Specialist conference
Details
In recent years, KAS E-lection Bridge Africa has established itself as the leading platform for learning and exchange on political communication and campaigning strategies on the continent. It is an exclusive offer of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation to significant leaders of its partner parties in sub-Sahara Africa and as the name of the conference suggests, its main objective is to build a bridge linking German and African experts – and to provide a forum for sharing ideas, practices and successes.
As in previous years, we will be joined by Dr. Klaus Schüler, Federal Director of Germany’s leading political party CDU, who will present amongst other topics, on how to handle a change of guard. The main focus this year will also be on the differences between campaigning in urban and rural areas. Many politicians who are MPs know the struggle to make politics in the capital, yet having to please their constituencies in rural areas, where it might be difficult to explain what one does in the capital all day.
As we already made clear in Kampala during the E-lection Bridge in May 2018, the campaigns after the elections also deserve a lot more attention in Political Communication.
This year’s conference will run from 4th to 6th March (Monday to Wednesday) with 3rd and 7th March set aside as travel days.
Program
Monday, 4th March 2019
09:00 Official opening of the 9th E-lection Bridge
Christoph Plate, Director KAS Media Africa, Johannesburg
Thomas Volk, Resident Representative KAS Senegal
09:30 Opening Address
Ebrima Sillah, H.E. The Minister for Information in The Gambia
10:00 In the swirls of disruption - A case study on counter strategies
Dr. Klaus Schüler, General Manager CDU, Germany
11:15 Coffee Break
11:30 Renewal while in government – How we operate the plan
Julia Carstens, PA of the General Manager, CDU, Germany
13:00 Lunch
14:30 Lip-service or passionate politics? The difficulties of campaigning in rural areas on the African Continent
Gilbert Kiakwama, CDC, DRC
Norbert Mao, DP, Uganda
Lutero Simango, MDM, Mozambique
Dr. Klaus Schüler, CDU
Moderation: Christoph Plate, KAS Media Africa
16:00 Coffee Break
16:30 Where we are – Introduction into the democratic change in The Gambia – from Jammeh’s election defeat to the Social Media Campaign “Gambia has decided”
Aisha Dabo, Social Media Expert, The Gambia
18:00 Closing
18:30 Departure for Dinner
Tuesday, 5th March 2019
9:00 The Return of Politics – How to engage a frustrated electorate after years of political stalemate
Aly Khan, KANU, Kenya
NN, The Gambia
Moderation: Christoph Plate, KAS Media Africa
10:30 Coffee Break
11:00 Daily Campaigning – Examples from Tanzania and the DRC
Grace Shio, Chadema,Tanzania
Lema Miezi Ritha, AABC, DRC
Moderation: Thomas Volk, KAS Senegal
12:30 Lunch Break
13:30 Factchecking on politicians and campaigns – How Africa Check tries to keep the voters informed
Samba Badji, Editor, Africa Check, Dakar, Senegal
15:00 Coffee Break
15:30 Before and after – Situational analysis of upcoming and completed elections in Senegal and the DRC
Mikaila Issa, Dakar, Senegal
Gilbert Kiakwama, Kinshasa, DRC
Moderation: Muhammad M. Jagana, Banjul, The Gambia
17:00 Closing
17:30 Departure for Sunset Boat trip on River Gambia
20:00 Dinner
Wednesday, 6th March 2019
09:00 Campaigning and the media - an appeal to politicians and journalists – for the sake of the voters – the experience of the elections in Nigeria
Dapo Olorunyomi, Premium Times, Nigeria
10:30 Coffee Break
11:00 Closing Session
Drones and Bots – how will we campaign in 2032? A critical assessment of our discussions in 2018 and an outlook into the future
12:00 Lunch
13:30 Field Trip
African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, Banjul (tbc)
19:00 Closing Dinner
