Soul Beat Africa
African development action with informed and engaged societies
Soul Beat Africa
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Highway Africa Conference 2014: Social Media from the Margins to the Mainstream (Sep 7-8 2014)

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Location

Grahamstown, South Africa

The Highway Africa 2014 Conference is being held under the theme, "Social Media – from the margins to the mainstream." The event will explore how social media has impacted on all aspects of people’s lives in the last ten years. Using plenary sessions, keynote addresses, and panel discussions, the event will bring together journalists, civil society activists, academics, and youth to reflect on the role technology is playing in shaping journalism and the media in society.

Specifically, the conference seeks to answer the following questions:

  • "What has been the impact of social media on journalism as practice and media as business?
  • How have social media impacted on our consumption of media e.g. television?
  • How have ordinary citizens and CSOs used social media in advocacy, mobilisation and other activities?
  • How have social media enabled the rise of the individual’s voice outside of the mediation of mainstream media?
  • How have governments and politicians used social media to communicate with a variety of constituencies?
  • How do identities (gender, race, ethnic, linguistic etc) play out in cyberspace?
  • How is sovereignty and the concept of the nation challenged or affirmed by social media?"

The conference will also include various training workshops, book launches, and exhibitions linked to the theme, plus evening gala dinners and networking sessions, including the Telkom-Highway Africa New Media Awards.

The Highway Africa Conference is a project of Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies (Grahamstown, South Africa), in partnership with corporate South Africa, development agencies, and media associations. It has been held annually for the past seventeen years.

Click here for more information about the conference.

Registration information:

Deadline for registration: July 31, 2014.

Highway Africa invites professional journalist, academics/researchers, community media practitioners, and tertiary education students to register. Registration fees vary from ZAR900 to ZAR3000.

Click here to register online.

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