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�Africachinareporting.com

Africachinatraining.com

THE AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT (ACRP)

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• Based at the Wits Centre for Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa; operational since 2009.

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• Aim to improve the quality of reporting on African & Africa-China relations by providing facilitation and capacity building for journalists and researchers

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• Offers reporting grants, skills training workshops, reporting resources and other opportunities to journalists and researchers

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• Amplify Africa’s perspectives to enhance its development

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• Shaped into a networking hub for professionals from over 33 African countries, and over 20 countries internationally.

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THE WITS CENTRE FOR JOURNALISM (WCJ)

REPORTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA INITIATIVE��Nairobi Workshop - Applicant Countries in Africa

• Algeria,
• Cote d’Ivoire,
• Ethiopia,
• Uganda,
• Nigeria,
• Tanzania,
• Morocco,
• Zimbabwe,
• Lesotho,
• Zambia,
• Burundi,
• Somalia,
• Liberia,
• Togo, DRC,
• South Sudan,
• Ghana,
• South Africa,
• Malawi,
• Rwanda,
• Cameroon,
• Namibia,
• Benin,
• Madagascar,
• eSwatini,
• Egypt

REPORTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA INITIATIVE �Workshops

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REPORTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA INITIATIVE ��Johannesburg Workshop, 1 November 2024

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• The Workshop saw engagements between trainers and expert representatives, and participants from a range of countries including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and China, furthermore, the Workshop was attended by online participants joining from countries including Tanzania, Malawi, Lesotho, Zambia, Cameroon and Uganda,
• https://youtu.be/rwlAenWxw2s

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Media impact in training and resources for reporting climate change, and the climate crisis in Africa

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1. Free Online 6-part course (MOOC) on Reporting Climate Change in Africa – climate reporting course for African journalists

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• Climate Reporting Toolkit Africa

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• Reporting Grants x10 – to highlight under-reported climate issues, voices and African solutions. Grantees from Botswana, Burundi, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

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• Training Workshops
• University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits University), South Africa, 1 November 2024 (and online)
• Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya, 21 February 2025

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ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: Reporting Climate Change and the Climate Crisis in Africa

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Media impact in training and resources for reporting climate change, and the climate crisis in Africa

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• Reporting Grant publications at https://africachinareporting.com/ and https://dialogue.earth/en/

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ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: Reporting Climate Change and the Climate Crisis in Africa

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Media impact in training and resources for reporting climate change, and the climate crisis in Africa

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• Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition Reporting Workshop, 22-23 November 2023
• Journalists Training Workshop and Reporting Grants, on Africa-China Relations and the Climate Crisis, 27 July 2022

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ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: Reporting Climate Change and the Climate Crisis in Africa

REPORTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA INITIATIVE �Workshops

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CONTENTS

• The Africa-China Reporting Project
• Journalists Challenges and Experiences Reporting
• ACRP Journalism Training & Initiatives
• How to Write a Winning Proposal
• ACRP Journalists Resources

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1. �THE AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT (ACRP)

THE AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT (ACRP)

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• Based at the Wits Centre for Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa; operational since 2009.

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• Aim to improve the quality of reporting on African & Africa-China relations by providing facilitation and capacity building for journalists and researchers

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• Offers reporting grants, skills training workshops, reporting resources and other opportunities to journalists and researchers

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• Amplify Africa’s perspectives to enhance its development

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• Shaped into a networking hub for professionals from over 33 African countries, and over 20 countries internationally.

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Training, Engagements & Reporting topics:

• Wildlife Poaching & Trafficking,
• Public Health Systems in Africa,
• Industrialisation, Trade & Investments
• Climate Change & the Energy Crisis,
• Digital Identity, Data & Technology in Africa,
• Africa and Southeast Asia’s experiences with China,
• US and China Engagements in Africa,
• FOCAC, BRI, GDI
• Critical Minerals & Energy Transition

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Training Workshops in:

• South Africa,
• China,
• Nigeria,
• Malawi,
• Zimbabwe,
• Ethiopia,
• Côte d’Ivoire, and
• Tunisia

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Language impact:

• English, French, Mandarin and Arabic.

THE AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT (ACRP)

ACRP ACHIEVEMENTS 2009-2023

400+ grants disbursed to journalists: Reporting grants, Themed grants, Investigative grants, Audio-visual grants.

