Africa Action: Activism for Africa Since 1953
KUWA: Keeping Up With Africa
"Keeping Up With Africa" was a staff program designed almost 10 years ago to promote staff education and to encourage all staff to stay current on news from Africa and on key developments in U.S. Africa policy by scheduling regular discussions on priority countries and issues. Africa Action has been holding KUWA sessions since 2002.
Once a month, Africa Action staff meets over a brownbag lunch to have an informal discussion on a key African country or issue. The subject of the discussion is selected at the end of the previous staff meeting, when the facilitator solicits suggestions and the staff votes on the topic for the next KUWA session. In general, discussion topics fall under one of three headings: 1. An issue relevant to one of our campaigns; 2. One of our five key countries; 3. An issue or country, about which we are collectively curious, or which is attracting media attention. No fewer than 2 days before the staff discussion, the Department of Policy & Communications circulates background reading on the subject, which is designed to provide everyone with some basic information to help kick-start the discussion.
At the beginning of KUWA, the DPAC point-person for that session offers a brief overview of the topic to frame the discussion, and some provocative comments or questions to start us off. Everyone is expected to participate in the discussion that follows.
Someone from DPAC takes notes on the key points of the conversation, as well as our suggestions and recommendations for U.S. policy on that country or issue. These notes are later organized into “talking points” and on this page on our website. You can download the briefings here, beginning in March 2010.
Once a month, Africa Action staff meets over a brownbag lunch to have an informal discussion on a key African country or issue. The subject of the discussion is selected at the end of the previous staff meeting, when the facilitator solicits suggestions and the staff votes on the topic for the next KUWA session. In general, discussion topics fall under one of three headings: 1. An issue relevant to one of our campaigns; 2. One of our five key countries; 3. An issue or country, about which we are collectively curious, or which is attracting media attention. No fewer than 2 days before the staff discussion, the Department of Policy & Communications circulates background reading on the subject, which is designed to provide everyone with some basic information to help kick-start the discussion.
At the beginning of KUWA, the DPAC point-person for that session offers a brief overview of the topic to frame the discussion, and some provocative comments or questions to start us off. Everyone is expected to participate in the discussion that follows.
Someone from DPAC takes notes on the key points of the conversation, as well as our suggestions and recommendations for U.S. policy on that country or issue. These notes are later organized into “talking points” and on this page on our website. You can download the briefings here, beginning in March 2010.
