AJMI– Doha

The Al Jazeera Media Institute was a key partner at the African Media Festival in Nairobi, held on February 26th and 27th. Hundreds of African journalists from over 20 countries attended.

Ahmed Abu Hamad from the Institute, and Younis Nyamitshaba from Al Jazeera's Kenya bureau, met with local, regional, and international organisations. They discussed media development cooperation and presented the Institute's projects and programmes.

Abu Hamad led a workshop, "Media for Development from a Global South Perspective: The African Contribution," discussing the Media for Development initiative's strategy. This initiative aims to challenge Western-centric views on development and media, and to better serve Global South communities by focusing on social change and community involvement, in setting learning and training priorities, and empowering them to build their own image and express their unique identity through media tools tailored to their circumstances.

The workshop covered the initiative's goal of empowering people through media, enabling them to tell their own stories and shape their futures. Abu Hamad highlighted the initiative's participatory approach, which values local knowledge and cultural context.

Abu Hamad clarified that the initiative focuses on a new media for development approach. This prioritises behavioural change and social impact by challenging traditional models, amplifying local voices, and promoting media advocacy.