Digital rights experts, policymakers head to Tunisia for RightsCon 2019 - a global event on advancing open internet

Business leaders, policymakers, politicians, and human rights activists converge in Tunisia to discuss issues around digital rights and open internet.
RightsCon is a global event on human rights in the digital era and will hold from June 11 to 14 2019.
The 2019 edition is the first in the Middle East & Africa region and will feature discussion around AI and Automation, Data Trust and Protection, Tech for the public good, Privacy and Surveillance Security, Cybercrime and Encryption, Online Harassment, Hate Speech, Violent Extremism among others.

Business leaders, policymakers, politicians, and human rights activists will converge in Tunisia for the 2019 edition of the RightsCon, a global event on human rights in the digital era.

The 8th edition scheduled from June 11 to 14 will hold at the Laico Hotel and the Palais des Congrès, in Tunis, Tunisia capital city.

The 2019 edition is the first in the Middle East & Africa region and will feature discussion around AI and Automation, Data Trust and Protection, Tech for the public good, Privacy and Surveillance security, Cybercrime and encryption, online harassment, hate speech, and violent extremism.

Tech giants and organisations working around the internet will make headlines at the event. Some of them include Google, Microsoft, Mozilla Corporation, Twitter, Private Internet Access, Facebook, Open Society Foundations, Vodafone, Ford Foundation, Humanity United, Internet Society, Paradigm Initiative and others.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Paradigm Initiative, a digital rights organisation, will be represented by 6 team members.

The team, comprising of Rebecca Ryakitimbo (Google Policy Fellow, Eastern Africa), Bulanda T. Nkhowani (Google Policy Fellow, Southern Africa), Rigobert Kenmogne (Program Officer, Francophone Africa), Adeboye Adegoke (Program Manager, Anglophone West Africa), ‘Gbenga Sesan (Executive Director) and Tope Ogundipe (Director of Programs).

In a statement made available to Business Insider SSA by Pulse over the weekend, Paradigm Initiative said each of them will speak on 12 panels and contribute to a series of engaging sessions during the week-long event.

Some of the sessions include ‘Developing a Digital Rights model law for Africa', Elections and Public Discourse in Africa: Do Social Media Platforms Level the Playing Field?’, ‘Changing Practices of Internet Manipulation’, ‘Kunyamazisha: Gagging Online Free Speech in Sub-Saharan Africa’, ‘Improving Cooperation to Advance Human Rights Online’, ‘Putting Users First! The Responsibility of Tech SMEs in the Global South to Respect Human Rights’, among others.

40 executive directors from digital rights organizations across the world at the RightsCon 2018 (Twitter/@solomonbrett) Twitter/@solomonbrett

Adeboye Adegoke, Paradigm Initiative’s Program Manager for Digital Rights in Anglophone West Africa, expressed his excitement. “It gives a great feeling to be going back to RightsCon and share updates on ongoing work and hear from other colleagues from other organisations from across the globe,” he said.

“RightsCon is an important convening for everyone working to advance the open internet. It does not matter what kind of work you do towards this objective, you are going to have the best of minds to engage and share ideas with. The quality of the conversations over the three days will leave you refreshed”, he added.

RightsCon 2019, is convened by Access Now and the sessions will see a blend of interactive and participant-driven sessions fostered by multi-stakeholder representatives who will map out strategies, partnerships and encourage the rise of a community dedicated in pursuant of an open, free and secure internet for the benefit of all.