A CONSULTATION ON RELIGION AND MEDIA IN AFRICA
 
Sponsors:  International Study Commission on Media, Religion and Culture

Consultation Program Director: Professor Rosalind I. J. Hackett, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Location: Accra, Ghana ( Ghana Institute of Management and Public
Adminstration (GIMPA) Greenhill,  Achimota) [close to University of Ghana, Legon]

Date:  May 20-27, 2000

 
Kente cloth, Ghana

  The International Study Commission on Media, Religion, and Culture is intended to facilitate continuing dialogue and to stimulate and support both scholarship and media production in the area (for further details and core members, see Website below).  Following meetings in Denver and Uppsala, the Commission has identified four core issues for consideration:

                         1.In what ways can we say that the media have come to occupy  the       spaces traditionally occupied by religion?
                                What religious functions do media fulfill?
                                What are the new forms of spirituality that are emerging?
                                Where/how is transcendence found or experienced?
                                What are the means of meaning-making?

                         2.What is the relationship of religious authority to modes of
                            symbolic practice?
                                Is there a necessary or historic relationship between authority and
                                certain modes of symbolic practice, such as the linear modes?
                                Are the visual modes inherently threatening to authority? If so, what
                                kinds of authority? Where? Whose?
                                What are the prospects of religious authority and its practices of
                                legitimation as a consequence of these conditions?

                         3.How must we re-think the relationship between religion and
                                the media?
                                How does the new situation call into question former dichotomies of
                                sacred and profane spheres, "good" vs "bad" media, etc?
                                How does the new situation call into question the traditional
                                "instrumental" understanding of media which has been supported:
                                many media production activities of the churches; media reform
                                activism of various kinds; and the so-called "media literacy"
                                movement?

                         4.What does this new situation imply about epistemology?
                                Does it call for new epistemologies in order to account for it?
                                Is the new situation indicative of changed epistemologies
                                in general?
                                That is, that the whole way we think about reality has now
                                been altered.
                                What is the relation of media practice to epistemology (i.e., are the
                                postmodernists right in claiming that the changed epistemology
                                of the postmodern is a consequence of the media)?

Proposal:
The Commission is keen to include Africa within the ambit of its work.  The consultation in Ghana, therefore, aims to assemble experts in the area of religion and media in Africa to discuss their research, stimulate theoretical thinking in the field (up until now dominated by Western-based scholarship), and to address the concerns and questions of practitioners (e.g. media specialists in religious institutions, church authorities, in or dealing with Africa, etc.)
 
The participants will consist of academic experts (international, regional, local), local media producers, broadcasters and filmmakers, and church leaders and officials.  They will come mainly from or be specialists of the West African region, notably Ghana and Nigeria.  This is because of the interest and significance of the lively media scene in this region, as well as for logistical reasons.

The format of the program will consist of academic presentations on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, followed by ample question time.  These will be short and accompanied by pre-circulated abstracts and draft papers.  Visits to/from local film/video producers, radio broadcasters, and church leaders, etc. will take place in the afternoons (Mon-Wed).  Thursday will consist of a trip to the Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre for Mission Research and Applied Theology, just outside of Accra, with a stops at the University of Ghana, and Trinity College on the way out and at the Aburi Royal Botanical Garden on the way back.  Friday will be devoted to closing exchanges between presenters and Commission members.  There will also be a visit to the International Central Gospel Church, Accra for a Sunday service.  The evenings will be devoted to informal discussions. 

Local Coordinators:
Fr. Joseph Ateba   Executive Secretary of CEPAC (communications secretariat) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference (SECAM) of Africa and Madagascar, Accra
Benedcict Assorow, Executive Secretary,  Department of Social Communications (DEPSOCOM), National Catholic Secretariat, Accra
 

 Invited Participants:
Rev. Kwabena Johnson Asamoah-Gyadu [Ghana; Methodist pastor, theology, media; Trinity Theological College, Legon, Ghana]

Professor Karin Barber*^  [Nigeria, Africa gen.; oral literature/popular culture; Centre of West African Studies, University of Birmingham, U.K.]

Dr. T.K. Biaya   [Democratic Republic of Congo, anthropology/history/religious studies; CODESRIA, Dakar, Senegal]

Professor Louise Bourgault  [Media in Africa; communications; Northern Michigan Univ., USA]

Professor Hakeem Danmole*^ [Nigeria, history, Islam; University of Ilorin, Nigeria]

Professor Rosalind I.J. Hackett^ [Nigeria, Ghana; religious studies/anthropology, pentecostal/charismatic movements; University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA]

Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah [Nigeria, priest, columnist and author; General Secretary of Nigerian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lagos, Nigeria]

Dr. Brian Larkin^   [Nigeria, anthropology, Islam, Barnard College, US]

Dr. Birgit Meyer^   [Ghana; anthropologist, popular culture; Institute for Religion and Society, Amsterdam, Netherlands]

Dr. Matthews A. Ojo*^  [Nigeria, religious studies/church history, pentecostal/charismatic movements; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria]

Franklyn-Kennedy Ukah*^  [Nigeria, religious studies/sociology, field researcher; University of Ibadan, Nigeria]

Mitch Odero   [Kenya, former journalist/editor, now Director of Communications at All-Africa Conference of Churches, Nairobi]

OCIC (Organisation Catholique Internationale du Cinema et de l'Audiovisuel) participant [still to be determined]

