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Introduction
This source book presented in a form of a question and answer, is the first in a series that will focus on a range of issues that fall under the preview of the UN-System-wide Special Initiative on Africa (UN-SIA). The SIA launched in March 1996, and focusing in areas of the highest priority in Africa’s development. The Initiative has 13 clusters ranging from urgent survival issues to general development matters. Among the goals of SIA is to develop and implement a communications strategy that will effectively advocate for Africa with emphasis on redressing the image of Africa in the international community by providing accurate, contextualized, and targeted information on African development achievements and challenges. This booklet is part of the effort to close the information gap on Africa and to generate debate on important developments in the continent and help redress the image of Africa. No doubt, it is not comprehensive and does not cover all there is on the subject.
From the inception of this endeavor the SIA secretariat in Addis Ababa has sought to listen to views and concerns of media practitioners in Africa. This healthy interaction has continued and will be encouraged at all stages of the implementation of this strategy whose immediate goal is to produce an authoritative source-book on issues of topical and pertinent interest to Africa’s development and image.
At a workshop held in October 1997 in Addis Ababa, invited journalists welcomed the idea of facilitating their work by providing accurate and timely information sources.They also backed the planned program to actively involve them in training and dissemination of ECA and SIA related news.
The material contained in this source book does not in any way represent an official stand by the ECA and is merely meant to provide information to readers in a systematic way on urgent development issues in Africa.
Any omissions as well as particular treatment of topics that you would like to see covered should be brought to the attention of the editors of this series who will gladly evaluate and act upon the suggestions. You may get in touch with us at the following address:
SIA Secretariat, ECA
P.O. Box 3001, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telephone: (251-1) 516667
Fax: (251-1) 512233
E-mail: ecasia@un.org
