Challenges to freedom of expression

1. Challenges to freedom of expression • The right to freedom of expression is a “foundation right” in society. Defined in Universal Declaration of Human Rights • It protects the right to: • Express ourselves in words, music etc. • Receive and exchange ideas and information • Operates “regardless of frontiers”

2. Why is it important • Essential to our humanity to express ourselves • Enables us to better protect other rights and freedoms • Provides the basis of democracy by allowing the exchange of ideas and opinions • Enables human development

3. What does it need? • To express ourselves we need means of communication • - One to one conversation • - To meet as groups in association • - One speaking to many • Otherwise the right is meaningless • All of these operate in different ways and by different rules

4. What limits free expression? Geographical and linguistic boundaries Create a global, accessible communications network carrying all kinds of content available through different devices Technical limits An environment where 1 to1, group conversations and 1 to many communication happen side by side Censorship, direct and indirect Traditional “gatekeepers” and bottlenecks - government, corporations, “mediators” -undermined Commercial factors Do networked digital communications affect these limits? }

5. A communication democracy? The content layer – the subject matter of the communication • It depends who controls the new environment. • Actors and institutions can exercise influence at a vast number of places in the environment… The Application layer – tools to navigate content. Connectivity & code layer – the ‘language’ or protocols of the communication. The Physical layer – the physical infrastructure that makes communications possible.

6. The issues • How networked communications • Expands the way we get information and debate issues • Increases our ability to act • Offers the possibility of changing politics and empowering people • Increases the opportunities to share and develop human creativity

7. The result • We strengthen and enhance freedom of expression • We increase the capacity of humanity to realise its own potential • We strengthen democracy and democratic participation • We will have new opportunities for sustainable development

8. Unless • Governments control networked communications for their own ends • Traditional media companies take over the environment • Private companies use it exclusively for commercial ends • The technology is turned against us

9. The questions? • Can networked communications help overcome the limitations of monopolisation and censorship in Africa • Can it help build a democratic politics, a more equal society and a vibrant culture • Can we have a global communication environment that is under “public” control, rather than government or business