Dakar - TerrAfrica hosted a four-day Orientation and Information Support Seminar for Information and Communication Officers in the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and other related government ministries for TerrAfrica Francophone member countries and Regional Economic Communities.

The seminar aimed to strengthen the ability of participants to tell a story using the right format, persuasive language and to the right audience with the appropriate aim or purpose. It was also geared toward raising the level of awareness of TerrAfrica within the Sustainable Land and Water Management, African Landscapes and Climate Change, and to enhance national systems for greater participation of the public and various constituencies in the agricultural and environment sector.

TerrAfrica has supported several communication and information sharing initiatives, from which the necessity for greater coherence in communicating SLWM and African landscapes messages across different sectors has been identified.  Consistency and harmonisation in communicating SLWM/TerrAfrica has emerged as key in fighting land degradation in Africa.

SLWM seeks nothing less than to ensure the harmonious co-existence of humankind and the natural worlds for every generation, in particular by enabling our ecosystems to continue providing the services so vital to life on earth.

The NEPAD team was lead by the TerrAfrica Project Manager, Rudo Makunike and the event was facilitated by  NEPAD Communications Officer Teko Nhlapo. Discussions ranged from the role of CSOs in SLWM, TerrAfrica Knowledge and Learning Platform, story telling practice as well as communication tools and media engagements. The seminar was the second instalment following the TerrAfrica Anglophone member countries and RECs which was held in in 2015 in Nairobi.

Source: NEPAD