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09Jul

Inaugural Winners of the Africa Digital Rights Fund Announced

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Announcement |
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is pleased to announce the winners of the first round of the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF). A total of USD 65,000 has been awarded to 10 initiatives that will advance digital rights in 16 African countries – Algeria, Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Launched in April 2019, the ADRF is aimed at growing the number of individuals and organisations that work to advance digital rights in Africa, amidst rising digital rights violations such as arrests and intimidation of internet users, network disruptions, and a proliferation of laws and regulations that hamper internet access and affordability, and undermine the potential of digital technologies to catalyse free expression, civic participation, and innovation.
Although it is still early days, the Fund has received profuse interest from across the continent, with several worthy initiatives proposing projects including in countries with numerous digital rights challenges but little effort to address them. 
According to Ashnah Kalemera, the CIPESA Programmes Manager, the first call for proposals attracted more than 150 applications from 30 countries. “Digital rights advocacy, digital safety and security skills building, innovating for social enterprises’ efficiency, litigating for digital rights, and empowerment for marginalised communities, were among the prevalent lines of work proposed. There were few proposals in the area of research, and much fewer on engagement in legislative processes, despite the ongoing enactment of often retrogressive laws and regulations governing digital rights,” she said. 
The applicants were assessed by a panel of experts based on the following attributes:

  • The applicant’s experience in advancing digital rights/track record on similar work;
  • Demonstrated need for the project including relevance to described context and  priorities of the Fund;
  • Eligibility in terms of geographic coverage, proposed activities, duration, and evidence of the applicant’s formal registration or operations;
  • Demonstration of innovation with regards to approach, feasibility of deliverables and timelines, and potential impact of the intervention;
  • Budget feasibility; and
  • Diversity considerations.

The review panel consisted of three internal CIPESA programme staff and four external experts with extensive experience in the digital rights field. The external reviewers were Neil Blazevic -Technology Manager at DefendDefenders (formerly East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project), Sadibou Sow – West and Central Africa Regional Technology Advisor of Amnesty International, Dr. Edgar Napoleon  Asiimwe – Research Manager at the Swedish Programme for ICT in Developing Regions (Spider), and Koliwe Majama – Organiser of the Africa School of Internet Governance at the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).
The winners of the ADRF’s first call are:
1. Access for All – South Sudan
Access for All will  build the advocacy and digital security capacity of South Sudanese women refugees and human rights defenders. These engagements, which will be conducted in Arabic and English, will explore current human rights defenders’ security/ protection concerns in South Sudan, and the mechanisms to address them.  
2. African Human Rights Network (AHRN) Foundation – Tanzania
The project will strengthen the capacity of human rights defenders (HRDs) and their organisations on digital security and provide them with essential tools. A total of 60 Tanzania HRDs will be provided with training and exchange opportunities to reduce digital security risks. The project complements the activities of Shelter City Dar es Salaam which is a regional temporary relocation program for HRDs in the Great Lakes region.
3. Burundi Youths Training Centre – Burundi
The project will build the capacity of human rights defenders and media organisations in digital rights advocacy. The engaged organisations will be mentored to develop and implement strategic advocacy campaigns for digital rights, including the right to privacy and personal data protection in Burundi.
4. Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria – South Africa
The centre will document and analyse threats and mounting pushbacks against civil society in the digital age in Egypt, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia. Leveraging its network of former graduates and local partner tertiary institutions, the centre will map the legal and digital threats to civil society in the focus countries in order for stakeholders to have full evidence-based knowledge of these threats and how to navigate them. The bilingual (French and English) research outputs will feed into the centre’s Master’s programme curriculum module on civil society studies in Africa and short courses on human rights and good governance.
5. Freedom of Expression Hub (FoE Hub) – Uganda
In collaboration with the Uganda Law Society, the Freedom of Expression Hub will conduct digital literacy and litigation surgeries for lawyers and journalists in northern Uganda’s West Nile sub-region on emerging digital rights issues affecting freedom of expression, access to information and media rights. The surgeries aim to promote collaboration and rapid response to digital rights violations especially through courts of law. Furthermore, the Hub will work on creating a database of advocates who can adequately respond to digital rights cases in the sub-region.
6. Global Voices – Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa 
As part of its wider Advox programme, Global Voices will document experiences of  online mis/disinformation and the impact of internet shutdowns on citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information during elections and protests in seven countries – Algeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Through translation and targeted outreach, the project will contribute African perspectives to the global debate on mis/disinformation and shutdowns, and train local writers to improve their digital rights reporting skills.
7. Internet Society (ISOC) Namibia Chapter – Namibia
In the run up to the November 2019 elections, ISOC Namibia will work to build the capacity of journalists and editors to fact-check misinformation. It will also work with women parliamentarians, political activists and various other actors in a campaign to tackle politically motivated-gender based violence online.
8. Jonction – Senegal 
Jonction will  implement advocacy and awareness creation campaigns among state, private sector and civil society actors in Senegal to foster an enabling environment for freedom of expression, privacy and data protection online.
9. Kuza STEAM Generation (KsGEN) and Centre for Youth Empowerment and Leadership (CYEL) – Tanzania
The grant will be used to organise “Schools” on Internet Governance (IG) and digital rights through which various stakeholders will be trained and mentored to lead IG-related discussions at national and regional level. One of the schools will specifically target girls and women in Arusha so as to increase Tanzanian women’s participation in internet governance
10. YMCA Computer Training Centre and Digital Studio – The Gambia
Building on its youth-empowerment initiatives, YMCA Gambia will undertake a sensitisation drive on cyber-bullying and online safety among youths as a means of combating harassment and online abuse of women and girls.
 
