At this year’s Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in Accra, a team from Mozilla Foundation’s Africa Innovation Mradi program will be in attendance to engage with the community of researchers, funders, civil society actors, journalists and tech builders on Fostering Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age, the theme for DRIF 2024.
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Mozilla-led Sessions
Navigating the impact of AI on social justice in East and Southern Africa | April 24, 2024 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm GMT
At DRIF, Mozilla Foundation will convene a session titled “Navigating the impact of AI on social justice in East and Southern Africa.” In this session, a selected cohort of researchers from across Eastern and Southern Africa, supported by Mozilla’s Africa Innovation Mradi program, will share and discuss findings of a research series that explored the intersection of AI, human rights, and gender justice in the two regions.
Presenters: Min'enhle Ncube (Africa Mradi Research Grantee, Zambia), Duduetsang Mokoele (Africa Mradi Research Grantee, South Africa), Joseph Chizongo (Africa Mradi Research Grantee, Zambia), Kabulonga Multi-purpose Disability Cooperative (Africa Mradi Research Grantee, Zambia) and Kofi Yeboah (Program Officer, Mozilla Foundation).
Understanding the Public Participation and Human Rights Gaps in AI Governance in East Africa | April 24, 2024 | 11:10am - 12:10pm GMT
In collaboration with Paradigm Initiative and Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mozilla will co-organise a panel discussion to increase awareness of the shortcomings of existing strategies and the strengthening of civil society’s capacity to advocate for more AI governance that is inclusive and mitigates human rights impacts. The session aims to enable civil society actors to advocate for a more inclusive approach to AI policy-making, and ensure that a broader spectrum of stakeholders, including the public, can actively participate and influence AI policy decisions.
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Mozilla Speaking on other Panel Sessions
Tackling Gendered Disinformation in the Digital Age | April 25 | 11:00am - 12:10pm GMT
Our East and Southern Africa Advocacy Lead, Muthuri Kathure, will participate in a panel discussion with UNESCO, ARTICLE 19 and Paradigm Initiative to raise awareness on gendered disinformation, its manifestations and impact on women and gender non-conforming persons.
Shaping Africa's AI Renaissance: Perspectives from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa for Global Impact | April 23, 2024 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm GMT
Muthuri Kathure will also participate in a panel discussion to share insights on how AI can drive local economic development in these countries while positioning Africa for global impact. The session will explore practical strategies, opportunities, and challenges in leveraging AI to foster holistic growth and innovation.
Trust By Design: Building Women’s Digital Adoption in the Global South | April 23, 2024 | 10:00am – 11:00am GMT
Kristophina Shilongo, Tech Policy Fellow, will be on panel to address the neutrality in discussions of digital trust through assessing the state of women’s digital trust across various domains of tech (e.g. AI, bio-technology, digital public infrastructures). The panel will identify main enablers and limiters of women’s digital trust in Global South contexts, with a focus on tech design and proposing design principles and methods that can best incorporate women’s trust behaviours on digital platforms.
An Internet for and by the people: What we gain when we treat the internet as a shared public good | April 25, 2024 | 10:00am - 11:00am GMT
Also, our Program Officer, Kofi Yeboah, will be part of a panel discussion organised by Wikimedia Foundation to discuss public interest ideals and functions of the internet and exploring what we can do to promote shared, free, and communally governed spaces that allow participation, deliberation, and collaboration to flourish, and what it means to place the public interest at the heart of internet regulation and innovation.
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About Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum 2024
The 11th edition of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF24) is planned for Accra, Ghana from April 23rd to 25, 2024. DRIF offers a forum where discussions on digital rights, inclusion, and policy are shaped, policy trajectories are discussed, and partnerships are forged for action. This year’s DRIF will be held under the theme – Fostering Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age.
If you are interested in connecting with us at DRIF, please fill this form or sign up on DRIF's online community platform.