International Study Commission Members
Professor Stewart Hoover  [Media and religion, US/general; Dean, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA]
Mr. Adán Medrano   [President, JM Communications, Houston, TX; video and website producer, consultant in religious communication]
Dr. David Morgan   [Visual religion; Art history, Valparaiso Univ., USA]

* indicates those who form part of the joint School of Oriental and African Studies, Univ of London/Centre of West African Studies, Univ of Birmingham project on `The Role of the Print and Electronic Media in the Constitution of New Religious Publics in Yorubaland'   (known as the  'Yoruba Media Project' (a project on media funded by the British Academy)
^ indicates those who attended the Workshop on Religion and Media in Nigeria, Feb 25-26, 1999

Fr. Joseph Ateba   Executive Secretary of CEPAC (communications secretariat) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference (SECAM) of Africa and Madagascar, Accra

Invited Local Participants:
Dr. Elizabeth Amoah   Department of of the Study of Religion, University of Ghana, Legon [specialist on pentecostal, charismatic movements]
Professor Kofi Anyidoho  School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, Legon [director; performance and cultural theorist]
Professor Kwesi Yankah Dept. of Linguistics, University of Ghana [specialist in oral literature, advisor to campus FM station]
Dr. Africanus Aveh   School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana
Rev. Dr. Kwame Bediako  Director, Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre for Mission Research and Applied Theology [author, Presbyterian theologian]
Mr. John Collins   School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana [musician, specialist in High Life and popular culture]
Dr. Elom Dovlo    Chair, Department of the Study of Religion, University of Ghana, Legon [specialist on pentecostalism]
Dr. Tony Koomson, Lecturer, Dept. of Communications, University of Ghana [former editor of Catholic newspaper, The Standard]
Professor Mercy Amba Oduyoye, Director, African Women in Religion and Culture at Trinity College, Legon-Accra
Mr. Spencer Duncan   National Executive Director of CBN/WorldReach Ghana, founder, Leadership Development Institute  [media entrepreneur, writer, Christian lecturer]
Rev. Dr. Kingsley Larbi,  International Central Gospel Church, Accra [Vice Chancellor, Central University, pastor, PhD in Church History]
Kofi Middleton-Mends    [Head of Directing, National Film and Television Institute, Accra]
Bishop Dr. Mensa Otabil,  Founder, International Central Gospel Church, Accra [bishop, author, broadcaster]
Pastor Divine Kumah [editor, The Watchman]
Rev. Dr. Sam Wini, Christian Council of Ghana [Muslim-Christian relations specialist, writer]
Rev. George Lomotey, Ghana Broadcasting Company [in charge of religious TV]
Alban Mantey GBC [religious radio producer]
Dr. Kofi E. Quasigah, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana [expert in constitutional law and religion, human rights NGO founder, member of Eckankar, spiritual science organization]
Rev. Dr. J.O.Y. Mantey, Trinity Theological Seminary [former host of TV program "In the Light"]
Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie [editor of Christian magazine, Truth and Life, President of Ghana Journalists' Association]
Mrs Joyce Wereko-Brobbey [evangelist, Salt and Light Ministries, former Information Minister, PNDC
Dr. Sam Quarcoopome  Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon [historian, charismatic evangelist]
Dr. Brigid Sackey   Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon [anthropologist of religion, specializes on independent churches, women]
Zakaria Seebawey Institute of African Studies, Univ of Ghana [Muslim broadcaster]
Dr. Rabiatu Ammah (Dept of Study of Religion, leading Muslim woman theologian]
 Armiyawo Shaibu (M.Phil student, Dept of Study of Religion, Univ of Ghana, works for Islamic education unit, contributes to Muslim TV program, Akida, advisor to Office of Chief Imam)
 Dr. Datey Kumordzie (PhD Cologne, author of traditional culture syllabus for government, involved in African Renaissance Movement [offshoot of Afrikania Mission, traditionalist movement founded by late Father Damua], runs media outfit
 Osofo Ameve [traditionalist]
 

Subsequent Meeting in South Africa, August 5-12, 2000
  The Commission will also sponsor a Symposium at the 18th Quinquennial Congress of the International Association of the History of Religions, Durban, South Africa.  August 5-12, 2000 (see Website address below).  The theme of the Symposium will be:
  "Religion and Media: Emerging Theory and Research"
 Panel I: Religion, Medial, Local , Global  (convenor: Stewart Hoover)
 Panel II: Current Perspectives from South Africa (convenor: Ruth Teer-Tomaselli) 

Outcomes
  Book publication
  Posting of selected Africa materials on Commission Website
  Support and development of Religion and Media courses in selected Ghanaian
  and Nigerian higher educational institutions
 Creation of inter-African network of scholars of religion and media
 

General Intormation
Health for travellers to West Africa:  http://www.cdc.gov/travel/wafrica.htm

Contact:
  Professor Rosalind I. J. Hackett
  Department of Religious Studies
  501 McClung Tower
  University of Tennessee
  Knoxville, TN 37996-0450
  Tel: (865) 974-2466 (office)
         (865) 588-1562 (home)
         (865) 974-0965 (fax)
  Email: rhackett@utk.edu
  http://web.utk.edu/~rhackett

  Mr. Adán Medrano
  President, JM Communications
  3701 Kirby Drive, Suite 834
  Houston, TX 77098
  (713) 524-1382 (office)
  (713) 524-1383
  Email: adan@jmcommunications.com
  http://www.jmcommunications.com
 
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