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600+ journalists trained and provided skills development in online training as well as workshops in South Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tunisia.

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Network of journalists and researchers around Africa and China.

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Networking hub for policymakers, business people, journalists, academia and other organisations .

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Engagement of Anglophone Africa, Francophone Africa, and North Africa and Arabic reporting. Media impact in English, French, Chinese and Arabic.

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AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT NETWORK MAPPING – IMPACT IN AFRICA

The Wits Africa-China Reporting Project is guided by the African Union geoscheme for Africa, defined by the OAU, 1976, in the representation of African countries into the five regions of North, West, Central, East and Southern Africa.

AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT NETWORK MAPPING – AFRICAN REGIONS

AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT NETWORK MAPPING – ASIA REGION

AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING PROJECT NETWORK MAPPING – INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

ACRP IMPACT MAPPING

ACRP IMPACT MAPPING

ACRP IMPACT MAPPING

ACRP IMPACT MAPPING

ACRP IMPACT MAPPING

ACRP IMPACT MAPPING

ACRP IMPACT MAPPING

http://164.90.178.108/

2. �JOURNALISTS CHALLENGES AND EXPERIENCES REPORTING

JOURNALISTS’ CHALLENGES AND EXPERIENCES REPORTING CHINA-AFRICA RELATIONS

• Project survey – between 2010 and 2017
• Respondents from 14 countries:
• Zimbabwe
• Uganda
• Cameroon
• South Africa
• Malawi
• Kenya
• Togo
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Sierra Leonne
• Tanzania
• Zambia
• China
• UK
• USA

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Survey findings:

1. Socio-Cultural Barriers
2. Limited Information and Access to Sources
3. Financial constrains and limited resources
4. Reflections of Impacts of their publications

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CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES IN AFRICA-CHINA REPORTING, JOURNALISM, MEDIA & RESEARCH

CHALLENGES

• Lack of adequate knowledge and understanding on Africa-China relations
• Lack of community-by-community reports, ground level perspectives and African perspectives
• Prevailing dominating narratives and biases on China in Africa
• Limited resources, funding and support to media professionals, and researchers
• Sustainability crisis facing journalism and society
• Limited access to information – paywalls and subscriptions
• Online and field reporting challenges

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RESPONSES

• Provision of capacity building, training workshops and informative resources and opportunities
• Provision of reporting grants and research grants
• Provision of educational tools and resources
• Provision of media sustainability for journalism business and education
• Focus on Africa and African and Global South professionals to enhance its development
• Effective engagement and support to ACRP Network for enhanced impact

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3. �ACRP JOURNALISM TRAINING & INITIATIVES

ACRP JOURNALISM TRAINING WORKSHOPS

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• African Journalists Reporting Tour to Mainland China (China)

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• African Industrialisation Workshop (South Africa)
• African Journalism Workshop for Chinese Journalists (South Africa)

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• Cross-border Poaching & Trafficking Investigation (with visits to Hong Kong)
• Media Workshop on Reporting Africa-China Engagements (Ethiopia)
• Africa-China Reporting Workshop & Fieldwork Project (South Africa)

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• Francophone Africa & China Journalism Training Workshop (Côte d’Ivoire)

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• Wildlife Poaching & Trafficking Journalism Training Workshop (South Africa)
• ACRP Workshop on Digital Identity, Data & Technology in Africa (South Africa)

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• Online Environmental Journalism Training Workshop

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• Workshop on Digital Identity, Data & Technology in Africa (Nigeria)
• Journalism Capacity Building Workshop (Malawi)
• Journalism Capacity Building Workshop (Zimbabwe)
• Virtual Journalism Workshop on Chinese Overseas Lending

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• Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (Nigeria)
• North Africa-China Journalism Training Workshop, 5-6 July 2022
• Online Training Workshop on Reporting on China-Africa relations and the Climate Crisis
• African Women in Media Conference, Fes, Morocco

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2015

2016

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2017

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2018

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2019

2020

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2021

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2022

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ACRP JOURNALISM TRAINING WORKSHOPS cont.

