In recent years we discussed the role of bloggers during disasters, we showed the latest digital tools in activism and continued the conversation about the digital gap.

This year we propose to tackle two hot items: African digital outcasts and Internet privacy.

South Africa is the only African country with similar Internet penetration and access figures as those in Europe and North America. Morocco and Egypt follow just as Seychelles and Mauritius – Kenya and Nigeria are leading Subsaharan countries in Internet development (See Wikipedia, Internet in Africa). There are many obstacles to the accessibility of Internet services in Africa: low levels of computer literacy, poor technological infrastructures, high costs, electricity problems and other more pertinent issues like hunger and natural disasters.

However, during past DCIs digital outcasts have been at the centre of attention and our speakers have tried to give the digital outcast a voice (Rising Voices), the right tools (Ushahidi) and start-up information (Mobile Active) which all underline the importance of Internet access for Africans in freedom of speech, freedom of information, activism and much more.

In the past 6 years we at DCI have had the opportunity to meet with bloggers, digital activists, media workers, entrepreneurs, NGOs and creative project leaders who, in Africa, have made a difference to their communities with the help of digital-, social- and mobile media. During this 7^th DCI we look at successful grassroots projects that offer digital outcasts opportunities. The project leaders, together with an empowered community member, present the case study and discuss the adoptability of their idea in other African regions and countries.

To create a bigger impact and make proper use of all the present brainpower, DCI would like to try something new and host afternoon round-table sessions in which our delegates construct feasible project plans under surveillance of one of the speakers. In this creative session every group prepares a short video (they can use their cell phone) in which they present their idea that will give digital outcasts the opportunity to join the digital world in a way that empowers them and their community or encourages access to the Internet and freedom of expression and information. These videos will appear on the DCI website and, if good enough, can be taken to funders.

Internet privacy

The number of Internet users is growing, as is the number of Internet privacy related news. Internet privacy involves the right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the storing, repurposing, providing to third-parties, and displaying of information pertaining to oneself via the Internet (See Wikipedia, Internet privacy). Therefore DCI would like to include a ‘privacy matters’ campaign in which (h)activists set up a number of presentations and trainings on safe use of the Internet and other privacy-related challenges during the Indaba.

DCI aims

- To present successful African case studies of projects that offer African digital outcasts opportunities in the digital world and discuss the adoptability of these case studies in other African regions and countries

- To offer a platform in which our delegates get the opportunity to share their knowledge, be creative and prepare plans/ ideas to assist digital outcasts to join the digital world in a way that empowers them and their community or encourages access to the Internet and freedom of expression and information

- To add to the knowledge about Internet privacy and to grow awareness so our delegates can involve all valuable information in their work and daily lives.