The 17th edition of the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF), under the overarching theme Resilient Internet for a Shared Sustainable and Common Future, is being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and online from 28 November to 2 December 2022.
As stated in APC’s 2022 IGF priorities document, “an important part of the value of the IGF lies in its potential to encourage critical debate and conversation, to share information about the situation in a particular country and discuss possibilities to respond to the diverse ways in which people, groups and communities are impacted by different factors in their own contexts.” To this end, APC is proudly inaugurating a daily audio segment during the IGF where we hope to provide a free space for local voices in the host country to speak up and to learn from them. We expect this to be a valuable learning space to engage with local actors on the ground every year during the IGF.
This year, Local Sound Bites will feature a daily short interview with a civil society representative anchored in issues we care about. We hope you will join us in facilitating the inclusion of local Ethiopian voices during this crucial event and calling attention to the human rights and humanitarian situation in the country. This will also build on the FIFAfrica 2022 session that the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and APC co-organised.
We expect to discuss and engage with the human rights and media freedom situation everywhere the IGF is held.
Episode 1: Local Sound Bites at the Internet Governance Forum 2022 in Ethiopia
In this episode of Local Sound Bites we talked to Selamawit, global advisor for FRIDA – The Young Feminist Fund, and digital security researcher and trainer from Ethiopia.
Episode 2: Local Sound Bites at the Internet Governance Forum 2022 in Ethiopia
In this second episode we spoke to Atnaf Brhane, an Ethiopian activist and human rights defender who is one of the founders of the Zone 9 Bloggers network and co-founder of the Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy. Brhane has a strong focus on internet shutdowns and their impact on human rights.
Episode 3: Local Sound Bites at the Internet Governance Forum 2022 in Ethiopia
In this third episode we spoke to Adugna Necho, head of the Hardware and Networking Department at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty at Bahir Dar University, and president of the Internet Society Ethiopia chapter.
Episode 4: Local Sound Bites at the Internet Governance Forum 2022 in Ethiopia
In this fourth episode we spoke to Rehobot Ayalew, fact-checker and founder of Niqu Ethiopia consultancy.
Episode 5: Local Sound Bites at the Internet Governance Forum 2022 in Ethiopia
In this last episode of Local Sound Bites we spoke to Mahlet Abreham, programme director at the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center.