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• Writing for Impact Workshop, Johannesburg, (South Africa)
• Webinar: Intercepting Data and Data Sources on Africa-China relations
• Webinar: Connaitre la Chine: Un atelier pour les journalistes africains - Knowing China: A Workshop for African Journalists
• Webinar: Knowledge on China: A Workshop for African Journalists
• Webinar: China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Africa’s Developmental Future

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2023

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ACRP EVENTS, NETWORKING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Annual Africa-China Journalism Forum (AIJC)

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• China-Africa Wildlife Cooperation Forum

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• Sino-South Africa Business and Journalism Seminar

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• Symposium on a Common Integrated African Policy On China

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• First South Africa-China Dialogue
• Africa-China Wildlife Conservation Conference
• Second South Africa-China Dialogue
• Open Forum – UNGA 73, the UN and Global Powers in Africa
• Belt & Road Conference
• Africa-China Photo Exhibition

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• Open Forum – Key Voices on Digital Identity and Data Privacy in Africa

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• Series of journalism training webinars

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• The Africa-China Reporting Project in the China-South Africa Youth Dialogue, Wits School of Governance (WSG)
• The Africa-China Reporting Project in the South Africa-China Women's Forum: Women Together for a Shared Future

2012-2022

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2017

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2018

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2019

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2020-2021

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2023

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ACRP HYBRID TRAINING STRATEGY 2019- 2023 WEBINARS

ACRP INVESTIGATIONS: ASSESSING AFRICA’S ENGAGEMENT WITH CHINA FROM ACROSS THE CONTINENT

ACRP RESEARCH: INCISIVE REPORTS ON AFRICA-ENGAGEMENT FROM A RANGE OF SCHOLARS

ACRP TRAINING LEADING TO MEDIA IMPACT

Journalism Capacity Building Workshop in Malawi (2021)

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Malawi Farmers under-utilizing Chinese funded Cotton ginneries. By Draxon Maloya (The Maravi Post)

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Journalism Capacity Building Workshop in Zimbabwe (2021)

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‘Forgotten and forsaken’, Marange’s displaced start trekking back home. By Kenneth Matimaire (The Standard)

ACRP TRAINING LEADING TO MEDIA AWARDS (I)

Chinese journalist wins environmental award for Namibia poaching exposé (2016)

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By Shi Yi, Oxpeckers (2015 Journalist of the Year Award at the 2016 China Environmental Press Awards/ Exposed a booming black market in wildlife products)

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WC-ARP-funded article wins SOPA award (2015)

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By Jenni Marsh, South China Morning Post awarded a Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for 'Excellence in Feature Writing' for her article about Afro-Chinese marriages in Guangzhou, "Till death do us part?"

ACRP TRAINING LEADING TO MEDIA AWARDS (II)

How years of underfunding the health sector affected Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 (2021)

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By Justice Nwafor, Nigerian Tribune (Awarded by Nigeria Health Watch: Prevent Epidemics Nigeria Journalism Award in the Print/Digital News category , January 2021)

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Nigeria: Chinese Firms Flout Labour Laws (2022)

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By Sodiq Ojuroungbe, recognised by GIJN (Global Investigative Journalism Network) as one of the top stories for June, 2022

ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: WILDLIFE POACHING & TRAFFICKING

Fellowship for Huang Hongxiang and another Chinese journalist in Nelspruit. Huang’s resulting work on rhino poaching draws reaction from the Chinese Embassy.

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Huang Hongxiang sets up the NGO China House in Kenya to undertake wildlife conservation activities among Chinese communities in Africa.

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ACRP, China House and partners hold the Africa-China Wildlife Cooperation Forum at Wits University, culminating in declaration submitted to FOCAC Secretariat.

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ACRP grantee Shi Yi reports on wildlife trafficking in Namibia, wins Journalist of the Year Award for 2015 at the China Environmental Press Awards.

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ACRP grantee John Grobler reports on rhino poaching in Namibia, wins the Environment Award at the CNN Multichoice African Journalist Awards.

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ACRP workshop participant Crystal Chow reports on abalone poaching, wins Environment Story Merit Award at Asian Environmental Journalism Awards.

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ACRP Cross-border Poaching & Trafficking Investigation results in ground-breaking investigation on pangolin trafficking from Africa to Asia.

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ACRP, China House and partners hold the Africa-China Wildlife Conservation Conference at Wits University, with donations for conservation from the local Chinese community.

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ACRP, WWF and VukaNow hold the Wildlife Poaching & Trafficking Journalists Training Workshop at the Southern African Wildlife College.

