Pulitzer Center Update September 8, 2026
Young Ethiopians Reimagine the Nile's Future Through Journalism and Digital Storytelling
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From late 2025 through early 2026, EMMA Radio and TV brought together young people, journalists, researchers, civil society actors, and regional experts through webinars, an in-person dialogue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and a digital storytelling competition to explore one of the continent’s most complex shared resources: the Nile.
Supported by the Pulitzer Center, the initiative, “Voices Against Resistance: Youth Engagement on Nile Basin Dialogue through Media and Digital Platforms,” used journalism as a starting point for young people to question dominant narratives, examine competing perspectives, and imagine new possibilities for cooperation across the Nile Basin.
At the center of the project was Pulitzer Center-supported reporting by journalist Ann Neumann, whose investigation into hydropower, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and the politics surrounding the Nile provided participants with a human-centered entry point into an issue often dominated by technical and political debates.
Putting youth at the center of the conversation
The project was designed not simply to inform young people, but to give them an opportunity to become contributors to the conversation. A series of three regional webinars brought together experts from countries including Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. The sessions created a platform for participants to examine the Nile from multiple national and disciplinary perspectives, discussing climate impacts, governance, innovation, hydropower, and regional cooperation.
The in-person dialogue complemented these conversations by giving participants space to exchange personal reflections, debate ideas in smaller groups, and engage directly with experts. This approach challenged the idea of young people as passive consumers of information. Instead, participants were encouraged to become knowledge producers and storytellers, translating complex regional questions into accessible narratives for wider audiences.
For some participants, the experience also sparked an interest in building stronger connections across borders. Discussions around the Nile generated spontaneous interest in creating youth dialogue networks that could continue conversations beyond the project itself.
Journalism as a bridge to regional dialogue
The project also highlighted the power of journalism to make complex policy issues accessible. The Pulitzer Center-supported reporting gave participants evidence and human perspectives that could serve as a foundation for discussion. By connecting investigative reporting with youth dialogue and creative storytelling, EMMA Radio & TV transformed the story from something to be read into something to be debated, interpreted, and reimagined.
The approach also reinforced the importance of evidence-based public discourse at a time when social media can rapidly amplify both accurate information and misinformation. For young storytellers, engaging with the reporting offered an opportunity to develop not only their understanding of the Nile, but also their ability to communicate responsibly about politically and socially sensitive issues.
When journalism becomes a starting point for creativity
The project’s digital storytelling competition took the engagement one step further. Young participants were invited to interpret its themes through their own creative work. Using platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, they explored questions around hydropower, national identity, diplomacy, climate change, misinformation, and the future of the Nile. More than 180 multimedia outputs were generated through the digital engagement component, extending the conversation beyond the physical workshop and webinars.
The content showed the diversity of ways in which young people understood the Nile. Some creators focused on hydropower as a symbol of national development and energy security. Others explored environmental concerns and the effects of climate variability on communities that depend on the river. Several addressed water diplomacy and encouraged cooperation between upstream and downstream countries. Other participants turned their attention to the role of information itself. Their videos examined misinformation and information warfare surrounding the Nile, questioning how rumors, political messaging, media framing, and competing narratives can influence public opinion and intensify regional tensions.
The contest
The competition’s winning entries illustrated how differently young people can interpret the same regional challenge.
- Hanna Kefale, who took first place, used three creative works to explore political leadership, people-to-people diplomacy, cooperation among Nile Basin countries, and the role of youth in shaping the region’s future. Her work emphasized that meaningful progress cannot be measured only through infrastructure: Relationships and dialogue between people and countries matter, too.
- Abraham Hailu, who placed second, examined how media narratives have shaped perceptions of the Nile over time. His work also explored Ethiopia’s self-funded approach to the GERD and the influence of international actors on Nile politics. This highlighted the connection between development, nationalism, and storytelling.
- Simeneh Emiru, who placed third, focused on misinformation and information warfare. His work explored how narratives, rumors, and political messaging can influence public perceptions of the Nile and contribute to regional tensions.
From consumers of information to civic storytellers
The digital contest also placed a strong emphasis on media literacy. Participants were encouraged to use evidence, verify information, and communicate complex issues responsibly. This was particularly important given the politically sensitive nature of Nile Basin debates, where misinformation can deepen mistrust and reinforce polarized narratives.
The evaluation process assessed submissions based on creativity, relevance to the Pulitzer Center-supported story, accuracy, and potential impact. This meant that participants weren't rewarded simply for producing engaging content. They were also expected to show an understanding of the issues, connect their work to credible reporting, and contribute constructively to public dialogue.
The result was a growing collection of youth-produced content that translated complex questions about hydropower and water diplomacy into accessible public narratives. Some participants explored the relationship between energy and rural development. Others connected electrification to education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and gender empowerment. Several imagined forms of cooperation that could turn the Nile from a source of tension into a platform for regional collaboration.
Making room for different perspectives
One of the most significant achievements of the project was its ability to create dialogue across borders and perspectives.
The discussions didn't erase the political disagreements surrounding the Nile. Instead, they created space for participants to understand why those disagreements exist and how different communities experience the same river differently. For young participants, this meant moving beyond simplified narratives of upstream versus downstream countries and considering the human consequences of regional decisions. It also meant confronting the role of media.
As one participant reflected: “This story changed how I see the Nile water; it needs dialogue and other people’s perspectives and mutual cooperation with responsibility.”
Another participant noted: “I now understand how misinformation creates conflict.”
And another captured one of the project’s aspirations in a simple call: “We need youth dialogue across borders.”
These reflections speak to a broader shift, from seeing the Nile solely as a geopolitical contest to understanding it as a shared space requiring communication, evidence, and cooperation
The challenges
The initiative faced challenges, including coordinating participants across several countries and navigating politically sensitive narratives. Yet these challenges reinforced the value of creating spaces where difficult issues can be discussed openly and respectfully.
The project showed that dialogue can build trust and mutual understanding, and that young people have an important role to play in shaping the future of regional cooperation. Perhaps most importantly, the project showed that the future of the Nile doesn't have to be told only through the voices of governments, policymakers, or institutions.
Young people are already telling their own stories. Through videos, research, dialogue, and digital media, they are asking who benefits from hydropower, whose voices are missing from the conversation, how misinformation shapes regional relationships, and whether cooperation can replace confrontation. The river may cross borders, but the conversations around it do not have to stop at them.
By placing journalism in the hands of young people and giving them the tools to question, create, and engage, the initiative in Ethiopia offered a different vision of the Nile, one in which young voices are not simply listening to the regional conversation, but helping to shape it.
