At its founding, in the late 80s, the internet promised to democratize information, level uneven grounds, and the destroy barriers associated with distance, space, and time. Through promoting communication, coordination, integration at a pace and scale beyond the ability of any government to halt, the connectivity set a foundation for dichotomies so often aligned with colonialism, imperialism, and globalization.

Today the internet is not just about inscrutable abstracts on the potential merits of its ubiquity but rather its impact and probable effects on a global scale.…

Africa continues to work towards addressing the internet access and use divide. However, we now need to find a seat at the table of emerging data-driven solutions. These technologies offer the potential to make life easier and improve decision-making. Specifically, Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to hold the promise of positively impacting education, enhancing financial services, bettering government service…

Recent · FABRICS, Emerging AI Readiness, by Alex Comninos and Martin Konzett, First Edition, 2018, ISBN 978-3-200-05921-4

A lot of industries seem to be overwhelmed by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Some proponents dream of utopias, while some opponents have dystopian nightmares. There is a lack of consensus in interpretations of the current legal and regulatory environments covering the implementation of computer systems leveraging AI and the related concepts of machine learning and deep learning. Interpreting, implementing and complying with the…

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) defines internet governance as the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the internet.1 The internet is a network of autonomous networks of computing devices, which share the same core protocols enabling them to interoperate regardless of the endpoint applications and devices.2

Governance, most simply defined, is a form of control to ensure organisations, communities or societies…

Negative.

That’s the ultimate effect in one word!

Social media taxes are taxes charged for the use of social media platforms. We have seen their implementation in a few African countries, including Uganda ($0.05 per day), Tanzania ($0.05) and, for a brief time, Benin. Similar taxes have also been proposed in Zambia ($0.03). The motivations behind this policy are multiple and layered; some governments are attempting to silence their opposition and those who support them, while others are using this tax as a way to make money.

What does this do…

What is the internet we want? This was a question posed by one of the panels at the 7th African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF), held from the 4-6 November 2018 in Khartoum, Sudan. The question is increasingly important as the development of cybercrimes and cybersecurity legislation becomes a priority for many African governments. The 2014 African Union Convention on Cyberspace Security and Protection of Personal Data or “Malabo Convention” represents political commitment by African states to take measures on a range of issues, including cybercrime. While ratification of the convention…

Africa’s quest to counter fake news, which could also be described as a “fear of criticism”, has become increasingly problematic in light of the recent creation of vague laws to address this challenge. The big men of Africa are absolutely terrified of criticism and now, more than ever, they are being hit with the epiphany of how powerful a weapon the internet is. Citizens no longer have to march through the streets to strike against what they deem unfair; they have a collective voice through the internet. With the current revolution taking place on Twitter, through hashtags and the like,…

In 2014, the African Union Commission (AUC) adopted the Malabo Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection in order to provide fundamental principles and guidelines, ensure the effective protection of personal data and create a safe digital environment for citizens as well as protect individuals’ online data and privacy.

However, unlike the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the African Union (AU) Convention is not automatically…

There is a wave of cybersecurity and data protection regulations being introduced in a number of African countries. Some countries have already enacted these internet laws, while others are in the process of introducing the regulations.

Notably, the introduction of cybersecurity and data protection laws in these African jurisdictions has caused consternation, contestation and debate regarding the process of law enactment and the fact that some clauses or terminologies are understood to be vague. It has also been noted with trepidation that the penalties contained in these cyber…

Something historic happened by the Nile earlier this month. From 4-6 November 2018, at Corinthia Hotel Khartoum by the banks of that gargantuan and historic river which traverses the African continent, stakeholders from across the continent and the world gathered to participate in the African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF).

The setting of the AfIGF by the Nile was perhaps figurative. As a colleague mentioned to me, ‘’Oh, you attended the AfIGF by that very contentious river.” By that, he was referring to plans by several nations upstream the Nile to dam it, for purposes…

The sixth African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG), organised by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and the African Union Commission (AUC), was attended by 35 fellows and 26 faculty members from different countries who came together for five days to brainstorm, teach, learn, network, dialogue and exchange ideas about issues related to internet governance on a global, regional and local level.

When I got the mail from the AfriSIG organisers confirming that my application was successful, I was super excited. I started packing my bag a week prior to the school.…

My interest in internet governance issues was sparked when I coordinated a project on internet access for women in northern Nigeria in 2016 with the ultimate goal of bridging gender digital exclusion and promoting greater access to the use and benefits of internet to women.

Following this experience, I began to apply to participate in internet governance forum events. Initially, I had little success, but my dream eventually came to fruition in August 2018 when I received an invitation to the 2018 African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG). When I first heard about AfriSIG, I was…

No matter how many times I sit in a space that is reflecting on, learning from or critiquing issues around gender, I am always both pleased and flummoxed by the range of perspectives in the room, with some people gasping at the idea that gender is and always has been a spectrum and other people strongly affirming the importance of LGBTIQA inclusion in all spaces including, in this case, on the internet.

