FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
On June 10, 2019, the New York Times announced the end of the publication of press cartoons in its international edition following a controversy over a press cartoon that agitated the social media community. This event in a prestigious newspaper such as the New York Times raises questions and concerns: are we on the eve of the end of the press cartoon?
Optimism remains high given the shock reactions that followed the decision, and not only in the profession. It has had the positive effect of raising awareness of the fundamental need to inform and denounce through laughter! But the freedom of expression that press cartoonists embody has been constantly undermined and must continue to be defended. Defending it by informing, denouncing violations and educating about the importance of democracy in our world’s societies.
Five months after collaborating on UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day, the Cartooning for Peace association, a global network of press cartoonists, was invited by the Alliance Ethio-Française d’Addis Ababa (AEF) to organize a conference-debate on issues affecting the press cartoon sector : around the world, in Africa and, more particularly in Ethiopia.
Emeline Wuilbercq, correspondent from the newspaper Le Monde in Ethiopia, will moderate the conference-debate. The conference is being organized as part of the launch in Ethiopia of the educational activities of the “Cartooning for Peace and Democracy” programme, funded by the European Union and implemented in Ethiopia by Cartooning for Peace, the IICBA/UNESCO, AEF, the Addis Ababa Government Office for Education.
