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22Sep

Countdown to The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2021 (#FIFAfrica21) – Here Is What You Can Expect!

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica21 |

The five-day countdown to the eighth edition of the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2021 (FIFAfrica21) is on! 

While revolving around three primary themes of Access to Information, Digital Inclusion, and Key Trends shaping digital rights in Africa, the Forum will serve as a platform to dissect and deliberate on topics shaping the digital rights agenda in the continent and other parts of the world.

Setting the stage for FIFAfrica, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) will host a keynote panel featuring journalist and writer Samira Sawlani, Cameroonian lawyer and activist Michelle Ndoki, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), Donald Deya, and Ambassador Tadej Rupel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Presidency of the Council of European Union 2021. The diversity of backgrounds and expertise of the panel is reflective of the nature of deliberations, participants and content that will form the backbone of the Forum.

Overview of FIFAfrica21

  • 2 Pre-event trainings
  • 6 Remote hubs across five countries – Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe
  • 25 virtual sessions (lightning talks, report launches, strategy sessions, panels and learning calls)
  • 115 speakers

See the current agenda and speaker lineup.

Supported by the Ford Foundation, Sigrid Rausing Trust, Omidyar Network, Small Media, Internews, the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EU ISS), and the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, FIFAfrica21 will serve as a platform for deliberation on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, free expression, non-discrimination and the free flow of information online. 

The virtual sessions, remote hubs and pre-event trainings have been organised in partnership withData4Change, the International Centre for Non-for-Profit Law (ICNL), Paradigm Initiative, Zaina Foundation, Africa Kiburi, Jonction Senegal, International Training Programme (ITP), Zimbabwe Centre for Media and Information Literacy (ZCMIL), Centre for Media Literacy and Community Development (CEMCOD), and Rudi International.

Registration for FIFAfrica21 remains open and includes access to the online event space wherein participants are already engaging with each other. Registered attendees can also lookout for the following at the Forum:

    • Build networks of practice: The Forum provides an opportunity for like-minded individuals to get to know and engage with each other. Be sure to look out and diarise sessions that resonate with you.
    • Access to the Digital Security and Virtual Support Desk: We have a wonderful team of digital security experts who will be on hand to provide personalised support and advice to attendees on any digital security issues and concerns.  
    • Visit Exhibitors: There is a plethora of very interesting work being done by the digital rights community across the world. You can visit the exhibitors’ centre to see some of this work and directly engage with the entities and people behind the various initiatives. 
    • Launch of the State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2021 report: This year we look forward to launching the latest edition of the State of Internet Freedom in Africa report. This adds to our repository of tracking the trends shaping digital over the years since 2014.

22Sep

FIFAfrica21 to Feature Remote Hubs in Five African Countries

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica21 |

Set to kick off next week on September 27, 2021 and taking on a hybrid approach blending virtual and physical engagements, the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2021 (FIFAfrica21) will feature six remote hubs in five countries – the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The hubs are an opportunity to convene small in-person country engagements of no more than 30 people as permitted and guided by Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the respective countries.

On September 30, 2021, in Entebbe, Uganda, the International Training Programme on Media Development in a Democratic Framework (ITP) has organised a Media and Information Literacy (MIL) dialogue in partnership with the Zimbabwe Centre for Media and Information Literacy and the Uganda-based Centre for Media Literacy and Community Development. Select participants in Uganda will be joined virtually by counterparts in Kenya, Namibia, Sweden, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe to explore the importance of media and information literacy in empowering citizens to navigate misinformation and disinformation; the nexus between media and information literacy and digital rights, civic engagement, and trust in the media; and the use of media and information literacy as a strategic approach for citizens to achieve the Web We Want.

Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, the Director of the Africa Policy Centre at Uganda Christian University, will deliver a keynote address, framing MIL and the opportunities as well as challenges it presents as a vehicle for empowering citizens to become discerning information consumers online. The Entebbe hub will also feature two panel panel discussions, which will explore how MIL is essential for citizens to claim their rights online and for digital inclusion. The second panel discussion will cover the restoration of public trust in the media and building civic competence through news literacy amidst media institutions’ viability concerns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Still in Uganda, as part of Internews ADOPTABLE Project, a digital security tool usability session in Iganga district titled The Invisible Internet will explore use case scenarios and risks. The session will also explore how developers of open source digital security tools and the users of these tools can develop sustainable relationships.

Meanwhile, in Dakar, Senegal, Jonction will host an engagement on regulation of ICT and the right of access to information, where speakers will include representatives from Facebook, University Cheikh Anta Diop University, MonUniversDigital_Sénégal and the legal fraternity. The Dakar hub builds on a similar event in 2020 which engaged stakeholders on misinformation and its impact on freedom of expression online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On September 29, 2021, Africa Kiburi will lead a national roundtable engagement in Harare, Zimbabwe with the objective to raise awareness about minority and marginalised groups’ digital rights issues and to generate policy recommendations to feed into the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill which is currently before parliament. The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, Gender Media Connect, Digital Society of Africa, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe Chapter, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the Zimbabwe Ministry of ICT Postal and Courier Services are among the hub’s expected participants.

Meanwhile, the Goma-based Rudi International will conduct a capacity building workshop for Members of the National Assembly of the DR Congo on the prevailing ICT policy landscape, how to champion formulation of progressive laws on privacy and data protection, and the need to ally with digital rights organisations. Taking place from September 30, 2021 to October 1, 2021 in the capital Kinshasa, the training will bring together legislators on the Telecommunications and Technology Committee, industry players and government officials working in the sector ministries and agencies. The engagements will also build the participants’ digital security knowledge and  skills.

Finally, in Dar es Salaam, the NetRights Forum will be held as a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue on internet rights and governance issues in Tanzania. It will seek to secure the government’s commitments not to entrench digital repression but to promote progressive legislative and practical reforms instead. Hosted by Zaina Foundation, this year marks the second year of a FIFAfrica hub in Tanzania. Last year, Zaina Foundation convened a remote hub to deliberate on digital rights in Tanzania with reference to the shrinking environment for advocacy work in the run up to the October 2020 general elections.

See the FIFAfrica21  agenda and speaker lineup.

Registration remains open.

31Aug

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2021 (#FIFAfrica21) Opens For Registration

Author CIPESA Writer Posted on

#FIFAfrica21 |

On September 28-30, 2021 the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) will host the eighth edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (#FIFAfrica21). Now in its second year as a hybrid pan-African and global event, the Forum has grown to inform best practice on digital rights protection in Africa. Further, it serves as a platform for deliberation on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, free expression, non-discrimination and the free flow of information online.

This year, FIFAfrica will feature three main tracks –  Access to Information, Digital Inclusion, and Key Trends shaping digital rights in Africa – which will interrogate the deeper facets of internet freedom in the Sub-Saharan Africa context. The sub-themes will include Covid-19 responses, data governance, data privacy, media literacy, misinformation and disinformation, content regulation, internet shutdowns, online violence against women, digital identity, technology and persons with disabilities. The tracks will also feature emerging trends such as shifts in the weaponisation of the internet, new digital rights tools, as well as recent changes in technology laws and regulations.

Keeping in stride with last year’s Forum, the hybrid FIFAfrica21 will incorporate physical engagements in select African countries with strict adherence to Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

A key pillar of FIFAfrica is the opportunity it provides for a diverse audience including veterans in the digital rights arena through to fledgling digital rights enthusiasts to engage with each other in a shared space on a diversity of interests and concerns. Participants at the Forum include African policymakers, regulators, human rights defenders, academia, technologists, law enforcement representatives, and the media, who are all committed towards advancing digital rights in Africa and promoting the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance.

Over the years, highlights at FIFAfrica have come to include launches of platforms and reports, showcasing of new tools and advocacy ideas as well as a dedicated digital security advisory and support team.

