Accra, Aug. 10, GNA - Ghana is to play host to a landmark International Communication conference - OURMedia 7 - that would seek to develop the key principles of alternative communication. The event, which will run from August 11 to 15 at the Kofi Annan Centre for ICT Excellence, is expected to bring together some 120 international communication experts, practitioners and grassroots activist and their Ghanaian counterparts.

Under the theme; "Identity, Inclusion, Innovation - Alternative Communication in a Globalized World", this is the first time the conference is being held in Africa, with the previous six being held in the US, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, India and Australia. OURMedia 7, founded in 2001, is a global network whose goal is to facilitate long-term dialogue between academics, activists, practitioners and policy experts around citizens' media initiatives. The main forum for the dialogue is an annual conference. The theme of OURMedia 7 develops the key principle that alternative communication needs to flourish and take hold to create alternative worlds. Participants would be discussing this topic through the presentation of relevant research papers, innovative workshops and various media.

The event is being organised by the Ghana Coordinating Committee, which members comprise the School of Communication Studies and the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon, Media Foundation for West Africa, Participatory Development Associates, PenPlusBytes and the Ghana Community Radio Network. OURMedia 7 is being supported by the Institute of Development Studies in Sussex, UK, with support from the Swiss International Development Cooperation and the Swedish International Development Agency, the Dakar-based Open Society Institute of West Africa, the Panos Institute of West Africa and the African Farm Radio Research Initiative based in Canada.

Experts attending the event include co-founder of OURMedia, Prof. Clemencia Rodriguez of the University of Oklahoma and Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron, a filmmaker and communication specialist. Others include Prof. Bu Wei of the Institute of journalism and Communication at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing and Prof. Alfred Opubor of the Centre for Media Education and Development and founding Director of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos Nigeria.

The highlight of OURMedia 7 is a new creative piece by Ghanaian poet, Prof. Kofi Anyidoho and Director of the African Humanities Programme at the University of Ghana. 10 Aug. 08