FOMECAF enters into partnership with AbR and launches news agency
The fourth Lomé meeting was held in the Togolese capital from November 22 to 26. Due to pandemic restrictions, around 50 representatives of French-speaking Christian media outlets were able to attend the event in person. Some 500 people logged on to the internet to follow the event either in part or in full. Olivia Beugre from Côte d'Ivoire gave an update on FOMECAF's activities during the closing ceremony. Echoes.
"The sustainability of our forum is only possible with the support of each and every one of you!" With these words, Olivia Beugre concluded her review at the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of the Lomé meetings, held from November 22 to 26. The editor-in-chief of Radio La Voix de l'Espérance in Abidjan welcomed the presence of some 50 journalists, presenters, and radio directors from 13 French-speaking African countries. In addition, some 500 people connected via Zoom, YouTube, or Facebook to follow the discussions, which focused on the theme of "Media and the Generation Gap."
Develop a partnership with AbR
As spokesperson for the ten leaders responsible for the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF), Olivia Beugre outlined some prospects for future joint activities. First, there will be a partnership with AbR Media, a mainly English-speaking media network that offers support to Christian radio stations across the African continent.
The woman from La Voix de l’espérance radio station also noted that Dodji Juliette Kpessou from Radio Hosanna in Porto-Novo (Benin) and Benjamin Holl from Radio Vie nouvelle in Douala (Cameroon) would take over the running of the press agency, which publishes various written and radio contributions on the FOMECAF website. They will be supported by Joseph Ykio Gnahoua and Franceline Sehi from Côte d'Ivoire.
Promoting the satellite radio station "New Life"
FOMECAF officials have also decided to promote the French-language satellite radio station Nouvelle Vie within their organization, in order to enable the resumption of broadcasts by this partner. In addition, a web radio bank will be available online with a view to resuming certain programs that may be of interest to local radio stations, which sometimes lack original content.
From a structural point of view, Olivia Beugre also noted that a transitional body would be created to better involve Africans in the organization of FOMECAF meetings and training programs.
An award presented to Abdoulaye Cissé, radio director in Timbuktu
At the end of the closing ceremony, Emmanuel Ziehli presented the François Sergy Award to Abdoulaye Cissé, director of Radio Tahanint (mercy) in Timbuktu (Mali). A pastor in the Evangelical Baptist Church of Timbuktu, Abdoulaye has distinguished himself by his courage in continuing his Christian witness in a context particularly threatened by radical Islam. In 2012, after the radio station was looted, Abdoulaye's home was also ransacked. In 2017, three young people were murdered in front of Radio Tahanint, including two of the station's presenters. In addition to his radio and pastoral activities, Abdoulaye Cissé also broadcasts Christian programs on some 40 radio stations in northern Mali, for which he is paid. (c)
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The Lomé meetings in brief
The "Lomé" meetings began in January 2019. They offer Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa the opportunity to receive a week of training and to network in order to develop a dynamic of exchange between professionals from different countries.
In January 2019, Radio Réveil en Suisse, an association that produces radio programs for the entire French-speaking world, decided to mark its 70th anniversary by inviting its radio partners in Africa to a training session in Lomé. Around 100 people took part in the event and signed the Lomé Declaration of Lomé. The signatories pledged to renounce competition between evangelical and Protestant radio stations and to pool resources to improve the quality of their programs.
During the second edition of the Lomé meetings, the 170 or so participants engaged in a discussion on the theme "Let's invent integral radio! ." They also decided to create the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF) with the following founding committee members: Olivia Adiko, journalist and editor-in-chief of La Voix de l'espérance (Ivory Coast), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe, communications consultant (Cameroon), Timothée Amegan, pastor and CEO of Médiafrique (Togo), and Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio Réveil (Switzerland).
In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lomé 3 offered around 50 participants in person and 100 online the opportunity to reflect on "Media convergence and job versatility."
The Lomé 1 report
The Lomé 2 report
The Lomé 3 report
Current members of the FOMECAF committee
The following individuals are members of the FOMECAF core network or committee: Olivia Adiko Beugre (Radio la Voix de l’Espérance; Abidjan), Dodji Juliette Kpessou (Radio Hosanna, Porto-Novo), Dr. Augustin Ahoga (theologian and anthropologist, Benin), Timothée Amegan (Médiafrique, Lomé), Illia Djadi (Open Doors, London), Blaise Gaïtou, director of YWAM Niger, Benjamin Holl (Radio Vie nouvelle, Douala), Etienne Kiemdé (Radio Évangile et développement, Ouagadougou), Koffi Ahonon (CICERI and Compassion, Lomé), Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho (TWR, Abidjan), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe (media consultant, Douala), and Emmanuel Ziehli (Radio Réveil France).
About:
Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa https://medias.africa/
Radio Réveil Suisse et France https://radioreveil.ch/ | https://radio-reveil.org/
AbR Medias South Africa: https://abrmedia.org/
