DW Akademie in Côte d'Ivoire

DW Akademie has been active in Côte d'Ivoire since early 2019. The violent political crisis in this West African country officially ended in 2011 but has still not been fully addressed. Tensions further increased ahead of the presidential elections in October 2020. The media sector continues to be polarized and politicized, making independent reporting difficult.

The Ivorian population lacks opportunities to freely express opinions and obtain reliable information. As in many African countries, youth here make up the largest segment of the population. This, however, is not reflected in the media content or programming, and few formats exist that take young people's interests into account. DW Akademie and local partners aim to change this.

Our activities

In spring 2019, DW Akademie began training young promoters of Media and Information Literacy (MIL). The first workshop looked at how to check media sources and raise awareness about disinformation and the role of clickbaits and social bots.

Another focus is to sensitize young participants in dealing with online hate speech and forms of radicalization. Together with the Centre d'Education pour une Société Durable (Education Center for a Sustainable Society), DW Akademie has been holding workshops on-site and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, online. As the project develops, trainees will share newly acquired skills with young Ivorians throughout the country to promote critical media consumption.

DW Akademie also supports MIL in the neighboring countries Burkina Faso and Ghana. The aim is for stakeholders from all three countries to network and create synergies as part of DW Akademie's Idea Labs, a structured creative brainstorming process.

DW Akademie is active in various regions, bringing together citizens with media representatives and public officials. For this, a network of female Ivorian journalists and communication experts – Réseau des femmes journalists et des professionelles da la communication de Côte d'Ivoire  (RéFJPCI) – is developing public discussion formats, focusing on multigenerational exchange and the advancement of women.

In the Facebook group "Côte d'Ivoire: Et si on en parlait?" (Côte d'Ivoire: Let’s talk about it) more than 80 DW Akademie alumni members exchange views on social and political issues. In regular video conferences and discussion rounds with experts, members discuss topics that move young Ivorians.

Studio Mozaik, a journalism school, also focuses on young people. Under the motto "Esprit Jeunes, Esprit de Paix" (Youth Spirit, Spirit of Peace), and with DW Akademie support, Studio Mozaik works with youth organizations, civil society associations and radio stations to produce and distribute media content made by and for young people. An editorial team with alumni members produces regional radio reports that focus on youth-related topics, while the school's event series "Espaces de Dialogue" (Spaces for Dialogue) encourages young Ivorians to speak out and discuss their views.

Funding: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), European Union (EU)

Program Director: Thomas Mösch

Locations: Côte d'Ivoire

Local partners: Studio Mozaik, Centre d'Education pour une Société Durable (Centre ESD),

Réseau des femmes journalistes et des professionnelles de la communication de Côte d'Ivoire (ReFJPCI)

Focus: Media and Information Literacy (MIL), social dialogue, mulitmedia journalism training