MEDIA ADVISORY

Second Annual U.S.-AU Countering Violent Extremism Week

Co-hosted by the African Union Commission and the U.S. Mission to the African Union

In Partnership with the Institute for Security Studies

Invitation to representatives of the media

What:

The African Union Commission (AU) and the United States Mission to the African Union, in partnership with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), are hosting the 2nd Annual Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Week. The U.S.-AU CVE Week will be a combination of two days of informed discussions and lectures followed by a two-day capacity building exercise on communication strategies for implementers, to include the development and refinement of communication strategies.

When:

29 October 2018 from 09:00hrs - 10:00hrs (Opening Ceremony)

Where:

Plenary Hall, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Peace and Security Building

African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Who:

Participants from the AU Commission and Organs, United States Mission to the African Union, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Member States, academia, media, and civil society organizations

Why:

To provide a platform where Africans are empowered to lead and devise their own solutions to address the drivers of violent extremism, as a means of countering its threats.

The event aims to:

· Discuss developments from Africa on countering and preventing violent extremism, with a primary focus on the Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa as two of the most affected regions;

· Profile research and programs from the continent, and include thematic discussions on global and African approaches to CVE, intersections between religion and violent extremism, education and CVE; youth and violent extremism, and the reintegration of former fighters and families;

· To build and strengthen formal and informal relationships with government and civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on CVE

· To create a network of regional and local, fluent, social- and traditional media-savvy civil society actors to challenge the growing body of violent extremist narratives at the grass-root level; and,

· Build relationships between CSOs and U.S. /AU alumni and encourage cross-border collaboration.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

AU Peace and Security Department

Ms. Loraine Phiri

Tel.: +251-902-46-22-31 Email: PhiriL@africa-union.org

Follow us on twitter: @AU_PSD