Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The FES Africa Regional media project of the Friedrich- Ebert-Stiftung in Namibia, and its partners are hosting a two-and-a-half-day regional conference on Information and Communication Rights in Africa from 31 May to 02 June 2023 in Windhoek.
Digital rights, access to information (ATI), freedom of expression (FOE), press freedom, media sustainability, and human rights issues are at the center of the conference.
According to Poiyah Media, the conference will be an opportunity to examine the challenges facing the region, to learn from each other, and to identify opportunities for collaboration and cooperation to strengthen information and communication rights and democracy in Africa.
“The conference will cover a range of themes and topics, including rethinking access to Information and Human Rights in the Digital Age, an Open and Inclusive Internet for Africa,Intersectional issues and holistic approaches to ATI, FOE and digital rights, surveillance, capitalism, technology and the right to privacy in Africa,shrinking civic spaces- both physical and online, strengthening investigative journalism in Africa among others,” said Poiyah Head Ilke Platt.
The conference will feature a variety of formats, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, fishbowl discussions, and interactive focus groups. It will provide an opportunity for participants to network, build relationships, strengthen their understanding of the issues facing the region and jointly look for solutions to the challenges and share ideas on how best to make use of opportunities
Freya Gruenhagen, Director of Fesmedia Africa said the organisation is excited to be hosting the conference in Namibia
“It is an important opportunity for us to bring together participants from across Africa and the rest of the world to share their experiences and to learn from each other. We believe that this conference will contribute to the ongoing efforts to promote digital rights, media freedom, access to information and fostering democracy on the continent, she said.”
