Paradigm Initiative Nigeria will be hosting the world to the 2016 edition of the Internet Freedom Forum in Abuja.
The 2016 Internet Freedom Forum is aimed at focusing on indices around Internet Freedom in African countries and the need for African countries to codify citizens right online. The Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, which seeks to codify online rights in Nigeria, will be reviewed at the forum and presented as a model for adoption by other African countries.
The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms will also be a focal document. The forum will involve Internet Freedom advocates as well as policymakers, lawmakers, academic institutions, civil society from across Africa. It will also involve a moderated panel of experts’ discussion on recent developments and policy direction regarding Internet Freedom across African countries.
Participants will get a chance to introduce ongoing Internet Freedom projects, and formidable partnerships will be formed through the convening. The forum joins other emerging conversations holding on the continent as platforms of discussion that enjoy the context and reality of Africa, unlike most discussions that are held by Africans, on Africa, as side meetings at global events, which only a few advocates are opportuned to attend.
The theme of this year’s edition is “Rights Are Rights, Online or Offline”
The keynote speaker for the event is Nani Jansen. She is the Legal Director of the Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI), a London-based NGO that helps journalists, bloggers and independent media worldwide defend their rights.
Location: Abuja Nigeria
Date: 8th – 9th March 2016
Participation will be strictly by invitation.