 
 
 

30Apr

Call For Applications: Africa Digital Rights Fund

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Call for Applications |
With a quarter of Africa’s population using the internet and with 76 mobile phone connection for every 100 individuals, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has become pivotal to improving livelihoods and promoting human rights on the continent. However, with rising digital rights violations such as arrests and intimidation of internet users, network shutdowns, and a proliferation of laws and regulations that hamper internet access and affordability, the potential of digital technologies to catalyse free expression and civic participation or to drive innovation is under threat in Africa. Yet many organisations working to defend and promote digital rights face limitations of reach, skills, resources, and consistency in engagement in this area.
To address this, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has established the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) to offer flexible and rapid response grants to select initiatives in Africa to implement activities that advance digital rights, including advocacy, litigation, research, policy analysis, digital literacy and digital security skills building.
Assessments have found that whereas digital rights advocacy in the region has a large pool of interest, ”it is very shallow, spread very thinly and difficult to sustain”. The policy and practice developments in the region, coupled with the challenges faced by civil society organisations, necessitate partnerships that bring together various competences for advancing digital rights. The ADRF has been developed to strengthen local capacity in evidence-based research, collaborative advocacy and impactful policy engagements responsive to regulatory and practice developments that affect internet freedom in the region.  
The ADRF grant amounts will range between US$ 1,000 and US$ 10,000 based on the  need and scope of the proposed intervention. The grant period will not exceed six months with an average of 15 grants to be awarded per year.
The Fund will benefit small organisations, including those that do not qualify for support from most funders for lack of registration and institutional capacity to develop applications and manage big projects. It  will also benefit organisations and initiatives that need rapid response support to respond swiftly to emerging issues that can not wait for many funders’ lengthy application procedures.
Applications are now open  for the period July-December 2019. The deadline for submissions is Friday May 31, 2019. Read more about the Fund and the eligibility criteria here.  The application form can be accessed here.

25Apr

CIPESA Executive Director Detained At Tanzania Airport – UPDATE

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Statement |
Dr. Wairagala Wakabi, the Executive Director, of the Uganda-based Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has been detained, upon arrival, at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salam, Tanzania earlier today. Immigration authorities have declined to state the basis of his arrest.
Dr. Wakabi had been invited to Tanzania to participate in the annual commemoration of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders’ Day hosted by the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) on April 28, 2019. Under the theme  “Claiming and Protecting Online Civic Space for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Tanzania”, the event is to be preceded by a two-day workshop aimed at engaging civil society organizations, online journalists and human rights activists on how to safely use online platforms for promotion and protection of human rights.
According to lawyers from the THRDC, authorities have blocked their access to Dr. Wakabi, stating that he is under interrogation – the outcome of which will determine  whether he is granted entry into Tanzania or deported back to Uganda.
“We are currently at the airport following the matter. They have denied us access to him. We strongly condemned this untimely and unnecessary detention of our guest from our neighbouring country Uganda. We call upon all members of the East African Community (EAC) to condemn  this tendency of disturbing citizens of EAC when travelling within the subregion,” stated Onesmo Olengurumwa, the THRDC National Coordinator.
CIPESA is among the organisations nominated by THRDC to receive an award for is regional work in promoting human rights online to be handed out during the commemoration.
CIPESA condemns the detention of Dr. Wakabi and calls upon the authorities to unconditionally release him.
UPDATE: After hours of interrogation, Dr. Wakabi has been deported back to Uganda this evening. However, lawyers remained unable to establish the basis of the detention and deportation. They report that authorities denied him entry into Tanzania on grounds of “national interest”.

