Africa Connect
Africa Connect is a podcast series aimed at exploring African topics around democracy. It runs on the theme: . Democracy is centre to the development agenda of As an African blueprint, the Agenda 2063 aims to transform Africa into a global powerhouse. Borrowing from the , as per its mandate to “prioritise inclusive social and economic development, continental and regional integration, democratic governance and peace and security amongst other issues aimed at repositioning Africa to becoming a dominant player in the global arena”, this podcast series aims to touch on some of these issues and stories and provide understanding to the African citizen. Each episode will touch on an African case and will be 20-25 minutes long.
Podcast Description
Africa Connect is a podcast series aimed at exploring African topics around democracy. It runs on the theme: Deepening Democracy through access to information. Each week focuses on an African nation state and engages in conversations with various experts around democracy potentials.
Rationale of the Project
How do African governments respond to electoral competition? How do African governments respond to civic demonstrations? How is information shared, received and produced within a post-truth society? Although the common perception is that African governments have for years sought to win elections through varied combinations of fraud, corruption, ethnic mobilization, and capital etc., we argue that the democratic project is a multilayered process which can be measured in a multitude of ways. The implications of narrowing it down to common perceptions, homogenizes nation states and robs the public of a deeper understanding. Using research-based data, this podcast will aim for a holistic approach and through it explore different theories and arguments to help understand the varied dynamics of each case discussion. Within a post-truth era it aims to debunk and be in conversation with some of the social media claims and thoughts.
Intended Audience
The podcast series aims to engage with African citizens interested in understanding African political potentials. These would include students and academics studying political sciences or any social science and economics related fields as well as the general public looking for accessible and palatable political analyses. Additionally, it would serve professionals in the political sphere e.g. journalists, activists, and politically engaged individuals who are interested in staying informed with the continent’s current events and political analyses.
Expected Impact of Podcast
Humans often try to make meaning of the world they live in. In doing so they adopt various ways of attaining information. In a rapidly metamorphosizing world, politics finds itself entangled with socioeconomics and consequently affecting the lived experiences of people. It is essential to understand and trace the emergent or recycled conceptualizations in trying to understand and describe the life experiences of people. This podcast series aims to engage in conversations that raise awareness of social issues surrounding the African citizen. It hopes to address an overall theme that investigates African democracy and what that potentially looks like. Complex issues will be explored and presented in a palatable manner that is accessible to its listeners. As a source of information, the podcast will add education value to its listeners by engaging with different experts on a wide range of topics. Consequently, this may help shift and shape cultural perspectives and help foster understanding of various issues.
Podcast Episode Structure
Podcast/Show notes for each episode:
- Country focus
- Summary of the podcast episode.
- Main points, introduce the guest, link to resources mentioned
Format:
- Show notes kept under about 105 words..
- Guest introduction.
- Intriguing summary.
- Links to additional resources.
- Call to action.
Extracted from: Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. | African Union (au.int)
Listen to the podcast here
