Blog – Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

Capacity-Building-and-Practical-Skills-Development-CIPESA

30Apr

Capacity Building & Practical Skills Development

A fundamental aspect of our activities includes the interaction of theory with practical skills. The collaborative nature of our work exposes us to a network of experts in a range of skills required for the protection and advancement of digital rights in Africa and necessary to shift attitudes in how the internet should be accessed, used and perceived.

Among practical skills development include partnerships through workshops on an assortment of digital rights research and advocacy methods, digital security best practice for activists and the media, digital rights reporting, open data, civic technologies, disinformation tracking and strategic litigation.

Partners we have worked with on this

CIPESA-Policy-Analysis-Research-and-ICT-Analytics

22Apr

Research & Policy Analysis

The generation of insights that are easily accessible by a wider array of readers is at the core of our policy analysis. The interrogation of emerging policy shifts and trends, legal frameworks and the advocacy for improved policy complemented by actionable recommendation are key pillars of this work.

The goal of our policy work and resultant interventions is to inform, spark debate and curate the path that effective and inclusive ICT policy in Africa should follow.

Below are some outcomes of Our Research & Policy Analysis

We tracked the impact of Covid-19 on digital rights through a series of indepth reports. See our Covid-19 and digital rights tracker here.
Some of our policy work supported the need for an Africa-centric digital rights framework and saw us contributing towards the development of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms.
The Cost of Internet Shutdows Tool (COST): The tool was developed using methodologies from our Economic Impact of Internet Shutdowns in Sub-Saharan Africa and another by the Brookings Institution to estimate the economic cost of internet shutdowns, mobile data blackouts and social media restrictions.
We have also contributed policy commentary and recommendation on issues such as data protection, and access to information to a range of national and regional bodies including at the African Union, the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations and to global entities such as the UNESCO, the UN World Summit on the Information Society and the special rapporteurs on digital rights related topics.

See our library of research and policy analysis

Submission to the 38th session of the Universal Periodic Review Mozambique 2021

Submission to the 38th session of the Universal Periodic Review - Sierra-Leone 2021

22Apr

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica)

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) is a landmark event convenes a spectrum of stakeholders from across the internet governance and online rights arenas in Africa and beyond to deliberate on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, free expression, non-discrimination and the free ﬂow of information online.

Currently, there are numerous developments taking place across the continent which have direct impact on how individuals and indeed states access, store and engage with digital information. Many of the decisions are likely to have a critical impact on the future of internet use in Africa thus critical discussion are imperative to shape these prospects.

The Forum offers a platform for critical engagement of diverse stakeholders in identifying the most pressing internet rights-related issues and challenges that have to be addressed at national and regional levels. It also identifies opportunities for bringing the debate on the importance of human rights online at national, regional and global fora and aims to identify effective ways to engage with them.

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

FiFAfrica Objectives

FIFAfrica has five cross-cutting objectives that support CIPESA’s mission of promoting effective and inclusive ICT policy in Africa. The objectives are as follows:

Networking and Collaboration
Promote Access To Information
Practical Skills and Knowledge Development
Showcase Advocacy Efforts
Connect Research to Policy Discussions.

Ultimately, the Forum seeks to support the development of substantive inputs to inform the conversations on human rights online happening at national and international levels. Previous editions of FIFAfrica have resulted in actionable recommendations and partnerships that have informed subsequent engagements on advancing internet freedom in Africa by several actors in the internet rights space.

As the Forum has grown, it has come to appeal to a wide diversity of actors in the digital rights arena from around the continent and globally, some of whom have over the years formed collaborations to advance digital rights and freedoms in Africa.

Reports from Previous Editions

For more information, Please Visit the FIFAfica Site.

22Apr

The Africa Digital Rights Fund

The Africa Digital Rights Fund / Le Fonds Africain pour les Droits Numériques

In pursuit of increased diversity in the digital rights field across the continent in addition to bridging the financial and institutional skills gap sometimes faced by smaller entities, the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) was established.

CIPESA has administered the fund since 2018 through which multiplicity, equity and inclusion goals, activities entailing marginalised/vulnerable populations including women, sexual minorities, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and refugees are being pursued.

The Africa Digital Rights Fund
Le Fonds Africain pour les Droits Numériques

The Africa Digital Rights Fund

The Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) offers 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.

Round three of the ADRF is particularly interested in proposals for work related to Covid-19 response measures, how they affect the internet rights landscape, and how to redress any resulting harms to rights and freedoms. This effort is essential because, even in pandemic times, governments must respect rights and not abuse emergency powers.

Moreover, many actors need access to credible information and research to inform their own work on awareness-raising and holding authorities to account during and in the aftermath of Covid-19.