22Apr

Mapping the Impact of Digital Technology from Network Disruptions to Disinformation

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By Rocio Campos |

Signed by African journalists during a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seminar in May 1991, the Declaration of Windhoek is a statement of free press principles that led to the proclamation of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on 3 May by the UN General Assembly in 1993.  This year, the Global Network Initiative(GNI) is proud to join UNESCO, the African Union, and the Government of Ethiopia for the 26th celebration of WPFD in Addis Ababa under the theme, “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation.”

On 3 May, GNI Policy Director Jason Pielemeier and representatives from GNI members the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), Facebook, and the International Media Support (IMS), together with the Ethiopian journalist Abel Wabella will participate in the session: “Understanding Electoral Information Flows: Mapping the Impact of Digital Technology from Network Disruptions to Disinformation.” This workshop will build on an earlier colloquium organized by GNI and UNESCO titled Improving the Communication and Information Ecosystem to Protect the Integrity of Elections.

In 2019, 62 countries will elect leaders who will govern 3.28 billion people worldwide. Hence, it is paramount to understand the impacts of digital technology on information flows during elections and bring to the table the perspectives of different stakeholders.

Are Transparency and Access to Information Enough to Secure Free Elections?

According to UNESCO “Internet and digital technologies allow candidates a direct means by which to communicate with the voting public. However, some digital technologies used to influence people’s choices escape scrutiny — such as whether, for example, advertising complies with the rules of electoral authorities. Without effective access to information and transparency, the integrity and legitimacy of elections can be compromised. We need technology companies and governments that are more transparent, and that respect the rules and regulations of elections, in order to guarantee free and fair elections.”

GNI information and communications technology (ICT) company members face increasing orders from governments to disrupt networks and restrict access to Internet services. Such orders often take place during protests or elections with significant consequences for users and journalists around the world. GNI members (ICT companies, human rights and press freedom organizations, academics, and investors) work to counteract these trends and protect freedom of expression and privacy rights in a variety of ways. For instance, on the issue of network interference, Netblocks’ Internet observatory has collected evidence of blocking of a political party website in Pakistan in the 2018 election and CIPESA released a report that documents the relation between network disruptions and elections in Africa. Others like the #KeepItOn coalition have developed infographics guiding users on how to install Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) anticipating Internet disruptions, as seen in the Nigerian election last February.

Elections have also become the focus of disinformation campaigns, making online platforms vulnerable targets for the dissemination of divisive and false narratives. Multistakeholder engagement can play a key role to confront this evolving assault on the Internet affecting democratic processes. In July 2017, Google and Jigsaw unveiled Protect Your Election with free tools to help voters get accurate information in the Kenyan election.[1] In the U.S., Pen America recently released a report, which analyzes efforts to counter fraudulent news in the 2018 midterm election, stressing the importance of social media platforms, candidates and political parties stepping up efforts to keep fraudulent news from polluting the 2020 election cycle. Research centers like the Center for Data Innovation are discussing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fight disinformation in European elections, while organizations like Freedom House have developed tools that estimate Internet censorship, i.e., Internet Freedom Election Monitor.

GNI‘s session will take advantage of the expertise of panelists and participants to map the different ways in which digital technology impacts election-relevant information flows, as well as the inter-relationships between these impacts. The goal is to help policymakers, companies, elections administrators, elections observers, media, and other stakeholders identify and mitigate risks, improve planning and coordination, and enhance transparency around their efforts to support elections. Active multistakeholder engagement can play a key role to strengthen transparency and access to information and prevent them from being compromised during elections.

Don’t miss GNI’s panel on 3 May at 14:00–15:30 EAT and follow IMS’ @andreasr | Addis Zeybe’s @Abelpoly | CIPESA’s @ChewingStones | CPJ’s @muthokimumo ‏| Facebook’s @emigandhi | GNI’s @pielemeier #WorldPressFreedomDay

Relevant resources:

[1] See: Freeman, Bennett, Shared Space Under Pressure Business Support for Civil Freedoms and Human Rights Defenders, p.74
This article was originally posted here

