Session
Research ICT Africa
Zara Schroeder, Researcher, Research ICT Africa
Scott Timcke, Senior Research Associate, Research ICT Africa
Moderator: Diana Nyakundi, Research Fellow, Research ICT Africa
Rapporteur: Jamie Fuller, Research Assistant, Research ICT Africa
Zara Schroeder, Researcher, Research ICT Africa
Scott Timcke, Senior Research Associate, Research ICT Africa
Diana Nyakundi
Jamie Fuller
4.7
5.2
5.b
5.c
16.1
16.3
Targets: This work strives to ensure equal access to justice for all, especially minority groups who are located in the Global South. This session also seeks to educate audiences on human rights, democracy, gender equality, and the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence online. Additionally, this work is committed to highlighting and mitigating the harms perpetuated by AI on women and girls around the world through the proliferation of online gender based violence. This project is therefore, closely aligned with the sustainable development goal of Achieving Gender Equality and Empowerment for all Women and Girls. The session also makes policy recommendations to strengthen enforceable legislation that can protect vulnerable women and girls, who are located in the Global South.
15 Minutes: Discussion between the two speakers. This will consist of a 7.5 minute talk from each speaker about the content of their paper and highlights from their findings.
15 Minutes: Q&A from onsite and online participants which will be facilitated by the moderator, where the speakers will be responding to the participants and will be providing further insight into the topic.
This session delves into the pressing concerns surrounding information integrity across various African nations, shedding light on obscured supply chains and engagement markets that profit from spreading misinformation throughout the continent. While acknowledging the multifaceted nature of these issues, particular emphasis is placed on the pivotal roles played by engagement markets and platform governance in facilitating the dissemination of false or misleading content. Adjacent to this analysis, broader debates concerning news delivery, online safety, and algorithm regulation are deliberately sidelined to maintain a focused discussion. Similarly, the intricate link between the proliferation of disinformation and its impact on sociopolitical stability is explored, highlighting the potential consequences of unchecked misinformation campaigns, including inciting violence, validating military coups, and silencing civil society voices. In this way the session will highlight how this work enhances the contribution to peace and development in the Global South. Throughout the session, the inseparable connection between platform governance, AI deployment, and societal dynamics is emphasised. Through extended discussions on how the evolving implications of AI affects online gender based violence and how it exacerbates xenophobia , the session highlights the complex socio-technical entanglements that characterise these issues. As such, the session advocates for policy interventions and recommendations that recognise and engage with the full scope of these entanglements, enriching the discourse on information integrity and aligning with broader democracy promotion efforts.
https://idrc-crdi.ca/en/project/resisting-information-disorder-global-s…
1) The moderator will facilitate questions and comments from and between online and onsite participants.
2) Participation will be facilitated through online resources that can easily be used and accessed by both participants onsite and online.
3) We intend to make use of Miro and Menti Meter to encourage interaction between onsite and online audiences as well as the speakers. These tools will enable participants to engage with the content that will be discussed during the session.