Towards a Pan-African Culture of Freedom of Expression Online

What will happen in your session?

We discuss already pre-circulated ideas on how to push online participation ahead in Africa. There is need to re-situate the narrative for the ordinary citizens online and even offline. The Internet is decentralizing power and the time isn't more right to have a continent of more that has not less than an average of 30 years of longest-serving governments to open up spaces for new conversations and participation. The session seeks to have the experts in the room to discuss how this can be achieved. This includes how to further consolidate areas of strength on working on models that balance out the dystopian and utopian future of the open web in .Africa.

What is the goal or outcome of your session?

There are currently working models designed by Coalitions to work on policy shifts and difficult conversations about the Open Web. The outcome of this session will be to consolidate these efforts and design a more future-facing models that can withstand the dynamics of changing environments and policies. The endemic shutting of the Internet, wanton disregard for freedom of expression online, privacy and security issues in Africa especially are not only hurting the continent's chances at globalization but also robbing the world of Africa's contribution to innovative ideas. This session seeks to correct that. Even if not at once, but the ball is set rolling.

If your session requires additional materials or electronic equipment, please outline your needs.

A projector
Office supplies

Time needed

60 mins

timcowlishaw commented 7 years ago

Hi there Tomiwa,

This sounds excellent and right up our street. Could you provide any links to the "current working models designed by Coalitions to work on policy shifts and difficult conversations about the Open Web" for some context?

thanks!

Tim

Melechuga commented 7 years ago

Hey @timcowlishaw Did you hear back from Tomiwa? I see that his github handle isn't included here, so I wanted to encourage you to reach out via email (in the master) if needed. Thanks!

TomiwaIlori commented 7 years ago

Hello Tim!

Many thanks for your feedback. What I refer to as "current working models designed by Coalitions to work on policy shifts and difficult conversations about the Open Web" are those being used by the ones I am currently part of which is not particularly open to assist with advocacy and strategic implementation. For example, the KeepItOn model uses a listserve where many folks across the world report Internet shutdowns and where concrete rallying of efforts against these shutdowns actually begins. Reason why one of the curators of the KeepItOn Coalition is listed as a speaker to share experiences.

Consolidation on this, but with particular focus on Africa and other digital rights-facing issues other than Internet shutdowns only is one of the goals of the session others being working towards making it a hub for policy information and on the long-term research feeder on digital rights situation in Africa.

Does this answer your question, at least fairly? Please do let me know if you have more questions!

Melechuga commented 7 years ago

Hi @TomiwaIlori I'm Melissa, with Mozilla's Advocacy team, and I wanted to reach out about stipends. I see in your session proposal that you have 5 other folks who might be co-facilitators. Will everyone need stipend support? Are there folks who would consider sharing a hotel room? It'd be really helpful to get an idea of the support everyone needs. Thanks!

TomiwaIlori commented 7 years ago

Hi @Melechuga. I doubt very much if they'll need stipend support. They are those I envisaged would be at the festival whose schedule I can book for the session.

Thanks!

bunnybooboo commented 7 years ago

CONGRATULATIONS! Your session proposal has been accepted.

@TomiwaIlori our team will be in further contact with you via email in the coming days.

TopeOgundipe commented 7 years ago

Hi Melissa, @Melechuga Hi David @bunnybooboo My name is Tope Ogundipe, Director of Programs at Paradigm Initiative, where @TomiwaIlori works as a program assistant supporting our digital rights advocacy program. Tomiwa would be leaving our organization soon, and I want to have a conversation about what is required to transfer his sponsorship to his manager; Boye (he is yet to be included on this platform) under whose supervision Tomiwa completed the session proposal, and who would be responsible for implementing our session proposal at the festival. Kindly guide on appropriate steps. Thank you. Tope

Melechuga commented 7 years ago

Hi @TopeOgundipe - Thanks for being in touch! I've reached out to both @TomiwaIlori and Boye via email. There's no problem is having Boye join us in MozFest to facilitate this session. If we could move this conversation to email, that might be easier -- please ask Tomiwa or Boye to add you into the thread if needed. Thanks! Melissa

TopeOgundipe commented 7 years ago

Thank you @Melechuga I have done as you suggested.

bunnybooboo commented 7 years ago

Logistics internal details have been edited accordingly. This issue can be edited to reflect this change, ahead of Mozfest Program deadline, at a later date.

kaodro commented 7 years ago

Hi @TopeOgundipe , my name is Kasia and I work on Mozilla’s Internet Health Report. At Mozfest we will be present with an “Internet Research Hub” #618 (last comment) - an easy-going, cozy space for discussions and networking both with us about Internet Health and among researchers themselves.

We also invite anyone who does work in an Internet research field to sign up and present their work at a couple of open display tables we will have in the hub. If you would like to present something in the Hub in addition to your official session, let me know! We will promote these sessions throughout the festival. You can sign up spontaneously with pen and paper on site or if you would like to save a spot beforehand, drop me an email at kasia@mozillafoundation.org with a short description of the session.

In any case, I would like to invite the facilitators of this session to pass by the hub and say hi. We will start with an informal "Research and coffee grinder” get-together at the beginning of the festival where people can get to know each other. Space and exact schedule for the Hub are still being decided and I will update you once we know the details. Hope to see you there!

MozillaFoundation / mozfest-program-2017