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In the fast paced digital world that we live in, a lot that has do with our lives is on the Internet. Whether one uses the Internet for business or pleasure, it still forms a great deal of a person’s personal life. For those of you who disagree, how would you feel if somebody went through your emails, checked into you bank balance without your consent, or even being denied access to parts of the Internet based on your gender? This is why the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Global Partners Digital, Media Foundation West Africa, Media Rights Agenda, Web We Want and the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI) Working Group, believe that online users should have rights. Internet Rights are Human Rights, and this is why you should attend our side event to the 58th Ordinary Session to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).
Why attend?
With growing numbers of national level legislations that aim to regulate and, in some cases, control the free and open Internet, it is now crucial to strengthen the protection of freedom of expression online and spur the development of rights-based Internet policies in the region.
What will the workshop focus on?
The meeting will discuss the impact free expression online has on human rights, media freedoms and women’s rights, and explore opportunities for the development of stronger rights-based Internet policies in Africa.
What do you get out from attending the workshop?
It will introduce participants to the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, a tool for engaging policy makers and businesses at regional and national level – and provide an opportunity for African human rights defenders and Internet rights advocates to learn from one another and collaborate more closely.
Intended outcomes of the workshop?
Together, we want to discuss concrete ways forward in order to strengthen and promote rights-based internet policies and work collaboratively to draft text for inclusion in the NGO statement to be presented at the opening of the Ordinary Session.
Who is organizing the workshop?
This meeting is organised by the Secretariat of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms in cooperation with the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI) Working Group.
Additional Resources
Agenda of side event
Feminist Principles of the Internet
Submission in advance of the consideration of the periodic report of South Africa, Human Rights Committee, 116th Session, 7 – 31 March 2016
Digital Security First Aid Kit for Human Rights Defenders
Human rights online: New issues and threats
FAST Africa
See you there!
Catch us on Twitter if you can’t join us at @AfricaNetRights and use the hashtag #AfricanInternetRights
For more information about the event please write to Emilar Vushe-Gandhi at emilar@apc.org
For the travel logistics advisory click here
