A delegation from the Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a digital rights organization will join hundreds of global players this week at one of the world’s leading human rights summits, which will take place at Taipei in Taiwan, from today 24th to 27th February 2025.

The team, headed by ‘Gbenga Sesan, PIN's Executive Director, includes Thobekile Matimbe, Senior Manager for Partnerships and Engagement, Judith Ogutu, Communications Manager, Miriam Beatrice Wanjiru, Programmes Officer for East Africa, and Bridgette Ndlovu, Partnerships and Engagement Officer.

The summit, held annually by RightsCon and organized by Access Now, a non-profit organisation dedicated to defending and expanding digital rights. Access Now combines direct technical support, strategic advocacy, grassroots grant-making, and convenings to support communities at risk while advocating for human rights in the digital era.

At the summit, the PIN team will engage in multiple panel sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions, and private meetings, offering thought leadership on key topics such as emerging technologies, content moderation, data protection, encryption, global processes, trust and safety, internet shutdowns, digital inclusion, journalism, surveillance, and online accountability.

Gbenga will speak at several panel sessions, where he will share valuable insights, including discussions on Journalism and Surveillance, Accountability Online, Battling Shadows: The Global Struggles against Attacks on Journalists, and the #KeepItOn Community Meetup.

Thobekile Matimbe will contribute to several sessions, including: Reimagining the Balance between Individual and Collective Approaches to Privacy and Data Protection, Data-driven Harms; European Digital Rights (EDRi), Courting Digital Authoritarianism: The Global South’s Strategic Litigation Handbook on Internet and Platform Shutdowns, Empowering Collaboration: Bridging the Gap between Trust & Safety Teams and Civil Society in the Global Majority, Advancing Digital Inclusion for Women with Disabilities across Africa and Beyond, and a collective strategy session on The Road to WSIS+20 and Other Internet Governance-Related Processes.

Miriam will speak on Local vs. Global: Equitable Non-English Content Moderation and Algorithmic Transparency in the Acquisition and Deployment of Emerging Technologies by Global Majority Governments. Bridgette Ndlovu will lead a discussion on Connectivity as Aid: Digital Inclusion or Digital Capitalism.

Ahead of the event, Gbenga stated that the PIN team will bring critical thought leadership to RightsCon 2025, participating in various discussions that will shape the future of digital rights and inclusion.

“As we navigate the complexities and dynamic developments in the sector, we will reinforce the need for accountability, transparency, and digital equity. Through our panel sessions, workshops, and strategic meetings, we aim to amplify voices from the Global South, advocate for meaningful policy shifts, and collaborate towards an open and inclusive digital future.”

As one of the leading voices in digital rights and inclusion, PIN annually monitors the landscape and publishes the Digital Rights and Inclusion in Africa report, known as Londa. The 2023 edition covers 26 African countries, and the 2024 report is set to be released in April this year.

To reach a broader audience and simplify the report's content for diverse groups, PIN produces short films, with the latest being Undersight. The organization has also developed two digital toolkits: Ayeta and Ripoti.

PIN also produces policy briefs, provides capacity building for key stakeholders and NGOs on relevant sector issues, advocates for digital rights and inclusion, engages in strategic litigation, and connects underserved African youth with digital opportunities.

PIN organizes the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF), with registration now open for the 12th edition, scheduled to take place in Lusaka, Zambia, from April 29th to May 1st, 2025.

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