Tuesday, 25 April 2023, 0800 – 1400 hours EAT
Nairobi, and Zoom
Introduction.
Over the past decade, technology and digital platforms have emerged as critical instruments for the promotion of human rights. Social Justice Organizations (SJOs) in Africa are increasingly relying on technology and digital platforms for their work. However, they have not fully grasped the extent of their dependency on digital technologies, and neither are they fully aware of the opportunities and risks presented by the digital environment for their work. Some of the challenges experienced by organisations in the region include the shrinking civic space; restrictive and hostile operating environments; their limited capacity, knowledge, and awareness of digital resilience; the adverse impact of COVID-19; and funding limitations that inhibit their activities.
The Tatua Digital Resilience Centre.
KICTANet together with other Africa Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA) coalition members established the Tatua Digital Resilience Centre to offer a bouquet of services to SJOs in East Africa to enhance their digital resilience, quickly respond to and recover from digital threats, and harness the power of technology to enable them to achieve their mission in a digitally changing environment. The Centre will initially provide support to SJOs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda working to advance digital rights, and thereafter scale to other organisations in East Africa, and ultimately, the continent. The Centre is also part of a wider network of resilience hubs in the region under the Ford Foundation’s Weaving Resilience initiative for Stronger Civil Society in the Global South.
The Objective of the Meeting.
- Create awareness of the work of the Tatua digital resilience centre.
- Explore ways of enhancing collaboration and partnerships to enhance the resilience of social justice organisations in East Africa.
- Launch the available tools and resources for social justice organisations.
Participants and Format.
The participants shall be drawn from different stakeholder groups, namely: social justice organisations, government, technical community, private sector, academia, media, and donors among others. The event will be a hybrid event which will be streamed through Zoom and on social media to ensure wider reach and engagement.
Virtual Participants Register here.
| Agenda | |
| TIME | DESCRIPTION |
| 08:00 – 08:30 | Arrival and Registration |
| 08:30 – 08:45 | Welcome and Introductions – KICTANet |
08:45 – 09:15 | Opening Remarks Ali Hussein, Chairperson, KICTANet John Walubengo, Chairperson, Tatua Advisory Board Grace Githaiga, KICTANet |
09:15 – 09:30 | Keynote Address – Jessica Horn, Ford Foundation |
09:30 – 10:30 | Overview of the Tatua Digital Resilience Centre, achievements and future plans – Mwendwa Kivuva |
| 10:30 – 10:50 | Tea Break |
| 10:50 – 12:15 | Panel Discussion: Weaving Resilience in East Africa Linda Ochiel, Ford Foundation Robert Kirenga (Executive Director, Uganda Human Rights Defenders Coalition), Protection Hub Lillian Tamale (CivFund, Uganda), Financial Hub Kawive Wambua, Wellness Hub Moderator: Brian Byaruhanga, Digital Resilience (CIPESA) |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Launch of the Tatua Digital Resilience Centre: Website and online tools and services |
| 12:45 – 13:00 | Closing Session |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch |