In the build-up to the World Economic Forum (WEF) taking place in Cape Town in June, a new initiative aims to get Africans interacting with the world’s leaders about the future of their continent.
Using technology as a tool, the WEF’s ”Africa Conversation” hopes to engage with the continent’s population. ”It’s about opening up what the World Economic Forum is doing; it’s not just about participants having their say,” says Oliver Cusworth, WEF spokesperson.
Interested parties and persons can engage the WEF by submitting their thoughts via its website and on the video-sharing site YouTube.
”Are there any top issues that you think should be discussed in Cape Town? Are there any serious questions you would like to pose to our leadership? Do you have any thoughts and suggestions to recommend to the leaders?” asks an introductory video posted on YouTube.
”This year, you as the citizen of Africa, you as the concerned global citizen, have an opportunity to contribute towards shaping the agenda of the summit,” it continues.
In response to the introductory video, members of the public can post their own recorded questions and queries as videos that are less than two minutes long and marked with the tag ”africaconversation” — to make them more easily retrievable, Cusworth says.
On the final day of the actual summit, which runs from June 13 to 15, a selection of these submissions will addressed by world leaders in an hour-long session convened specifically for this purpose. Their answers will be recorded and posted on YouTube for public access.
Davos principle
Though this the first time that such a high level of public engagement will take place at the Africa summit, the plan is based on the ”Davos Conversation” launched for the WEF annual meeting held from January 24 to 28 this year in Davos, Switzerland.
Launched in partnership with prominent bloggers and websites such as those of the Guardian and the BBC, the Davos Conversation also saw the ”opening up” of engagement between leaders and the public, Cusworth says.
The Africa Conversation will also allow normal people ”to have a voice”, he says, adding: ”We also wanted to move that [process] forward; the Africa Conversation is not on the web alone; we are taking it to the leaders, having an open session and getting feedback.”
Given the realities of access to telecommunications in Africa, not everyone has access to YouTube and video technology, therefore other means of communication are included in the Africa Conversation: email, message boards on the actual website, SMSing and voicemail messaging.
”Cellphones are much more accessible in Africa, rather than video or the internet,” Cusworth says. ”To make people aware of [the initiative], we are hopefully going to have it announced on a number of African radio stations, also because they are more accessible.”
Feedback
Given the limited amount of time at the actual summit, not all concerns will be addressed, but Cusworth is positive the public feedback will be key.
”We are already reaching governments and the business sector, but we need to include civil society and the public sector more,” he says. ”The forum usually has more of a business angle. But this is an opportunity for business and government to engage with other sectors. This is the beginning [of that engagement].”
Cusworth says the Davos Conversation garnered much public attention for the WEF. ”The site for the Davos Conversation had more traffic than the actual forum’s website … The participants and the leaders themselves were happy addressing the issues … It was very successful,” he says.
Calling the Africa Conversation ”a brilliant idea indeed”, South African government spokesperson Themba Maseko says ”it will give ordinary citizens of the continent and the world the opportunity to influence and shape the agenda of the forum”.
”The South African government supports the idea of greater and increased contact between leaders and citizens … I believe that this platform will ensure that the leaders can interact with and address issues that are of concern to ordinary citizens,” he says.
Says Cusworth: ”This will work if we can get the message out to a great number of people; its success depends on that.”