By Alhaji Manika Kamara
Secretary General- SLAJ
The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, has departed Sierra Leone today to attend the 3rd African Media Convention (AMC) in Accra, Ghana, from the 15th to 17th May 2024.
Taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre, Accra, Ghana, the annual AMC is a collaborative effort supported by the African media stakeholders, to reflect on the fundamental role of journalism on the continent, celebrate the basic principles of press freedom, and deliberate on measures to safeguard media freedoms and promote access to information, the safety of journalists and media viability in African Union (AU) Member States.
The AMC was conceived in 2021 by the East African Editors Forum, the UNESCO Liaison Office to AU and UNECA, and the UNESCO National Office in Da-es Salaam. It emerged from a growing need to engage with all the African media stakeholders in addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing media in the digital age. Recognizing the critical role of a free and vibrant press on the continent, the inaugural AMC was convened in 2022 in Arusha, Tanzania, bringing together media stakeholders from across Africa and the African Union Commission
Stemming from the esteemed World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3rd, the AMC serves as a nexus for journalists, editors, policymakers, academics, civil society and media development partners to convene and deliberate on pertinent issues shaping the media landscape in AU Member States. With a rich history of safeguarding press freedom and journalistic integrity, the AMC has evolved into a beacon of collaboration and capacity-building, rotating across African countries to address evolving challenges and opportunities in the digital era.
The SLAJ President is expected to feature as a panelist on the theme: ‘Safeguarding the Frontline: Enhancing Journalistic Safety and Climate Advocacy in Africa’. His participation at the 3rd AMC is sponsored by the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) Steering Committee of which he is a Reserve Member.
