how will africa feed her children?

The challenge of climate change and food security in the 21^stcentury

Nairobi (Kenya), 12-16 April,2010

+ visit of sustainable agricultural projects in Kenya,5-11 April

Incollaboration with World Meteorological Organization, World Food Programme(tbc), United Nations Environment Programme (tbc), The World Bank (tbc), African InsectScience for Food and Health (icipe,Nairobi), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, State of Geneva, MillenniumInstitute (Washington), Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting (Washington),BioVision Foundation (Zurich), Global Humanitarian Forum-Geneva (tbc), and othersfrom the private sector and the civil society.

CONCEPT: Media21 will organize its 25^thjournalist workshop on global issues during the 1^st Conference ofAfrican ministers responsible for meteorology, by WMO and the African Union. This will be a frame to report onthe impact of climate change in Africa, and the answers for a sustainableagriculture that will be shown during field visits in the region. The workshopand fieldtrip will tap a great amount of expertise and experience that ispresent in Nairobi. Innovative solutions will be publicized, such as aninsurance system against climatic risks.

Some panels will also feature the sharpconclusions of IAASTD (International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge,Science and Technology for Development: www.agassessment.org),a global 2000 pages report prepared by 400 experts that can be compared to theIPCC report on Climate change. It appears as a road map towards sustainable foodproduction in order to cope with population growth and climate change, with newknowledge to fight poverty, hunger, diseases, etc.

The focal point of the workshop will be therole of media in passing down scientific assessments to small farmers, ruralpopulation and decision makers. This will require a discussion on the necessarylanguage and story-mapping in order to reach out to the population. Local andregional journalist organizations will collaborate with Media21 on this.

Workshop Objectives

-Training and awareness raising of 30 journalists mostly from all ofAfrica on the challenges of nutrition and sustainable agriculture to cope withclimate change

-Meetings, interviews and interaction with diverse actors: experts,international organisations, governmental officials, NGOs, private sector,local farmers

-Improved knowledge of international effortson this issue, link between global and local

-Understanding the interdisciplinary links with other majorchallenges: sustainable development, energy, migration, conflicts, governance, trade,health…

-Acquisition of a contact list of experts and key players

-Experience sharing between journalists from diverse regions andbackgrounds on professional good practises

-Field experience: visiting sustainableand self-help oriented activities in rural and slums areas of East Africa (mostprobably Kenya)

-Production of articles or broadcastsduring and after the workshop, to be later published in participants' localmedia and in the partner organizations websites

-Building of capacity among Africanjournalist organization to encourage the coverage of these issues, and take upthe task of spreading the Media21 methodology of interaction between media andall players.

Participants

-30 journalists (print, agencies, radio, TV, web, photo) mainly fromAfrican countries, (including North Africa). Theworkshop will be open for the international media based in Nairobi

-Places available also for communication officers of UN agencies,NGOs and firms

-Professional experience: middle and high level

-Selection on the basis of articles sent beforehand, motivation,geographical and gender balance.

Organization

Local logistics, invitation and contacts will be carried out with the collaborationof local/regional journalist’s organizations. They will constitute a task-forcenamed “Media21-East Africa” (which could become a regional branch of Media21afterwards). Concept, content, editorial objectives, tuition, chair, networkingand fundraising will be carried out jointly by the local task-force and Media21experts, with inputs of other partners.

Two Media21 trainers and a resource managerwill attend the workshop. Experienced African journalists may also serve asmoderators, mentors and coach during the workshop. Local institutions will ensure the organization of field visits, withconsultation of project director.

Panelists, contributors

Experts from WMO,WFP, UNEP, icipe and other Nairobi-based institutions, Millennium Institute, internationalNGOs, state agencies, private sector. Experienced journalists, local andregional farmers. Panelists will introduce their views and dialogue with thejournalists. High level public figures (such as Nobel Prize Wangari Maathai,ministers and chiefs of UN agencies, etc) will be invited to informal meetings(welcome receptions, breakfasts, brownbag lunches).

Course of the sessions

Nairobi: four days of presentations, panels, editorialmeetings, interviews or individual research. Field: Visit of icipe and otherinstitutions, field projects in Kenya and/or neighboring countries (according totime and funding).

Instant production of On Assignment, Media21webzine composed of participants' articles produced during the workshop.

Expected Results

-30 trained and well-informed journalists

-These journalists will join the worldwide Media21 Network of"Global Journalists" (1000 members by October 2009)

-Workshop participants and Media21 Network members will becomeprivileged interlocutors of partner organizations.

-1 or 2 stories published or broadcasted by each participant inhis/her local media during the workshop or up to three months later (minimum 30-40stories)

-Online edition of articles/broadcasts during and after theworkshop, also compiled in On Assignment magazine, which will be sent to allMedia21 partners, network members and mailing list (3000 recipients)

-Acquisition by local/regional groups of journalists of know how anduseful contacts for the organization of international media workshops onAfrican issues in the future.

Contact: Daniel Wermus, public affairs ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

                 Flavio Lucchesi,resource coordinator ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

                 Media21, 9 rue du Valais, CH-1202Geneva, Switzerland

                 Tel +41 22 901 33 33 – fax +41 22 901 33 30