[kictanet] Fwd: Online Discussions on Promoting Internet Freedoms in Africa (November 11 - December 6, 2013)

[Lillian Nalwoga]

Dear listers,

I would like to draw your attention to this scheduled online discussions
that have began today on some of the listed mailinglists. The contents of
this email is also available @
http://www.cipesa.org/2013/11/online-discussions-on-promoting-internet-freedoms-in-africa/.


*Background*

Africa’s internet usage continues to grow steadily, with an estimated 16%
of the population on the continent using the internet. The increased
availability of affordable marine fiber optic bandwidth, a rise in private
sector investments, the popularity of social media and innovative
applications, and increased use of the mobile phone to access the internet,
are all enabling more people in Africa to get online. In turn, there are
numerous purposes to which users in Africa are putting the internet‐from
mobile banking, to connecting with fellow citizens and with leaders,
tracking corruption and poor service delivery, innovating for social good,
and just about everything else.

The increasing usage of the internet, however, has in some countries
attracted the attention of authorities, who are eager to provide caveats on
the openness of the internet and the range of freedoms which citizens and
citizens’ organisations enjoy online. The popularity of social media, the
Wikileaks diplomatic cables saga and the Arab Spring uprisings have led
many governments including those in Africa to recognise the power of online
media. In a number of African countries, there are increasing legal and
extra-legal curbs on internet rights, in what portends tougher times ahead
for cyber security.


*PIN and CIPESA work on Internet Freedom*

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa
(CIPESA) and the Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) will co-host an online
internet freedom forum during November and December 2013. The purpose of
this forum will be to discuss key online safety matters in Africa. The
forum aims to attract discussions from key ICT experts both within Africa
and outside Africa. The outcomes of the discussions will feed into a report
that will be presented at the first African Internet Freedom Forum to be
held in 2014. Furthermore, it will inform the work of CIPESA, PIN and their
partners that are working in the area of online freedoms.


*Format of the discussions*

Discussions will be hosted on selected online platforms in Uganda, Kenya,
Nigeria and a mailing list comprising Africa Internet Governance experts.
Identified platforms are: APC Africa IG mailing list; KICTANet (Kenya)
mailing list; Information Network (Uganda) mailing list; Naija IT
Professionals mailing list; West African IGF mailing list; and FOI
Coalition (Nigeria) mailing list.

The lists will be moderated by a representative from both CIPESA and PIN.
Each week, a new topic with guiding questions will be introduced on the
listserves and a summary provided at the end of each week. A draft report
will be made available at the end of the fourth week.  This too shall be
posted back on the mailing lists to capture feedback from participants as
well as seek clarification on any issues that might not have been captured
well. A final report shall then be made that will feed into the face to
face meeting as well as be shared on the targeted platforms and on
partners’ websites.


*Discussion Outline *

*Week 1: November 11-15* *Status of Internet Freedom in African Countries*:
Focus shall be on seeking participants’ views on issues of Freedom of
Expression both online and offline; Internet Intermediary Liability;
censorship and surveillance incidents; regulations, laws and policies
governing freedom of expression online and perspectives on the African
Convention on Cyber Security.

*Questions to explore*

1. What are the major issues surrounding online freedom of expression in
Africa?

2. What convergences and tensions exist between freedom of expression and
privacy?

3. What are the implications of approaching the balance between freedom of
expression and privacy from a freedom of expression–centric point of view?

4. What actions can governments, civil society, media and the private
sector take to balance privacy with freedom of expression online?

5. What is the best way to empower users to stay safe online while
protecting their freedom of expression?


*Week 2: November 18-22* *Global Surveillance Revelations and Impact on
Africa*: Focus will be given to global surveillance incidents like the
NSA/Edward Snowden drawing lessons for Africa stakeholders i.e.
governments, activists, CSOs and private sector; how to balance privacy
while maintaining security for citizens.

*Questions to explore*

1. What can African governments learn from the NSA surveillance and Snowden
revelations?

2. What are the current technology trends and which cybersecurity threats
raise the greatest concern?

3. How are evolving Internet services and technologies, such as mobile and
cloud computing services, affecting these security threats?

4. Is there any country data, across the continent, on how surveillance has
really helped to curb – or prevent – acts of terrorism?

5. Are African countries spying on each other? Are there countries that
have shown a tendency to breach the rights of other sovereign nations on
the continent?


*Week 3: November 25-29* *Best Practices on Internet Policy in Africa*:
Discussants will be called to share best practices on internet policies in
Africa.

*Questions to explore*

1. What policies are working in your country and what needs to be
streamlined or strengthened?

2. Are there African countries that offer a model, or close enough to Best
Practice scenarios that can be highlighted for other countries to learn
from, or emulate

3. What are the signs to look out for in our various countries’ ICT
policies, to be sure that the country plans to improve Internet Freedom?

4. What worked well for countries that have shown steady progress in the
annual Freedom House ratings?

5. What can other countries learn from those that have, or are developing,
crowd-sourced (and citizen-led) Internet Freedom Charters?


*Week 4: December 2-6* *Recommendations for Africa*: Participants shall be
called upon to suggest ways to improve internet security, data and privacy
protection in Africa.

*Questions to explore*

1. What elements need to be put in place to ensure all Internet users
(including citizens, companies, government, etc) continue to have
confidence in the Internet?

2. How can African civil society organisations engage ICT policy processes
to ensure that rights are not traded for security?

3. Considering the ongoing discussions around the African Convention on
Cybersecurity, what recommendations should be made to improve the text?

4. How do activists and rights’ advocates protect themselves in scenarios
where government clampdown could affect their work?

5. Should African academia incorporate this new reality into classroom
discussions? If they should, is there a model to learn from?


*Join the conversation*

For more information about the online discussions forum, please write to
CIPESA via programmes at cipesa.org or Paradigm Initiative Nigeria via
info at pinigeria.org. If you are already a member of the APC Africa IG
mailing list, KICTANet (Kenya) mailing list, Information Network (Uganda)
mailing list, Naija IT Professionals (Nigeria) mailing list, West African
IGF mailing list, and FOI Coalition (Nigeria) mailing list, you will
receive the first week's discussion kick-off eMail on November 11.

Thank you!

*--*

-- 
Lillian Nalwoga
CIPESA
www.cipesa.org
+256 712 204335
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