Wikipedia

Africa No Filter

Africa No Filter (ANF) is a non-profit organization that works to challenge and change harmful narratives about Africa by amplifying authentic and diverse stories from the continent. The organization aims to shift perceptions and create a more balanced and nuanced understanding of Africa, countering stereotypes and misconceptions that often prevail in media and popular culture.

Africa No Filter
FoundedMarch 2020; 4 years ago (2020-03)
TypeNot-for-profit
PurposeShift stereotypical narratives about and within Africa
Location
Area served
Africa and the African diaspora
MethodResearch, grant-making, and advocacy
Executive Director
Moky Makura
Key people
Caroline Ndosi, Yasmin Kumi, Uche Pedro, Bogolo Kenewendo, Betelhem Dessie, Sherrie Silver
FundersFord Foundation, Luminate, Bloomberg, Open Society Foundations, Comic Relief, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Mellon Foundation, British Council
Websiteafricanofilter.org/home

By supporting and promoting African voices, creativity, and innovation, Africa No Filter seeks to reshape the narrative surrounding the continent and showcase its vibrant cultures, achievements, and potential. The organization engages in various initiatives, including media campaigns, storytelling projects, research, and collaborations with artists, creators, and organizations across Africa.[1][2]

ANF was established in May 2020 through a collaborative effort of donor organizations including the Ford Foundation, Bloomberg, Mellon Foundation, Luminate, Open Society Foundations, Comic Relief, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation.[3]

Executive Director

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Moky Makura is a thought leader and narrative and communications expert with from more than 25 years of experience in the Communications industry. She took up her role as Executive Director of ANF in March 2020.[4]

Grantmaking

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ANF grants support emerging and established artists, scholars, authors, poets, bloggers, vloggers, photographers, curators, publishers, musicians, journalists, and arts, culture and media organizations based in Africa and its diaspora who are challenging stereotypes about Africa through their work. Grants are offered directly and indirectly through intermediaries to individuals and organizations based in Africa and its diaspora.[5]

Operational Support Grants

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Operational Support Grants are open to creative hubs, narrative change organizations, media houses, festivals, galleries, digital platforms, etc., who are supporting individual storytellers. This can be through program delivery, job creation, residences, networking opportunities, training and capacity building creatives, artists, journalists etc.[6]

Capacity Building Grants

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Capacity Building Grants support the delivery of upskilling and training projects on the continent. Funding supports individuals and organizations using traditional and new media, art, innovation, tech, and creativity to challenge stereotypical narratives about Africa.[7]

Convening Grants

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Convening Grants are open to organizations and individuals that organize forums, debates, panel discussions, and dialogues with African and African diaspora speakers – including young people and subject matter experts – to generate insights on things that shape perceptions about Africa.[8]

ANF research

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Africa No Filter produces evidence-based insights on the impact of the current stereotypical narratives on the continent's development. The ANF Research Consortium consists of Facebook, AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union Commission, and The Africa Centre in New York.

Research Reports

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ANF's work is underpinned by continuous research on the impact of current stereotypical narratives on Africa's development. ANF reports include "How African Media Covers Africa", which surveyed 38 African editors and analyzed content from 60 African news outlets in 15 countries between September and October 2020. In addition, four facilitated focus groups were held with 25 editors of African media, editors of Pan African outlets and international correspondents. Results found that 63% of outlets surveyed did not have correspondents in other African countries, one-third of all coverage on Africa was from non-African sources, and that 81 percent of the stories analyzed were conflicts and crises.[9] Africa No Filter launched bird – the continent's first and only news agency focusing on stories of creativity, innovation, arts and culture, and human interest – in response to findings from the report.[10]

Fellows programs

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ANF also has research and arts programs that work with and support cohorts of narrative changemakers.

Emerging Artists Fellows Program

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The Emerging Artists Fellows Program will provide 12 exceptional creative practitioners from across Africa with mentorship, peer-to-peer skills sharing and new networks through monthly fellow-led seminars.[11]

Resources for story tellers

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The organization provides resources that include courses and handbooks, aiming to produce best practices in reporting about Africa.[12][13] Notably, How to Write About Africa in 8 Steps: An Ethical Storytelling Handbook tackles implicit biases affecting development funders, the media and western storytellers, which typically "focus on a community or individual's deficit rather than their agency" and "depict development organisations as the heroes"; conversely, ethical storytelling highlights "the successes and agency on the people in the stories".[14]

References

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  1. ^ Foundation, Moleskine (6 May 2021). "For a new storytelling of Africa". Medium. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  2. ^ "The British Council joins the movement to shift stereotypical narratives about Africa". The Maravi Post. 10 April 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  3. ^ ABOLADE, Lukman (15 September 2020). "African grant maker collaborates with UK, US funders to change African narrative". International Centre for Investigative Reporting. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  4. ^ Mogoatlhe, Lerato (18 August 2020). "Moky Makura Wants to Change the Way the World Sees Africa by Empowering Its Storytellers". Global Citizen. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  5. ^ Shumba, Ano (6 November 2020). "Call for applications: Africa No Filter grants". Music In Africa. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Operational Support Grants - Africa No Filter". africanofilter.org. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Capacity Building Grants - Africa No Filter". africanofilter.org. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Convening Grants – Africa No Filter". africanofilter.org. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  9. ^ "How influential is media in defining Africa's story?". BusinessLIVE. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  10. ^ "bird, Africa No Filter's story agency, goes live". The Guardian (Press release). Nigeria. African Media Agency. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  11. ^ Oladeji, Jonathan (7 November 2020). "Africa No Filter $7000 Emerging Scholars Fellowship program". Itanile. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  12. ^ Jala, Aliyu (18 January 2022). "New Initiative Aspires To Change Africa's Global Media Coverage Methods". Daily Trust. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Resources for story tellers". Africa No Filter. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  14. ^ Tshabalala, Neli (27 July 2021). "How to tell an African story | Jamlab". Retrieved 27 October 2021.
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