In focus

At the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF), 14–17 April, CIPESA, under the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) project co-funded by the EU, convened a timely peer-to-peer dialogue on how civil society organisations in West Africa can move beyond simply attending Internet Governance Forums (IGFs) to using them as spaces for agenda-setting, coalition-building, [...]... (See more)

From artificial intelligence to digital infrastructure, digital developments raise critical questions about human rights, environmental sustainability, democratic governance, and digital inclusion. To contribute to these conversations, Forus is launching a new interview series under the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) project co- funded by the European Union, highlighting diverse perspectives on some of [...]... (See more)

By Dr Muhammad Shabbir Digital accessibility for persons with disabilities is not charity, decoration, or technical polish. It is a condition for equal participation. But the larger failure is not limited to awareness. It lies in a persistent confusion that weakens digital policy: the belief that ‘internet access’ and ‘digital accessibility’ mean the same thing. [...]... (See more)

In the global rush to regulate Artificial Intelligence, a dangerous consensus seemingly has formed: that the real drama of AI lies in the future – in existential risks, deepfakes, or algorithmic bias. But for persons with disabilities, the crisis of AI is already here, and it is older than the technology itself. It is the story of [...]... (See more)

European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) has published two sets of publications as part of the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) initiative, designed to help civil society navigate global digital governance more effectively.  The first publication, titled ‘Navigating key global digital governance processes: Practical handbook for civil society organisations’ is a handbook that [...]... (See more)

Empowering civil society to shape digital policy The Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is strengthening the ability of civil society organisations (CSOs) – especially those from the Global South – to play a stronger role in shaping digital policy. The programme, developed and delivered by DiploFoundation, guides participants through a practical, step-by-step learning [...]... (See more)

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a core accountability mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). It examines the human rights performance of every UN member state on a rotating basis. Each country undergoes a review approximately once every four and a half years. The UPR process relies on three information sources. These [...]... (See more)

The Youth Voices for Digital Rights programme was designed to bring young people into discussions that shape today’s digital environment. Younger generations live in a world where most aspects of their lives are recorded as data. They use digital platforms more than any other age group and feel the impact of emerging technologies most directly. [...]... (See more)

Forus has launched Your Clicks, Your Rights, a 10-episode multilingual video series that examines how digital technologies and policies shape human rights, equity and inclusion. Each short episode explains a core issue in today’s digital environment, from online freedoms and data governance to cybersecurity, AI, gender justice and civic participation, using examples from Latin America, [...]... (See more)

During the 2025 Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa, held from 22 to 26 September in Windhoek, Namibia, CIPESA, in partnership with Small Media, convened a two-day, in-person dialogue focused on digital rights advocacy. The workshop, titled ‘Amplifying Achievements of Digital Rights Advocacy through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR): Testimonies from Our Partners‘, took place [...]... (See more)