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Drums were a common source of conveying information in traditional African Society.It is therefore fitting that the drum is being used as the symbol for Africa's innagural bloggers conference and initiative dubbed "Kelele" which is a swahili word for "a Shout" or "noise".
The event is for the moment being co-ordinated by some of the ingenious Kenyan bloggers and web aps developers.The Kelele Annual African Bloggers Conference that will basically be owned and run by African bloggers.The first African bloggers conference will be held next year August 13 to 16, 2009. Kelele is an initiative being spearheaded by Kenyans(among other African bloggers and Citizen Journalists) but poised to have a wider African appeal as the conference will be hosted by different African cities on an annual basis.
The idea is noble but when it comes to sponsorship... there is often a big let down from indigenous African Companies.From practice i have witnessed that mainly foreign companies host or sponsor this events with little input from the locals.I hope this time... it will be different! The corporates need to embrace the power of the internet as a powerful medium for communicating vital information.
The Kelele website is live and running at http://www.kelele.org. The concept behind Kelele is captured by the following words at the website:
"Kelele is the Kiswahili word for noise. We are organizing a gathering of African bloggers in the tradition of historical African societies where everyone has a voice. With too many voices marginalized or simply ignored in Africa society today for a variety of reasons we believe that the internet in general and grassroots media tools such as blogs in particular represent the most powerful way in which to give Africans back their voice. We are gathering to make a powerful, positive, inspirational noise that will be heard across the continent and beyond. KELELE!"
May this noble idea reach ultimate fruition...thanks to the Kelele team. (Courtesy of http://siku-moja.blogspot.com/2008/10/kelele-african-bloggers-conference.html0)
