Paradigm Initiative [PIN] November Newsletter

NEWSLETTER

November

In this Issue: Major highlights for this edition: • Mr ‘Gbenga traces PIN roots at UN Science and Tech Commission • PIN fronts surveillance convening prior to Privacy Symposium 2023 • PIN announces its 4th short film will be unveiled in December • PIN Partnerships Officer tackles threats to Africa’s cyber evolution • Leveraging civic spaces for human rights • Road to DRIF24 • X Space: Reflecting on Digital Rights and Inclusion in 2023

Monthly NEWSLETTER Monthly Newsletter

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November 2023

Dear Esteemed Reader,

W

elcome to the last of the ember months.

November went through swiftly paving way for December with its celebrations.

to the cause that has continued to bring us together. We therefore invite you to settle in for an enlightening read.

In this edition, we present you with a captivating overview of the month; A glimpse into our triumphs, the milestones we conquered, and the unique journey we undertook. As we make a final push into the end of the year, we reinforce our commitment

Feel free to share with us your views, updates, thoughts and ideas. We look forward to hearing from you.

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November 2023

Thought Leadership Empowering civil society actors for UNGP implementation

PIN Partnerships Officer tackles threats to Africa’s cyber evolution

Our Executive Director, Mr ‘Gbenga Sesan, early this month, participated in a workshop organised by the UN Human Rights Office through its B-Tech Project for selected African National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) on the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in the tech sector in domestic contexts. He spoke on empowering the voice of civil society actors for the implementation of the UNGPs in the tech sector in Africa, and shared some of the challenges and opportunities that we face as digital rights advocates. He also highlighted some of the tools and strategies that we use at Paradigm Initiative to document, support, remedy, and advocate for digital rights and inclusion in Africa. These include our annual report Londa, our online security tool Ayeta, our digital rights violation reporting tool Ripoti, and our short films that raise awareness and educate the public on digital rights issues.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month commemoration is past, but the challenge of securing Africa amidst cyber threats remains. An article written

by Ms. Bridgette Ndlovu – Partnerships and Engagements Officer, sheds light on how Africa is becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats due to its adoption of digital transformation processes. The solutions it offers range from enhancing digital equality, to prioritising cyber diplomacy and establishing an enforcement mechanism that strengthens accountability. Find time to digest the piece.

Mr ‘Gbenga traces PIN roots at UN Science and Tech Commission

Meanwhile, Bridgette also participated in the first annual Data Governance and Innovation Forum for Africa hosted by the African Union (AU) Commission.The Forum sought to accelerate the implementation of the AU Data Policy Framework, promoting responsible and innovative data use to support the development of an inclusive digital economy and society in Africa. While participating in a session on Africa’s Youth and Data Governance, she highlighted the need to build the capacity of youth on policy formulation on data governance to enhance contribution in the development and implementation of policies that respect human rights and protect the right to privacy.

Mr ‘Gbenga Sesan would later partake in the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD) 20232024 Inter-Sessional Panel Discussion. There, he recalled how far PIN has come. Speaking on the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) outcomes at the regional and international levels, he traced PIN’s roots to WSIS 2003, where he participated in the Rural Youth National Information Society Campaigns.

He also lauded platforms such as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the role they play in creating readiness for the Information Society.

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The Child Online Safety, Protection and Reporting of Abuse in Nigeria (COSPRA) summit by the Ndukwe Kalu Foundation (NKF) of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), was held on November 23rd. Our Program lead for Anglophone West Africa, Ms. Khadija El-Usman joined the plenary session on digital literacy to discuss and deliberate upon the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities. She shared the stage with Dr Hassan Wunmi, President/CEO, High Tech Centre for Nigerian Women and Youths and Ms. Arinola Akinyemi, CEO, DigiSphere Limited. The platform provided an opportunity to speak to child rights protection and the existing framework.

Sani discusses AI and impact at Ake Arts and Book Festival

Mr Sani Suleiman, our Programs Officer, was a panelist at the Ake Arts and Book Festival last week. Sharing the stage with Mrs Ojoma Ochai, Managing Partner at Co-Creation Hub and Mr Olasupo Oyedepo, Co-Founder of the African Alliance of Digital Health Networks.

They discussed opportunities and threats AI poses to the creative community and how best the creative sector can position itself to exploit its benefits on the African continent.

PIN at Nigeria Digital Content Regulation Conference

Child Online Safety, Protection and Reporting of Abuse in Nigeria Mr Kenneth Oyeniyi, our Communications Officer took part in a panel discussion at the 3rd edition of the National Film and Video Censors Board’s (NFVCB’s) Nigeria Digital Content Regulation Conference (NDCRC) in Ikeja, Nigeria. The discussion kicked off with a presentation by Ms. Ana Rodriguez, Policy and Regulatory advisor at Telecommunications Management Group Inc (TMG), themed “Safeguarding children online: A service-specific view of risks and parental attitude.” Panelists exchanged perspectives on children’s participation in online activities and the challenges faced. It was also an opportunity for them to highlight the need for a multi-stakeholder approach in combating the enumerated challenges and how more parents need to be more welcoming and step up their game their knowledge of the workings of the online space in

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order to protect their children from online harm.

service provider, owned by the state, with the exorbitant cost of mobile data, which can slow down digital acceleration.

Leveraging civic spaces for human rights

In his piece, he examined and broke down Paradigm Initiative’s 2022 Londa Country Report on The Gambia. You can read the full opinion piece here.

