMS) at the AUC Conference Center in Addis Ababa under the theme "MOBILIZING MEDIA: Re-Writing The Narrative on Ebola Through Responsible and Coordinated Efforts" on December 4th and 5th from 0900h to 1600h. Panel discussions, media training and Skype conferencing with journalists on the frontline of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) crisis in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will also be included.
According to ACA Vice-Chair Dr. Erieka Bennett, "We need to highlight some of the untold stories and unsung African heroes in the battle against EVD."

“We are appreciative of this joint effort to coordinate the media around the coverage of the EVD crisis. As you may know, the AU is fully engaged with the deployment of health workers under its African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) and we need to tell this African story”, said Mrs. Wynne Musabayana, the AUC’s communications lead on the EVD epidemic.

Consistent with Dr. Zuma's call for a concerted effort across all sectors of African society to defeat EVD, the goal of the 10th AIMS is to provide a platform for journalists, public sector and civil society stakeholders to explore the role and impact of conventional and social media on the EVD crisis. Expected outcomes include effective strategies for media reporting, which may assist in re-writing the negative narrative. African journalist CAN report balanced stories of a developing continent attempting to act in solidarity, from government to grass roots, to defeat the deadly virus.

"(We are in) a fight against stigma...we must arrest the infection of perception with a sense of urgency." Dr. Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

REGISTRATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION:

Michelle Okai, ACA, Accra, Ghana – +233-(0)302 780 218 info@africaninternationalmediasummit.com

Dr. Desta Meghoo, ACA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – +251 (0)91 186 4677 desta_meghoo@yahoo.com

SKYPE – africaninternationalmediasummit. Join us on Twitter @africaintmedsum and Facebook
African International Media Summit – AIMS. Space is limited so please register soon. All participating
journalists must be accredited with the African Union Commission.