Towards Building Digitally Resilient Social Justice Organisations in Africa

DRIF 2023, Sarova Stanley Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.

Date: 13 April 2023.
Time: 1515 hrs – 1615 hrs.

Session Summary

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. 

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 format will be a panel session during the DRIF in Nairobi.

The goal of the session is to:
  1. Create awareness of the digital resilience challenges and opportunities for social justice organisations
  2. Explore ways of enhancing the digital resilience of social justice organisations.  
  3. Review the available tools and resources for social justice organisations. 

Draft Programme

TimeDescriptionPerson
1515 – 1520IntroductionGrace Githaiga, KICTANet
1520-1600Panel Session: Towards building digitally resilient SJOs in Africa
Proposed panellists:

Mwendwa Kivuva, KICTANet
Brian Byaruhanga, CIPESA
Brian Nyali, Serianu
Speaker, Ford Foundation
Doreen Ochung’, Access Now
Grace Githaiga, KICTANet
1600-1610Plenary sessionKICTANet
1610-1615Way forward and closingKICTANet

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