Coming up on Ep.57 of Africa in Focus Show on 13 January, 2016: "Afro-Democracy Look-ahead!"

Episode #57:

Afro-Democracy Look-Ahead

On 15 September 2015, Ghana joined the global comity of nations to celebrate International Day of Democracy.

For Ghanaians, it seems, no election matters more than their own. Africa in Focus(AIF) believes otherwise, for which reason it has populated a power-packed triumvirate to help us demystify; and unpack democracy – as practiced by African countries.

Demystifying democracy on the show is about seeking clarity on Africa’s peculiar type of democracy, including shedding light on the latest fad, where leaders decide to tweak the constitution or –better still – take it to a referendum (Rwanda). Some speculate this is a democratization of non-democratic practices as this inevitably has consequences on our peace and security.

To this end, WANEP will join us to unpack the security issues around Africa’s democracy, as well as offer insights into what the world should expect in light of Burkina Faso; Benin; & Niger’s upcoming elections in February.    

Call us on the following numbers when we open the phone lines at 14h30 GMT

+233(0)289.000.931 // +233(0)289.931.000

Join us if you can between 2pm & 3pm on 13 January, 2016.

Guiding questions

·       How central is citizenship in the conversation on Africa’s democratic discourse?

·       How do citizens help strengthen democracy-promoting institutions of State?

·       What should citizens do more of to deepen democracy?

·       What is the role of CSOs in promoting Africa’s democracy?

·       What mechanisms do you think must be put in place to engage non-state actors in policy-making processes?

·        Where does Burundi go from here?

·       Has the East African region lost the plot on a conversation on two-term limits?

 Guests in the studio:

Ø   Isaac Hubert, West Africa Civil Society Institute(WACSI)

Ø Levinia Addae-Mensah, Programmes Director, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding(WANEP)

   

#PODCAST: Interview with Pan-African Parliament Hon Dr.Bernadette Lahai at 4th High-Level Dialogue

In this exclusive interview with the Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament Hon. Dr.Bernadette Lahai, she opens up to Africa in Focus Show on challenges of ‪#‎WomeninPolitics‬. She talks about some of the challenges she encountered as her Professor-husband looked after her two daughters while she was into full-time politics in Sierra Leone. An outspoken and candid politician, Lahai is arguably one of the most interesting Pan-African Parliamentarians out there. She was vocal about Ebola when it broke out, and continues to advance the cause of the PAP by encouraging countries to ratify the protocol that will finally enable it obtain full legislative capacities. ‪#‎africaWeWant‬ ‪#‎BetheVoice‬ ‪#‎PanAfricanParliament‬

african governance architectureAGApan-african parliamentwomeninpoliticsgenderafrican governanceafrican politics

#PODCAST: Interview with Head of AU's African Governance Architecture's Dr.George Mukundi

This is an exclusive interview I conducted with Dr.George Mukundi, Head of the African Governance Architecture of the AU.

I took opportunity to ask him to expatiate on the AGA; its relevance in the democracy conversation the AU is seeking to foster.

Finally, we touched on why Burkina Faso is an important model for citizen engagement in their democratic dispensation; plus an intimate insight into the #DGTrends hashtag, which hit its millionth-plus reach at the Kigali meeting.

Few will know the genesis of DGTrends. It was mooted at the earlier High-Level Dialogues on Democracy in Dakar and was, according to Dr.Mukundi, "appropriated" by the AU. He does not accept credit that the AU created it, but states the hashtag, which stands for "Democratic Governance Trends", is owned by citizens.

Follow Dr.George Mukundi on @mukundigeorge, and follow the African conversation on democracy by searching "#DGTrends" on twitter.

The podcast was produced by Executive Producer E.K.Bensah Jr (ekbensah) for Africa in Focus Show (@africainfocus14)

Comments much appreciated.

On facebook, reach us on www.facebook.com/africainfocusshow, where, with 617 likes, you can obtain latest news & issues on AU; Ecowas; East Africa.

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#PODCAST: Best Podcasts Produced by Africa in Focus Show in Kigali, Rwanda at 4th High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance

a selection of some of the best podcasts recorded & produced by the Africa in Focus Show in Kigali, Rwanda, at the 4th High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance (7-8 December, 2015) #DGTrends

womeninPoliticsdgTrendsAfricanUniongender

NEW!>PODCAST: #DGTrends Special for the 4th African Union High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance; #Chad; #FOCAC

Executive Producer of Africa in Focus Show E.K.Bensah is currently in Kigali to cover the 4th African Union High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance. Working in close contact with the media team, the idea is to expand and ramify conversations around the theme of this conference.

On twittersphere, the two hashtags --  #DGTrends and #WomeninPolitics -- are being used to aggregrate views by tweeting participants on the topic.

This special edition of the #ECOWAS@40Podcast seeks to elucidate the little-known African Governance Architecture of the African Union, but more importantly, offer listeners an insight into some of the more popular conversations/tweets that emanated from the conference underway in Kigali, Rwanda.

Happy listening!

STORIFY Feature: Here's how the Coup in #BurkinaFaso unfolded on Twitter on 16 September, 2015