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Campaign Activities

The Centre's campaign for 2020/2021 focuses on the impact of new technologies on different aspects of human interaction and its impact on human rights.

Tech4Rights Expo

26 - 29 October 2021

Join academics, civil society, human rights defenders, state and private sector representatives, artists, and many more in exploring how technology influences human rights. Be part of this discussion from the 26th of October to the 29th of October 2021! 

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A day in the life of Wilson 

A #Tech4Rights production: Watch Wilson Macharia demonstrate how technology makes things possible for persons with visual impairments as he takes us through a day in his life.

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Reflections on conversion therapy, current practices, emerging technology, and the protection of LGBTQ+ rights in Africa

14 September 2021

This episode reflects on the newly launched African Human Rights Policy Paper Conversion therapy: Current practices, emerging technology and the protection of LGBTQ+ rights in Africa. This policy paper has been prepared by the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit at the CHR

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#Tech4Rights- Exploring the downfalls of social media use for protests and activism

3 August 2021

One of the ways Africans are using technology for interaction and to amplify human rights issues on the continent is through social media. Statistics show that Southern Africa has the second-highest social media penetration on the continent, at approximately 41%, placing the region as the second-highest social media users on the continent.

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#Tech4Rights- Confronting online violence against sexual minorities

27 July 2021

This podcast episode is a conversation on confronting online violence sexual minorities. In Africa, several governments have developed laws that criminalise LGBTIQ+ persons and infringe on their human rights. Laurah Arudi, an expert on SOGIE and participants of the Digital Rights in Africa course who are also Paradigm Initiative Fellows, Kofi Yeboah and Emsie Erastus explore the rights of sexual minorities online.

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#Tech4Rights- Children’s rights to privacy in the digital sphere in Africa

20 July 2021

The digital space exposes children to new ideas and diverse sources of information. Using digital technologies also arguably exposes children to new opportunities to learn, reduces inequalities and contributes to the realisation of their rights such as the right to education, the right to privacy, freedom of expression, access to information and public participation.

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Webinar on children’s rights to privacy in the digital sphere in Africa

20 July 2021

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (UP), cordially invites you to a webinar organised by the Children’s Rights Unit and the and the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit. The focus is on children’s rights to privacy in the digital sphere in Africa. This event forms part of the Centre’s campaign #Tech4Rights which focuses on the impact of new technologies on different aspects of human interaction and its impact on human rights.

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The use of assistive technologies for persons with disabilities

24 June 2021

In this episode of Africa Rights Talk Wilson Macharia, an LLD candidate working at the Centre is in conversation with Silver Francis Oonyu, a Disability Rights Advocate from Uganda. Both Wilson and Silver use assistive technology and discuss their experiences as users with visual impairment. Assistive technologies vary depending on the type and degree of one’s disability. This episode touches on various assistive devices, however, the main focus is on those used by persons with visual impairments.

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Access to the internet and internet governance in Africa

6 June 2021

The annual campaign spearheaded by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria is #Tech4Rights: Rethinking a human rights-based approach to new technologies in Africa. The #Tech4Rights campaign focuses on the impact of new technologies on different aspects of human interaction and the impact of technology on human rights. The discussion explores what meaningful access means, based on Part IV of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights resolution on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information on the internet, including conversations on regulatory and operational challenges of licencing community networks in Africa.

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Exploring the implications of online assemblies

27 May 2021

In its seminal General Comment on the right of peaceful assembly, adopted last year, the UN Human Rights Committee found that Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights “protects peaceful assemblies wherever they take place: outdoors, indoors and online; in public and private spaces; or a combination thereof.” In the process of developing this General Comment over the previous two years, the question of the extent to which the right could be exercised wholly-remotely had been one of the most frequently-discussed topics. In 2019 CGHR put together a Research Pack on the issue, and hosted an Expert Meeting for members of the Committee and other stakeholders to discuss the full implications.

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The right to privacy in the digital age in Africa

24 May - 28 June 2021

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, with the support of Google, is presenting a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the right to privacy in the digital age in Africa. The course focuses on the key elements of the right to privacy and data protection in the digital age in Africa. The course aims to educate and set the tone for an improved data protection landscape within the African region.

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Report Launch

17 May 2021

The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is hosting a virtual launch of a new report titled Report on Current Practices in Conversion Therapy, Emerging Technology, and the Protection of LGBTQ+ Rights in Africa. The launch features a webinar panel discussion and a Q&A session with the audience.

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Other Planned  and Proposed Activities

  1. A series of activities that focus on the interlinks between human rights generally, the right to health specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic and technologies within the African context.
  2. The creation of an advocacy toolkit aimed at civil society organizations on how to better use digital technologies to further their work in protecting human rights;
  3. Book launch and the state of privacy in Africa;
  4. Multi-stakeholder dialogue: Training sessions for judges, police officers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and interested stakeholders.
  5. Human rights and technology conference;
  6. University debate competition. 

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