Pan-African CSOs poised to promote Continent's Image

Selected Civil Society Organizations, passionate about promoting Africa's image on the Internet space met in Accra on Thursday to fine-tune a declaration that aims at enhancing internet freedoms and rights.

The meeting dubbed: "Drafters' Meeting, brought together CSO officials from selected African countries to discuss the 'African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms" , which is an initiative by selected Pan-African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to enable Africans to have full access to the internet and benefit from its usage

Ms Nnenna Nwakanma, an Official from Web Foundation in Abidjan, explaining the concept to stakeholders, said the internet had become particularly relevant to social, economic and human development in Africa and it was important that the resource became accessible, available and affordable for all persons in Africa.

She further explained that the "declaration" sought to protect human rights on line by educating African citizens on the usage of this powerful tool while ensuring that the internet is used to their advantage.

She urged member states of the African Union to support and adopt the declaration in their various countries for the benefit of the citizenry.

Ms. Nwakanma said: "The world is now digital and we (Africans) need to step into the digital economy, arming us in the right way."

Mr. Ato Sarpong, the Deputy Minister of Communications, noted that the internet had become part of the fabric of society and there was a need for its usage to be guided by a collective responsibility.

"We always have to balance our right to internet usage with responsibility," he said giving an example of how someone circulated false messages on Whatsapp to many people on the platform without any sense of responsibility and what harm the false message could cause.

On affordability, Mr. Sarpong, said once Ghana and for that matter Africa gets the policy and the infrastructure right, pricing would be dealt with.

Mr Edeteam Ojo, the Board Chairman of Media Foundation for West Africa, said enhancing Africa's visibility on the digital platform needed a stakeholder approach and called on all interested parties, especially, the technical people to bring ideas and make the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms a success.

"I will like to inspire different groups in different countries to come on board, take up the issues and follow up," he added

Mr Sulemana Braimah, the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, organizers of the Drafters' Meeting, said the meeting was held in Ghana to endorse Ghana's role in freedom of expression, saying, Ghana is respected as one of the freest media in the world.

He expressed hope that the Drafters will succeed in promoting the declaration for adoption and implementation on the continent.