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The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is set to host the second Forum on Internet Freedom in East Africa taking place on the 28 & 29 September 2015, at Golf Course Hotel Kampala and will coincide with the International Right to Know Day.
As part of the forum the Office of the Prime Minister (Uganda) in partnership with CIPESA and the Africa Freedom of Information Centre will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Access to Information Act, host discussions to evaluate the implementation of the law, how to overcome challenges on implementation and proposals for amendments.
The second State of Right to Information (RTI) in Africa report will also be presented.
The Forum will serve as a platform to discuss how the current state of internet freedoms in Africa affects these engagements. Further, it will also explore the threats online engagements face, how emerging global issues impact upon local users, as well as the opportunities for action to promote access, privacy and security online.
The 2015 edition of the State of Internet Freedom in East Africa Report will be launched at the Forum. Ashnah Kalemera, Programmes Associate at CIPESA, says that,
[signoff icon=”quote-circled”]“This report is the culmination of exploratory research conducted in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda into the threats to access, privacy and security online, as well as the knowledge, attitudes and practices of citizens on internet freedoms in these countries. The insights gathered can help guide policy makers, civil society, telecommunication regulatory authorities in understanding the internet freedom landscape in the region including the challenges, opportunities and developments.” [/signoff]
The Forum brings together human rights defenders, journalists, government officials, academia, bloggers, developers, the arts community, law enforcement agencies and communication regulators, all of whom have a role to play in advancing the rights of citizens to privacy and freedom of expression in the online sphere.
Participants confirmed to attend hail from Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Topics to be discussed include electioneering and extremism in the digital age, press freedom, access to information online, the economics of the internet, digital safety, online violence against women and cybercrime. See the current Programme.
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