Decoding Digital Democracy in Africa

June 16th, 2021 - 9:00 am to 10:00 am PST

The Digital Civil Society Lab is delighted to be partnering with Democracy in Africa to host an event bringing together scholars and civil society leaders exploring the interplay between digital technology, politics, and society across Africa.

This event marks the launch of the publication “Decoding #DigitalDemocracy in Africa”. A collaboration between DCSL and DIA, this collection of 20 essays both summarizes and advances the latest research and policy debates, enabling a fresh and timely understanding of some of the biggest issues facing the continent today – from internet shutdowns and AI regulation to social media mobilization, disinformation, and government surveillance.

Click here to learn more about the publication and download it.

Watch the event recording.

Speakers

• Bruce Mutsvairo - Professor of Journalism at Auburn University in the US, and co-author of Journalism, Democracy, and Human Rights in Zimbabwe
• Nanjala Nyabola - Practitioner Fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab, Stanford University, independent researcher and writer and author of Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics
• Julie Owono - Practitioner Fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab, Stanford University, Executive Director of Internet Without Borders, and a Member of the Facebook Oversight Board
• Herman Wasserman - Professor of Media Studies and Director of the Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town and the author of The Ethics of Engagement: Media, Conflict and Democracy in Africa
• Lisa Garbe - researcher based at the political science institute at the University of St. Gallen and the co-editor of Decoding Digital Democracy in Africa
• Toussaint Nothias - Associate Director of Research at the Digital Civil Society Lab, Stanford University, and the author of Access granted: Facebook’s free basics in Africa
• Nic Cheeseman - Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham, the author of Democracy in Africa and the co-editor of Decoding Digital Democracy in Africa
• Idayat Hassan - Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development and the co-author of Driving Division? Disinformation and the new media landscape in Nigeria