For the journalists, students, civil society workers and community organisers who gathered in Nairobi just over a year ago, democracy and media in Africa were never abstract. The questions were concrete. Can people trust the information they receive during elections? Do young people and women see themselves in public debate? Can independent journalism survive a fast-changing digital environment? Those questions return to the table on 26 and 27 October 2026, when the African Union, working with International IDEA through its project Strengthening pan-African capacities for electoral observation and assistance, convenes the second edition of the Roundtable on Democracy, Media and Socialisation in Africa in Addis Ababa.
The people expected in Addis Ababa are not only officials. The Roundtable brings together representatives of media organisations, academia, civil society, youth and women’s networks, and independent media experts. Their shared task is practical: advance approaches to strengthening democratic resilience across the continent, with a specific focus on the role of the media in shaping how citizens understand and take part in democratic life.
For many participants, the timing matters. Large numbers of African countries enter major electoral cycles in 2026 and 2027, so decisions taken in Addis Ababa will land while voters, journalists and community groups are already feeling the pressures of the moment. Those pressures are familiar to anyone working on the ground: declining public trust, democratic backsliding, disinformation, shrinking civic space, digital inequality and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. The Roundtable will ask participants to assess progress since the first meeting, examine these emerging challenges, and agree on priorities for the year ahead.
Meanwhile, the gathering builds directly on the outcomes of the inaugural Roundtable held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 3 and 4 May 2025. That first meeting produced recommendations. This edition is framed as the moment to move from words into concrete action, and for the media professionals and community advocates involved, the shift matters because it determines whether the concerns raised in Nairobi translate into real support for their work, from protecting independent journalism to expanding access to credible public-interest information.
The agenda reflects the issues that touch people’s daily experience of democracy. Participants will discuss artificial intelligence, digital platforms and evolving information ecosystems, and their impact on democratic participation and public trust. They will take up media integrity, independent journalism, media literacy and access to credible public-interest information. They will address the inclusive participation of women, young people, persons with disabilities and marginalised communities, groups whose voices often determine whether an election feels like it belongs to everyone. They will also consider democratic socialisation in electoral processes, civic and voter education, and governance initiatives, alongside regional cooperation to turn dialogue into action.
The stated objectives show what the organisers hope the two days will achieve. Participants are expected to review progress since the 2025 Roundtable and identify emerging challenges, promote peer learning on strengthening democratic resilience and inclusive participation, and strengthen partnerships while establishing mechanisms to monitor progress ahead of the 2027 continental dialogue. Central to the meeting is the development of an Addis Ababa Action Roadmap covering 2026 and 2027, setting out priority initiatives, responsibilities, timelines and milestones. For civil society groups and media houses, such a roadmap could mean clearer commitments about who is responsible for what, and when.
The expected outputs follow the same practical spirit. Through expert discussions, case studies and collaborative action planning, the roundtable is expected to produce an inclusion framework for democratic socialisation, an electoral and governance engagement strategy, a partnership and collaboration mechanism, a monitoring matrix, and an Addis Ababa Communiqué setting out agreed recommendations and strategic priorities. Taken together, these outcomes are intended to advance African-led responses to evolving democratic challenges and contribute to more informed, participatory and resilient societies.
This regional thematic convening is supported through the EU-funded SPEC project, implemented by International IDEA in partnership with the African Union. Readers who want to trace the discussion back to its origins can consult the policy brief from the first roundtable, available at https://doi.org/10.31752/78492, and further details about the convening are published at https://www.idea.int/events/second-edition-roundtable-democracy-media-and-socialisation-africa.
For the people whose work depends on the outcomes, from reporters covering elections to youth organisers registering first-time voters, the Addis Ababa meeting is a test of whether regional dialogue can become regional support. The measure of success, as the organisers themselves frame it, will be whether the recommendations agreed in October 2026 hold up through the electoral seasons that follow.