APC invited me to participate in this year’s African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG), which took place in Zanzibar, less than 100 metres from the warm waters of the Indian…

I have wanted to attend the African School on  Internet Governance (AfriSIG) ever since I participated in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as an ISOCYouth@IGF fellow last year. It was through this formative experience that I first developed a passion for internet governance. Even with my limited background in the field, I decided to organise the Arusha Women School of Internet Governance (AruWSIG) and the Tanzania School of Internet Governance (TzSIG) with the hopes of sharing my newfound knowledge with my community.

When I received confirmation of my acceptance to AfriSIG, I…

Sur l’art de la négociation par Larry Strickling. Lary S. est un négociateur fin, ayant travaillé sous l’administration de Barack Obama. Cette année, l’école sur la gouvernance de l’internet en Afrique a eu l’honneur les 10 et 11 octobre 2018 de voir la participation de Larry Strickling en tant que formateur.   

“Connais-toi toi-même et tu connaîtras l’univers et les dieux” disait Socrate. Cette citation illustre très bien l’une des grandes leçons exposées par Larry lorsqu’il parle du profil de négociateur. En effet, d’après Larry, chaque être humain, dispose d’un…

When I was first accepted to join the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG), I thought that it would be a dense, academic course, with tech experts and policy makers coming together to discuss issues around internet governance. Coming from a non-tech, civil society background (my work is on curbing hate speech in Nigeria through online reporting and countering), I arrived at AfriSIG as a novice to the internet governance table. My perception was that internet governance is all about monitoring and governing content online with a focus on data…

La 6e École africaine sur la Gouvernance de l’Internet (AfriSIG) qui se tient à Zanzibar en Tanzanie du 11 au 16 octobre 2018, réunit trente-cinq apprenants et une vingtaine d’encadreurs, experts et personnes ressources. L’AfriSIG est un cours intensif annuel d’apprentissage et de partage des connaissances de cinq jours, organisé par l’Association pour le Progrès des Communications (APC) et la…

The Internet Society’s Collaborative Internet Governance Project Workshop, facilitated by Larry Strickling and Fiona Asonga of the Internet Society (ISOC), evaluates different negotiation processes by exploring multiple case studies and scenarios. The purpose of the event is to help fellows from the school of internet governance to build their capacity for effective negotiation in complex, real-life situations.

Having run the event with fellows from the European School of Internet Governance (EuroSIG) and the African School of Internet Governance…

One of the ways the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) equips leading African scholars and activists from diverse sectors, backgrounds and ages to participate in local and international internet governance structures is through a hands-on practicum. This practical exercise is intended to give AfriSIG fellows the chance to participate in multistakeholder decision-making, using available methods and processes in a realistic environment, while discussing an issue related to internet governance. This year, the practicum is focused on the topic of…

This year’s African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) was preceded by a two-day skills training workshop, facilitated by the Internet Society, aimed to equip fellows with the skills to effectively participate in multistakeholder discussions.

Internet governance processes have adopted multistakeholderism as a model for effective dialogue and decision making at a national, regional and global level. A key principle of multistakeholder engagement is that, in order to reach a consensual decision, all stakeholders must be…

Life is a series of relationships, whether business or personal, and each of these relationships must be based on trust. The aim of the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) is to give Africans from diverse sectors and stakeholder groups the opportunity to gain knowledge and confidence to participate effectively in internet governance processes and debates nationally, regionally and globally. For us to achieve that, we must be trustworthy and trusting. Our first exercise during the AfriSIG class of 2018 was the oil pricing exercise, from which I…

Dear AfriSIG Class of 2018,

My name is Chenai Chair and I work for Research ICT Africa. Three years ago, I caught a flight for the first time to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, excited and nervous to be joining the AfriSIG/gigX class of 2015. The Gender and Internet eXchange (gigX) was the inaugural meeting that invited those who worked on gender to chart the course of internet governance from a feminist perspective.

I knew no other student in the programme, but at the end of it I walked out with friends, mentors and a recurring…

As a research officer at Paradigm Initiative, my daily work involves a number of interesting tasks. I lead research on Paradigm Initiative’s annual Digital Rights in Africa report, together with a network of researchers within our organisation and across the continent. I also produce policy briefs and blog posts and manage research partnerships with local, regional and international organisations.

As a member of my organisation’s policy advocacy and communications teams, I’m also involved in policy advocacy and communications in defence of…

The African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) was announced this week as the winner of a 2017 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize, awarded by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in a ceremony at the Geneva International Conference Centre during the annual WSIS Forum 2017.

AfriSIG is a joint initiative of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and the NEPAD Agency. The School aims to give Africans from diverse sectors and…