Register here to gain access to the online venue as well as to the broader community who will be participating at the Forum. The online venue will also allow #FIFAfrica21 attendees to  book their seats for sessions of interest, and engage with other attendees.

30Jul

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2021 (FIFAfrica21) Set For September: Propose a Session!

Author CIPESA Writer Posted on

Announcement |

On September 28-30, 2021, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) will host the eighth edition of the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica). The Forum is a landmark event that convenes a wide spectrum of stakeholders from across the internet governance and digital rights arenas to deliberate on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, free expression, non-discrimination and the free flow of information online.

Taking on a hybrid approach (virtual and physical), FIFAfrica responds to rising challenges to the enjoyment of internet freedom in various African countries, including arrests and intimidation of online users, internet disruptions, digital taxes, and a proliferation of laws and regulations that undermine the potential of digital technology to drive the continent’s socio-economic and political development. 

FIFAfrica, therefore, puts internet freedom on the agenda of key actors including African policymakers, regulators, human rights defenders, academia, law enforcement representatives, and the media, paving the way for broader work on advancing digital rights in Africa and promoting the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance.

Internet freedom is multi-faceted, and just like it requires to have a multiplicity of stakeholders working jointly, it also requires diversity in the voices, backgrounds, viewpoints, and thematic work areas of those that attend FIFAfrica.

 In the shadow of Covid-19, FIFAfrica is an extension of our work and that of diverse stakeholders to ensure continued proactive efforts to advance effective and inclusive Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy debates and to elevate marginalised communities and at-risk groups – including women and vulnerable minorities such as refugees, sexual minorities and persons with disabilities – in internet governance dialogues.

Content Themes At FIFAfrica21

This year, FIFAfrica will pivot around three key themes through engagements running over three days. Through carefully curated sessions and workshops, it will interrogate the deeper internet freedom layers shaping these themes as listed below. 

1. Access To Information: The right of access to information especially in the online domain is coming under increased threats, including through digital taxation, network disruptions, and laws criminalising some content. Since inception, FIFAfrica has coincided with the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) marked every September 28 so as to increase awareness on the right to information. Over the years, UNESCO, media organisations, government agencies and civil society entities have joined in to host sessions, workshops, and specialised training on the various ways in which access to information and digital rights coincide. This year, we will continue to join the global community in celebrating the integral role of this right in advancing human rights both online and offline.

2. Digital Inclusion as a means to an end for the Web We Want: The internet is public good and a basic right. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, this is far from reality. Promoting an inclusive internet is at the core of what we do at CIPESA and is one of the reasons why we are members of the global Web We Want coalition initiated by the Web Foundation. Digital exclusion is shaped by numerous factors including disability, language, education, income, and gender. 

Further, there is a growing concern that minority and marginalised communities such as refugees and persons with disabilities are being left behind in accessing information on Covid-19. This is because, despite the recent expansion in ICT usage, digital exclusion persists due to limited access and affordability of the requisite ICT tools, low digital literacy skills and shortage of content in accessible formats.

3. Key Trends in 2021 shaping the digital landscape in Africa: The various challenges that were affecting digital rights in Africa have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the guise of addressing the health concerns emerging from the pandemic, many measures introduced may have granted authoritarian regimes a blank cheque to impose unnecessary, broad and long-lasting measures that affect digital rights. However, there are some positives that have been registered with technology gaining centrality in the lives of states, persons and communities. Nonetheless, the pandemic has illuminated the unequal access to technology in African countries and  FIFAfrica will delve into the trends that have emerged over the course of the year, and explore ways to address the gaps and concerns.

