By Asimwe John Ishabairu |
As part of efforts to build digital rights movements in Africa that are impactful and sustainable, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) trained civil society organisations (CSOs) from Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe on digital rights advocacy and campaigning. The training, which was conducted February 6-7, 2024, in Dakar,…
By CIPESA Writer |
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has conducted a digital rights training for staff of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in a programme that benefitted 22 experts from various departments of the statutory entity.
The training was a response to the desire by the commission to build its organisational capacity in…
By Edrine Wanyama |
Since 2016, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has been partnering with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) to improve African digital civic spaces.
At the September Forum on internet Freedoms in Africa, CIPESA and ICNL convened a digital rights hub in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania aimed at promoting…
By CIPESA Writer |
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has joined a conglomeration of international organisations and experts to develop a charter aimed at guiding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the media.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSJ), the group that is coordinating the development of the Charter, 16 partner organisations, as well…
By Brian Byaruhanga |
Over the years, journalists in Uganda have confronted a relentless tide of harassment, censorship, and physical violence as they diligently performed their duty. As reported by the Press Freedom Index, compiled by the Human Rights Network of Journalists, incidents of violations and abuse against journalists in Uganda have surged over recent years, climbing from 163 in 2018,…
By Edrine Wanyama |
On April 28, 2023, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) submitted comments on the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to the Committee on Finance, Planning and Economic Development of the Uganda Parliament. The comments argue that the proposed law would undermine access to and use of digital tools and services.
The bill, among…
Announcement |
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is calling for proposals to support digital rights work across Africa. The current call is particularly interested in proposals for work related to:
Data governance including aspects of data localisation, cross-border data flows, biometric databases and digital ID
Digital resilience for human rights defenders, other activists and journalists
Censorship and…
By CIPESA Writer |
The Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) is an annual convening hosted by Nigeria based Paradigm Initiative. Themed “Building a sustainable Internet for all”, this year, the event is being hosted in Nairobi, Kenya on 12-14 April. DRIF is a platform where conversations on digital policy in Africa are shaped, policy directions debated and partnerships forged for…
By CIPESA Writer |
In many Sub-Saharan countries, state surveillance, which generally refers to state measures to monitor and supervise activities of the population, has become more pervasive and reliant on various digital technologies. The increasing communication surveillance, which entails the monitoring, interception, collection and retention of information through communication networks, undermines digital technology users’ rights, including to privacy, and…
By Paul Kimumwe |
Internet freedom in Africa has been on the decline over the past years with several countries continually adopting repressive measures that curtail civil liberties. Many governments have embraced digital authoritarianism, which has resulted in criminalisation of speech online, internet disruptions, arrests and prosecution of social media users, and abuse of citizens’ data rights, thus undermining free expression and civic participation.
Several…