FIFAfrica24 |
The pre-events at the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2024 (FIFAfrica24) address a wide range of critical digital rights issues across Africa, with a focus on structurally marginalised groups, persons with disabilities, innovative solutions, and policy reform. Francophone Africa, with its unique digital challenges, will be the focus of discussions on community networks to enhance digital resilience through knowledge sharing and sustainable technology solutions. These sessions will also include practical workshops on digital security tools, specifically tailored for journalists and human rights defenders.
A Feminist Dreamspace will bring together feminist thinkers, activists, and visionaries from across Africa to envision the future of work from a Pan-African feminist perspective. Meanwhile, digital rights experts and policymakers will engage in sessions discussing the growing trend of state-imposed restrictions on online platforms, particularly during elections, and how outdated legal frameworks hinder online access and civic participation.
Workshops will also explore data governance challenges in Western and Central Africa, equipping civil society organisations with the tools and knowledge to push for stronger governance practices. Other sessions will address platform governance in Sub-Saharan Africa, exploring international regulatory frameworks and their implications for freedom of expression, privacy, and non-discrimination. This includes UNESCO’s “Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms” which outline the responsibility of digital platforms to adhere to international human rights standards while mitigating risks, particularly for those who live in a situation of vulnerability and marginalisation.
Another key focus will be on empowering marginalised groups, particularly women, girls, and persons with disabilities, through digital rights education, capacity-building, and the creation of accessible resources, such as Enabel’s Digital Rights Manual for Beginners.
The pre-events feature a diverse range of organisations and experts, including representatives from:
– B-Tech Africa
– CIPESA
– D4D Hub
– Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP)
– Enabel Belgian Development Agency
– Ford Foundation
– GIZ
– Global Partners Digital
– Localization Lab
– Nawi Collective
– Paradigm Initiative
– Pollicy
– Small Media
– The African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (Apnig)
– The National Development Institute (NDI)
– The Tor Project (Tor)
– Thomson Reuters Foundation
– UNESCO
Find more details in the agenda