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ACRP and China Dialogue hold the Online Environmental Journalism Training Workshop.

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2019

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2020

ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTING, EMPOWERING AFRICAN VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES

In 2020-2021 the ACRP awarded 31 reporting grants to journalists from across Africa to investigate how African countries were being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Africa-China relations.

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The resulting investigations included:

Ghanaian engineers racing to build the country’s first low-cost ventilators

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Mombasa County leads the way in fight against COVID-19 in Kenya

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The key role played by the media in shaping public perception on COVID-19 in Sierra Leone

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Youth in Kenya at the forefront of COVID–19 prevention

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How China’s COVID-19 medical aid mitigated a health tragedy in Cameroon’s overcrowded prisons

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How years of underfunding the health sector affected Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 (Winner of the #PreventEpidemicsNaija Journalism Award)

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ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTING, EMPOWERING AFRICAN VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES

Digital Identity, Data & Technology in Africa: Impact of two Pan-African journalism workshops and investigations published in 2019 and 2021

Trailblazers 2015: Best of the China-Africa Reporting Project

ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: ACRP BOOK PUBLICATION SERIES

REPORT: The ACRP in the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF22), Lagos, Nigeria. 27-28 April 2022

ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: Digital ID, Data & Tech in Africa

Resources:

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2021 Journalism Workshop on Digital Identity, Data & Technology in Africa resources:

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• Digital Rights 101
• Introduction to Digital Rights - Digital Policy advocacy
• Privacy Rights in the Digital Age (Global, Regional and National)
• Women's Rights Online
• Effective Advocacy Communication
• Global Disinformation Index - Media Market Risk Ratings: Nigeria
• Developing Issues on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights
• Business and Human Rights in the Digital Environment
• Collaborative Intervention for Digital Rights Violations
• Digital Rights Academy - Digital Security
• Data Protection and Digital Identity in Nigeria
• Digital Rights Activism - The Role of Legislation, Litigation and Judiciary
• Legal Landscape for Digital Rights in Nigeria
• Litigating Digital Rights Using Regional and Sub Regional Systems
• Digital Inclusion for Disadvantaged Groups (Persons with Disabilities)
• Digital Inclusion for Disadvantaged Groups (Persons with Disabilities) II
• Digital Rights Academy banner

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2019 Journalism Workshop on Digital Identity, Data & Technology in Africa resources:

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• Digital Identity, Data and Technology Workshop - Full Programme
• Yu-Shan Wu - Main themes: Open Forum - Key Voices on Digital Identity and Data Privacy in Africa
• Thea Anderson, Policy Director, Omidyar Network - Omidyar Network Unpacks Good ID
• Kim Dancey, Head Payments Risk, FirstRand Rest of Africa and India - Knowing Me
• Professor Keith Breckenridge, Wits Institute For Social & Economic Research - Colonial rule, the registration deficit and the promises and perils of digital identity
• Grace Mutung’u, Associate, Kenya ICT Action Network - Datafication in Africa - Social progress or controls?
• Professor Jonathan Klaaren, Wits Institute For Social & Economic Research - Ten Legal Tools for Reporting on Digital Identity
• Grace Mutung'u, Associate, Kenya ICT Action Network - Digitalisation in Africa
• African Union - Draft Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020-2030)
• Dr John Carneson, Former head of policy, strategy, planning and evaluation at South African Home Affairs - Case study: Department of Home Affairs Repositioning White Paper

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ACRP IMPACT CASE STUDY: Digital ID, Data & Tech in Africa

ACRP JOURNALISTS RESOURCES: africachinareporting.com

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ACRP JOURNALISTS RESOURCES: africachinatraining.com

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4. �HOW TO WRITE A WINNING PROPOSAL - GUIDELINES

REPORTING GRANT PROPOSAL - GUIDELINES�

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• Requirements of the Africa-China Reporting Project (ACRP):
• Relevant
• Focused
• Detailed and thorough
• Story vs Issue (the art of storytelling- unassumed knowledge)
• Clear methodology
• Justifiable budget
• Supporting documents – why you

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WRITING A REPORTING PROPOSAL - GUIDELINES�

