As Africa undergoes a rapid digital transformation, the question of how to best safeguard digital rights while maintaining a free and open civic space has become increasingly urgent. Across the continent, stakeholders from all sectors continue to push back against state-imposed restrictions on online platforms and internet access, online harassment, and other methods for reducing the digital rights of citizens.

In Casablanca, Islah.city has taken root as a transformative initiative, reshaping how citizens engage with their local government. It is not just a tool for reporting issues; it is a catalyst for change and an embodiment of the power of civic participation. This platform, which leverages the FixMyStreet open-source platform originally developed by MySociety in the UK, transcends traditional barriers to civic participation to seamlessly connect citizens with their local government.

A last-minute set of circumstances led me to be able to attend events on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum this year. I wanted to share some thoughts, but first a disclaimer: these are based on being in and around Davos for the past few days, but in the stratified system of the elite, I wasn’t even able to step foot in the Kongress Center where the main World Economic Forum takes place. Maybe next year. 

In 2022, NDI partnered with Digital Grassroots to deliver the Digital Rights Learning Exchange (DRLX) program