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How To Be A Part Of The 2021 Edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa

There are various ways in which individuals and organisations can be a part of FIFAfrica as listed below:

  • Host a session (panel discussion/ workshop/ training: Is there a particular area of interest you would like to engage on? – Click here
  • Contact us directly if you have an alternative approach you would like to discuss further – Email us here

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 Important dates: Please note the below important dates related to participation at the Forum:

  • Session proposals will be accepted till August 21, 2021
  • Successful session proposals will be directly notified by August 31, 2021

29Sep

Report: The State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2020

Author admin Posted on

#FIFAfrica20 |

Today, September 29, 2020, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has released a new report, State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2020. The report focuses on the impact of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) measures adopted by governments to contain its spread on digital rights and freedoms including freedom of expression and information, assembly and association, and the right to privacy.  

The report, which investigated the measures implemented by governments in Africa in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic shows that the highhandedness with which the governments and their agencies enforced the different Covid-19 preventive measures, including the suspension of rights through emergency declarations and the gagging of critical voices calling for transparency and accountability in handling the pandemic has greatly affected digital rights on the continent.

According to the report, prior to and during the pandemic period, several countries enacted retrogressive laws and implemented oppressive measures that served to strengthen the state’s repressive hand at the expense of citizens’ rights.

Onslaught on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information

Efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation related to Covid-19 had a direct effect on the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of expression and information. Whereas there were some bright spots, these were overshadowed by the negative.

Several governments enacted vague and overly broad laws and implemented repressive practices that curtailed freedom of expression and restricted access to information through censorship, filtering of content, closure of media houses, threats, arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions, prosecution, intimidation and harassment of journalists, online activists and bloggers.

Punitive sanctions and the criminalisation of the work of media houses and journalists in countries such as Tanzania, Chad, Uganda, Nigeria, Niger, and Ethiopia, in effect gagged the media, and restricted the flow, quality and quantity of information available to journalists and the general public.

Invasion of Privacy and Personal Data Breaches

The fight against COVID-19 has been characterised by an assortment of measures that led to the violation of privacy in numerous countries. The new Covid-19 legislation as well as pre-existing laws that were cited in implementing pandemic-related emergency measures such as in Chad, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia authorised the searching of homes and individuals, and required the reporting of individuals suspected to be carrying the virus. 

Further, the laws required the collection of personal information of individuals, contact tracing and surveillance activity in countries like Burundi, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tunisia, as well as mandatory testing in Zimbabwe. These measures mostly had the effect of undermining individuals’ data rights.

The infringement on individual privacy was aggravated by the absence of strong or recommended  data protection safeguards in most of the affected countries. while some of the countries had laws on privacy and data protection, they did not offer strong protection but rather facilitated privacy invasion. 

Accelerating Digital Exclusion

The report reveals that while Covid-19 has illuminated the centrality of technology in the lives of individuals and communities, it has also brought to the fore the glaring digital divide in the region, and indeed deepened the digital exclusion. Several individuals including persons with disabilities have been locked out of active participation in the digital society, with the exclusion being manifested in accessing education, remote work, and participating in democratic processes, among others. In some countries, internet costs remained very high while in others like Uganda, tax on social media continued to subsist. The high costs and taxes went to the root of affordability ICTs. 

Undermining Citizen Participation

The report also demonstrates that the fight against Covid-19 has eroded the ability by citizens to participate in civic matters and the conduct of public affairs. Stringent measures including clamp down on media platforms, intimidation, arrests, detention and prosecution. These high-handed measures including in Algeria, Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe  have cowed citizens, activists, and the media for fear of attracting reprisals. These measures have, in turn, forced human rights defenders, journalists, activists, the political opposition, and ordinary citizens to self-censor, disengage from participating in public affairs, and refrain from exercising their rights to participate.

Recommendations

The report calls upon governments, their agencies and authorities to drop all regressive measures that curtail digital rights and freedoms and instead adopt and undertake measures that promote the protection and enjoyment of digital rights and freedoms in the region.

Civil society organisations, telecommunication companies, and other stakeholders are called upon to work jointly towards ensuring that individuals realise and enjoy their rights and freedoms in the digital space by among others engaging in advocacy, developing policies that address individuals needs.

Find the report here.

 

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