KNOWLEDGE
ACTIVIST MEDIA INCUBATOR
Accountability Lab South Africa focuses on strengthening programs and becoming recognized experts in social accountability, focusing on youth participation. We’ve partnered with organizations like the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and Public Service Accountability Monitoring, supported by the European Union, to empower citizens and enhance local governance accountability. Our Civic Action Teams (CivActs) initiative operates in four areas: Finetown, Lenasia, and Mondeor in Gauteng, and Makhanda in the Eastern Cape. Community Frontline Associates (CFAs) gather information, and our Activist Media Incubator (AMI) equips locals to share it creatively, promoting community engagement.
AMI seeks to empower community action groups with media skills to effectively navigate the changing media landscape. The initiative amplifies the voices of underrepresented communities by equipping these groups with multimedia storytelling abilities and fostering collaboration with media outlets. It emphasizes the need to strategically deploy narratives and hold local administrations accountable for positive change. ALSA’s role involves allocating Media Fellows to work closely with these groups, ensuring they can continue their advocacy work independently. The goal is to execute at least four public information and advocacy campaigns, promoting collective community efforts and driving positive change.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Rhodes University Campus Radio (RMR) and Makhanda CivActs join forces in ‘People’s Hour,’ a weekly talk show addressing Makhanda’s service delivery woes, from sewage problems to the energy crisis, engaging and empowering the community.
During a three-day Activist Multimedia Incubator Boot Camp at Constitutional Hill, our fellows learned citizen journalism for social justice and honed practical skills like writing and vox pop interviews. These critical skills will help document their communities’ social accountability efforts.
Storytellers engage with local leaders and stakeholders to improve service delivery, with their contributions featured in CivActs bulletins from Accountability Lab South Africa. For example, in Finetown, their efforts prompted the creation of a mobile police station operating three times a week and increased patrolling, addressing rising crime levels.