Initiatives not focused on Covid-19 but working in various thematic areas, including but not limited to the following are also welcome to apply:

Access and affordability
Access to Information
Cybercrime
Data protection and privacy
Digital economy
Digital Identity (ID)
Digital security
eGovernance
Innovation for democratic participation, transparency and accountability (civic and social tech)

Freedom of expression
Hate speech
Misinformation/Disinformation
Network disruptions
Strategic litigation
Surveillance
Diversity and inclusion
eGovernance

In line with CIPESA and ADRF’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals, proposals focused on marginalised/vulnerable populations including women, sexual minorities, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and refugees are strongly encouraged.

Grant amounts range between US$ 1,000 and US$ 20,000, depending on the need and scope of the proposed intervention.

Guidelines>>

Le Fonds Africain pour les Droits Numériques

Le Fonds Africain pour les Droits Numériques (FADN) offre des subventions flexibles et à réponse rapide à certaines initiatives africaines qui mettent en œuvre des activités de promotion des droits numériques, notamment le plaidoyer, les procédures judiciaires, la recherche, l’analyse de politiques, l’alphabétisation numérique et le renforcement des compétences en sécurité numérique.

Le troisième tour du FADN s’intéresse particulièrement aux propositions de travaux liés aux mesures de réponse à la Covid-19, à la manière dont elles affectent le paysage des droits sur Internet et à la réparation des atteintes aux droits et libertés qui en résultent. Cet effort est essentiel car, même en période de pandémie, les gouvernements doivent respecter les droits et ne pas abuser des pouvoirs d’urgence. De plus, de nombreux acteurs doivent avoir accès à des informations et à des recherches crédibles pour renseigner leur propre travail de sensibilisation et obliger les autorités à rendre compte pendant et après le Covid-19.

Les initiatives non axées sur le Covid-19 mais travaillant dans divers domaines thématiques, y compris, mais non exclusivement les domaines suivants, sont également les bienvenues:

Procédure judiciaire stratégique
Surveillance
Perturbations du réseau

the-africa-digital-rights-fund-le-fonds-africain-pour-les-droits-numeriques

Rendre Internet Accessible et Abordable
Accès à l’information
Cybercriminalité
Protection de données et de la vie privée
Economie numérique
Identité numérique
Sécurité numérique
Diversité et inclusion
eGouvernance
Liberté d’expression
Discours de haine
Innovation pour la participation démocratique, la transparence et la responsabilité (technologies civiques et sociales)
Désinformation / Propagation de fausses nouvelles

Conformément aux objectifs de diversité, d’équité et d’inclusion du CIPESA et du FADN, les propositions axées sur les populations marginalisées / vulnérables, notamment les femmes, les minorités sexuelles, les personnes handicapées et les réfugiés, sont vivement encouragées.

Le montant des subventions varie entre 1 000 et 20 000 $USD, selon les besoins et la portée de l’intervention proposée. La période de subvention ne dépassera pas 6 mois. Il est prévu qu’environ 10 subventions seront attribuées au cours de cette phase.

Directives générales>>

22Apr

Digital Inclusion

Digital-Rights-and-Persons-With-Disabilities-Hear-the-blind

Through four distinct but related focus areas, CIPESA is working on growing the capacity of diverse actors to research on and advocate for meaningful connectivity and digital accessibility; and engaging key actors such telecom companies and regional bodies. Ultimately, we are working to raise awareness of how access, afordability, and technology-related gaps affect the inclusion of marginalised communities in Africa.

One of the pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the pledge to leave no one behind! Here is how we at the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) are working towards achieving this goal.

Raising visibility of digital rights for persons with disabilities
Improving availability of information on ICT and Disability in Africa
Growing capacity for digital inclusion advocacy
Advocacy with telecom companies, regional bodies and governments

Our commitment towards growing an inclusive #InternetFreedomAfrica community is guided by the spirit of “Nothing About Us Without Us”.

Building stronger partnerships and collaboration Our research, advocacy training, regional and international convenings have and will continue to draw in stakeholders from government, international development groups, DPOs, civil society and academia.
Research is key, as is creating awareness, advocacy capacity, and linkages. There is limited evidence on the state of play on disability rights as they intersect with tech access and use, and limited advocacy for accessibility. DPOs tend to be detached from networks advocating for improved affordability and accessibility of ICT, and are rarely active players in advocating for digital rights.
Ramp up efforts to mainstream disability rights issues in conversations about tech access and digital rights including through engagements with regional and international ICT/digital rights events and processes.
Conduct compliance assessments and capacity development trainings including in conducting assessments and advocacy.
Engage more with duty bearers. telecom operators, regulators, regional bodies like the AU and ATU.

Consequently this is an area that we are diligently working on to grow the community of researchers in Africa and the basket of tools and approaches that they can use to better understand the digital rights and internet governance landscape in Africa.

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