11Apr

Senegal Fails to Prioritise Human Rights Online

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By Ashnah Kalemera |
Senegal’s diverse media landscape helps it to attain relatively high scores in international press freedom rankings. It is ranked 50 out of 180 countries in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, up from 79 in 2015. The country’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression thus: “Everyone shall have the right to freely express and disseminate his opinions by word, written word or image or peaceful march, provided that the exercise of these rights shall not undermine the honour of and respect due to other persons, nor threaten public order.”
However, freedom of expression online is restricted under various legislation including the Penal Code, 1965, Law No. 14/2017 on the Press Code and Law No. 2011-01 which governs the telecommunications sector. In 2018, the Senegalese government moved to tighten its grip on online communication after parliament passed a law regulating the internet, a move justified as necessary to stem the spread of misinformation. These laws have facilitated the arrest and prosecution of critical journalists and artists, including for content published online.
Meanwhile, although the country has had a privacy and data protection law for over a decade, the enforcement authority – the Commission of Personal Data (CDP) – has not been able to sufficiently fulfill its mandate due to resource limitations. Nonetheless, several private and public actors continue to collect personal data in Senegal without any regulatory enforcement by the CDP. This is the case for mandatory SIM card registration implemented by the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Posts (ARTP) through mobile telecom operators and linked to the national identity database.
Article 5 of the Press Code provides that journalists and the media have “free access” to information but there are exemptions such as where the information is a “defense secret” or relates to “secret investigations” or regulations applicable to access to some sites or structures. However, Senegal remains without an access to information law to facilitate citizens’ requests for information and proactive disclosures, and there are widespread calls for a law to be passed in order to promote transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, low affordability and poor quality of service further hinder adoption of technology in an otherwise thriving sector. Mobile telephony, for example, now offers solutions for virtual financial services ranging from banking services to payment services. Further, leading money transfer application WARI, which was founded in Senegal and remains hugely popular, has been adopted in many countries in West Africa. In the agriculture sector, MLouma, which connects sellers and buyers of agricultural products, has grown from 1,000 to 75,000 users since developing a version which allows users without smartphones or the internet to access the service, as well as integrating a payment service.
As a United Nations (UN) member state, Senegal underwent her third cycle human rights assessment under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism during the 31st session of the Human Rights Council in November 2018. Digital rights did not feature explicitly in the 257 recommendations made regarding human rights protection at legal and institutional level. However, up to seven recommendations made by France, Chile, Sweden, Peru and Greece related to media rights and free speech. These recommendations echoed those in previous reviews  that remained largely unimplemented.
As part of Internet Freedom and UPR advocacy efforts at the Human Rights Council, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), Small Media, Jonction Senegal and the Senegal ICT Users Association (ASUTIC) made the following recommendations to UN members to consider putting forward to the Senegal delegation:

Key Issue/s Recommendations
Freedom of Expression
  • Amend Article 28 of the draft Electronic Communications Code to ensure judicial oversight over the regulator’s powers to impose any traffic management measures.
  • Reform press legislation, eliminating tough penalties for press offenses.
  • Uphold citizens’ rights to freedom of expression by discontinuing the practice of arrest and intimidation of critical journalists and artists.
Freedom of information and censorship of content
  • Provisions of the press code infringing freedom of information, notably Article 5, should be amended to provide clear definitions of information exempt from access by journalists. Meanwhile, Article 192 should be repealed.
  • Draft an access to information law in compliance with international human rights standards. The law should be drafted through participatory/consultative processes.
  • Reform the entire legal framework that restricts journalists’ freedom to inform or which promotes censorship, in particular articles 254 (Offense to the Head of State), 255 (False News),  and 258 (Defamation) of the Penal Code.
Equality and barriers to access
  • Take concrete and effective measures to lower barriers to access including extending rural infrastructure and promote a competitive industry to ensure easy and affordable internet access for underserved communities.
  • Enforce licensing obligations on telecommunications operators in order to improve the quality of service offered.
Right to data protection and privacy on the Internet
  • Take concrete measures for the effective implementation of Law No. 2008-12 of 25 January 2008 to ensure the protection of personal data.
  • Allocate sufficient resources (financial, logistical, and personnel) to the Personal Data Commission (CDP) to support fulfilment of its mandate
Freedom of creation and innovation
  • Prioritise funding and subsidies for digital literacy and innovation programmes

See the full advocacy brief here. French version is also available here.  
On March 14, 2019, Senegal accepted 229 out of the 257 recommendations it received in the  UPR assessment. A full list of the accepted and rejected recommendations is not yet available so it remains unclear whether recommendations accepted prioritise reforms to fully guarantee citizens’ rights – online and offline – to freedom of expression, access to information, and to privacy.
 

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