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• What is required in a reporting grant proposal:
• Targeted audience & protagonist(s)
• Well researched – (with sources for evidence & access)
• Written logically
• Feasibility – (methodology versus budget)
• Risks
• Positionality
• Clearly and fully presented
• Incl. references, digital tech, AI, data, storage, innovative aspects
• Met on deadline

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DISCUSSION: PROPOSAL TOPIC EXAMPLES

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SHAPING GLOBAL DESTINY WITH REALISTIC DIGITAL TECH POLICIES FOR AFRICA

Game Development on Urban Planning and Climate Justice in Africa and the Global South

Investigating the Impact of Climate Change on Women's Mental Health in Dadaab Refugee Camps, Kenya

Effects of Climate change to women, children and other under-represented community members in Burundi with special cases of the North-East areas and the Gabaniro terrible landslides in April 2024 and the Gatumb

How Ugandan Farmers Are Benefiting from Africa-Chinese Relations amid Climate Change

Farmers rob banks due to climate poverty

RESOURCES – GRANT MAKING ORGS/INSTITUTIONS

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Grant making organisations:

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• Pulitzer Centre
• Oxpeckers
• Africa Uncensored
• Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ)
• Henry Nxumalo Foundation
• Dialogue Earth
• China-Global South Project
• Wits Africa-China Reporting Project
• Chinese in Africa Research Network (CA/AC)

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Reporting Proposals & Journalistic Writing:

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• Journalistic Writing Tools and Review by Desmond Latham
• How to Prepare A Good Proposal Webinar
• How to prepare a good proposal presentation 
• Guidance on preparing reporting proposals by Africa-China Reporting Project
• Data journalism and data visualisation by Malek Khadhraoui
• Cyber Security by Ghaith Hammadi

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ACRP JOURNALISTS RESOURCES

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Africa-China Organisations:

• The China Global South Project
• Projet Afrique Chine
• Akhbaralsin-Africia
• China Africa Research Initiative SAIS-CARI
• Global Development Policy Centre
• AidData
• Africa-China Reporting Project: https://africachinareporting.com/

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African Think-tank & Research organisations:

• Afro-Sino Centre of International Relations
• South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)
• Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD)

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Climate & Environmental bodies:

• Green Finance & Development Centre
• Global China House
• Dialogue Earth

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Newsletters, Podcasts, Consulting firms:

• Sup China/The China Project
• Discourse Power
• Bridge Beijing
• The China Africa Podcast: https://chinaglobalsouth.com/

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Global-African Journalism & Research Networks:

• Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
• African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC)
• Chinese in Africa/Africans in China Research Network (CAAC)
• Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism
• Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
• International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)

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Investigative Journalism Hubs in Africa:

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• Center for Investigative Journalism (Uganda)
• Center for Investigative Journalism (Malawi)
• the East African Center for Investigative Reporting (Vox Populi)
• Ikweli (Mozambique)
• iWatch Africa (Ghana)
• MNN (Lesotho)
• Museba Journalism Project (Cameroon)
• Peace for Conservation (Tanzania)
• New Narratives (Liberia)
• Paradigm Initiative (Nigeria)
• Information for Development Trust (Zimbabwe)
• Inkyfada (Tunisia)
• Mapping on investigative journalism hubs in Africa

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Popular Media Houses in Africa & China:

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• China Daily – China diplomacy
• China Dialogue – environment, climate, biodiversity
• Ta Kung Pao – Chinese language newspaper
• The Conversation - Academic rigour, journalistic flair
• South China Morning Post – HK, China, Asia & the World news
• Foreign Policy (FP) – news, analysis, newsletter, podcast
• Chine-Magazine – news and info about China in French
• Daily Monitor – Uganda
• Front Page Africa
• Zimbabwe Independent
• Journal du Cameroon
• Citi Newsroom – Ghana
• The Insider South Sudan
• The Guardian Post – Cameroon newspaper
• The East African
• Premium Times – Nigeria news agency
• Cameroon News Agency
• Nyasa Times – Malawi news agency
• The Marawi Post – Malawi news publication
• Talk Africa
• Africa Times

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ACRP PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS

Online dissemination and training:

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Facilitation and capacity-building:

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REPORTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA WORKSHOP SURVEY

Please complete the Workshop Survey at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKd2M9CmBB-ZKhL14XNEkiEUnBuI_aSrvthNE983l8JmJNhg/viewform?usp=sf_link