The event was aimed at capacity building of journalists and stakeholders on advocating and lobbying towards a digitally inclusive and rights respecting Zimbabwe. To achieve the aforementioned, we took part in strong conversations, shared learns from the Zambian environment and built around digital rights, inclusion in regards to internet law and policy, unmasking online media freedoms, and the implications of the Data protection Act on Digital Rights in Zimbabwe.
Nkosikhona Sibanda from MISA Zimbabwe welcomed all stakeholders and participants and emphasised that the conversation on digital rights has come at an opportune time because the usage of ICT tools has increased in Africa. Nkosikhona explained that ICT tools are being used to communicate and participate in democracy globally. Mr. Sibanda reminded the guests at the forum to keep people at the centre, sustainability, solidarity and inclusion, participation and freedom of choice as they made contributions to the conversation.
Thobekile Matimbe also reiterating that Paradigm Initiative envisage communities in Africa flourishing and enjoying digital rights and inclusion in discussions on digital technology and ICTs at large.
Thobekile emphasized that it is important to unpack what digital rights are and what inclusion is about for fruitful engagements and results in Zimbabwe. There is a general misconception that the conversation on digital rights is different to that of Human rights. Thobekile however asserted that it is not divorced because the conversation is about privacy, freedom of expression and access to information as rights due to human beings, any breach is a violation. These rights must be respected online as we do offline.
The Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum is a convening where diverse stakeholders interrogate digital rights, build towards a digitally inclusive and rights respecting Zimbabwe. It spotlights the gaps with regards to access, safety and affordability and focusing on creating lasting solutions without leaving anyone behind.
This is the ninth edition of the Digital Rights Forum (DRIF22). It is hosted by Paradigm Initiative- a pan African organization and in the past, it was hosted in Nigeria where the headquarters are located. With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and innovation, the conference evolved into a hybrid online event. Since 2021, it (DRIF) has been hosted online with physical in-country sessions. Similarly in 2022, it was hosted online from the 12- 14th of April online with in-country physical sessions such as the Zimbabwean meeting. The aim is to together couch meaningful strategies to shape the environment in which we operate in and best foster freedom of expression, access to information and privacy online.
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