‘Shrinking civic space in the digital era: Leveraging Digital Civic Space to Defend Human Rights.’ This was the theme of a session by Ms. Thobekile Matimbe, our Senior Manager, Partnerships and Engagements, at the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Summit. The event was held in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and was hosted by the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network in partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Windhoek, Namibia.

Gambia’s internet puzzle: The story of a single connection

Our Communications Officer, Mr Giyo Ndzi, wrote an opinion piece on The Gambia, Africa’s smallest in-land nation, highlighting its single internet Monthly Newsletter

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Events PIN fronts surveillance convening prior to Privacy Symposium 2023

Training Day showcased at the DCN Africa Launch in Lusaka

PIN Communications Manager, Ms. Judith Ogutu presented the organisation’s work at the Digital Communication Network Global Event (DCN) in Lusaka, Zambia which saw the launch of DCN Africa. Speaking on Digital Rights and Inclusion Advocacy in Africa, she used the opportunity to introduce our digital tools - Ripoti and Ayeta how they function, and the benefits they accrue to those who get to engage with them for the protection and reporting of digital rights. She also took out time to showcase Training Day, one of our short films inspired by the Londa report on the state of digital rights and inclusion in Africa.

Paradigm Initiative, Unwanted Witness and the Open Society Foundation brought together academicians, activists and other stakeholders to discuss surveillance and digital repression in Africa on November 5th and 6th this year.

Discussions at the convening focused on findings on the state of digital repression and surveillance in the Western, Central, Eastern and Southern African regions. The event was in prelude to the Privacy Africa Symposium, still in Mauritius, where Mr. Ihueze Nwobilor, Senior Programs Officer at PIN was on the panel to assess the meeting point between effective interventions and data protection. He later moderated a discussion on Surveillance and National Security in Africa where Mr. Adeboye Adegoke, the organisation’s Senior Manager, Grants and Programs Strategy, was panelist. Read more about the convening here.

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Solidarity in commemorating global activities The month of November witnessed several commemorations. The organisation joined countries across the world in recognising International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists to the Africa Youth day, Men’s Day and the 16 days of activism to end Gender-based Violence showing solidarity with journalists and communicators who face violence and repression for doing their job, as well as acknowledging the place of youth in building the continent we want.

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News PIN announces its 4th short film will be launched in December

This year’s edition of the Web Summit was held in Lisbon, Portugal. Attracting thousands of participants from across the globe, it was an opportunity for Paradigm Initiative to present its short films as well as the work it does in fostering digital inclusion. Our Executive Director, Mr ‘Gbenga Sesan was a panel speaker at the session ‘Strength in unity: How to save the internet.’ He also was actively involved in the mentorship hours. At the Summit, we announced plans to launch our fourth short film on World Human Rights Day which will be marked on 10th December, 2023.

The film is based on the Londa 2022 report.

Ahead of the launch, watch the reel which was showcased at the summit. It highlights the three short films the organisation has produced so far.

implications and prospects for 2024. Settling in the post-Covid era, adapting to the rise of artificial intelligence and new technologies, dealing with digital rights violations and milestones, as well as geopolitical tensions are but a few highlights we will touch on at the space on 1st December, 2023.

Road to DRIF24

X Space: Reflecting on Digital Rights and Inclusion in 2023 With 2023 fast running to an end, Paradigm Initiative will be looking back at the road covered and prospects for the next year. As a key player in digital rights and inclusion, Paradigm Initiative is keen on steering conversations around these critical topics, demonstrating impact, mapping out developments and sharing insights into the future based on on-going trends. In this regard, we will be hosting an X Space to discuss some of the key trends and developments that shaped the digital rights landscape in 2023, and explore the

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The 11th edition of Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF24) is closer than ever. Themed Fostering Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age, the event will run from April 23 – 25, 2024 in Accra, Ghana. Paradigm Initiative is currently receiving calls for proposals via this link. The call will remain open until 14th January, 2024. At the same time, PIN has announced opportunity for

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funding partnerships. The forum is our platform that sets the pace for digital advocacy as well as rights and inclusion conversation in Africa. Feel free to spread the word and encourage those within your circle to be a part of the movement.

For more details on how you can partner with us, reach out through drif@paradigmhq.org.

Data Privacy Brasil, Paradigm Initiative and Aapti Institute announce the launch of the “Datafication and Democracy Fund”

the work they do for the organisation, what drives them and the lessons they have learned.

Head to our website where we have curated amazing stories highlighting the inspiration behind team members.

The fund aims to finance activities that strengthen the work of NGOs in the Global South on issues of datafication and democracy.

Applications are open until February 29, 2024, for the “Datafication and Democracy Fund,” an initiative by Data Privacy Brasil, Paradigm Initiative, and Aapti Institute. The US$ 32,000.00 fund aims to support non-profit and non-governmental organizations in the Global South with active involvement in activities related to politics and the defense of digital rights. The selection process will be based on regional representation.

We will prioritize proposals from organizations that work with or are run by minority groups.

Support the PIN cause Paradigm Initiative has been a driving force for positive change in African communities since 2007. With its roots in Nigeria, and a vision to impact the entire continent,we are a leading non-profit organisation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Development, digital rights and inclusion. Our journey has been punctuated by building trust, experience and a strong organisational culture that empowers youth to thrive in the digital age. Visit our website to learn how you can support us.

You can read the full press release here.

Meet our Team Since the start of the year, we have engaged our team members who work tirelessly to support our cause in multiple African countries. Through the #FacesOfPIN campaign, we continue to highlight

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