This past year has brought many changes across our network and renewed vigour in the work of our members and partners. The COVID-19 pandemic might not be fully behind us, but we have acquired valuable lessons about what it means to build community and plant seeds of change even under challenging conditions.
As we have been reconnecting and building momentum, we have turned our eyes to how we can achieve great impacts in key areas of our advocacy on climate justice, meaningful access, education and digital rights, to name a few priority areas. We have had more opportunities to travel, be together, scheme and dream, and the results have been truly inspiring.
In these eight in-depth stories of projects undertaken with the support of APC subgrants, we present some highlights and achievements by APC members and partners in 2023. We hope you find inspiration in the creativity, dedication and resourcefulness of our network to fill you with energy as we move together into a new year.
Advocacy and education: How marginalised communities are empowered through digital rights
While the COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for us to conduct much more of our work and communication online, it also exposed glaring disparities in digital literacy and access to resources across communities. In Kenya and Nigeria, the APC network has been creating opportunities to train marginalised communities and youth in important digital skills, while simultaneously building empowerment through a deepened understanding of their digital rights.
Promoting open educational resources in East Africa, one school at a time
In many parts of East Africa, lack of connectivity has a big impact on education, especially among the most vulnerable. Addressing this is the goal of Kenya-based organisation Arid Lands Information Network, whose latest project provided teachers and schools with open educational resources. Read more.
“Twenty years of dreams were given a breath of life by a pandemic in Kilifi, Kenya”
For years, Dunia Moja has focused on creating a path out of poverty with the help of digital devices and skills in Kilifi, Kenya. Their main target is youth, whom they train on digital literacy through children’s protection organisation Lamuka Hub. Read more.
Unpacking the liberatory impulse of technology through the gender perspective
Advocating for the protection and promotion of digital rights is a continuous challenge faced by civil society organisations. How do we come to establish equality as a baseline? Read more.
Meaningful access: How we are connecting through community networks and feminist frameworks
Expressing our full range of human rights online starts with ensuring that communities are connected and able to freely access digital resources. In areas where internet access is lacking, community networks have empowered people to create and maintain their own connectivity solutions. Women and people of diverse genders have been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the digital divide, imbuing connectivity models with feminist perspectives to provide meaningful access for all. Take a look at the collective power of communities through projects undertaken in Argentina, Brazil and Costa Rica.
The community networks flowering in Argentina during challenging times
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Argentina saw many community networks flourishing and upholding the country to implement unprecedented policies. The key to this was the awareness of where the most valuable knowledge is: within the communities. Find out more through the journey of AlterMundi. Read more.
How Indigenous villages in Brazil built Nhandeflix, their own streaming platform
Discover how a group of Indigenous villages in Brazil built a streaming platform with content focusing on the Indigenous way of life. They used their own intranet within their community network, as an alternative to attention grabbing by large corporations on the internet. Read more.
Celebrating the Indigenous Cabécar women who hacked the white man's technology
Learn from an inspiring project carried out by Sulá Batsú in partnership with the Alto Pacuare Cabécares Women's Association in Costa Rica. Together, they mobilised technologies and communications to strengthen local women’s voices and agency, while reflecting on the potential impact of being connected to the internet. Read more.
Technology and climate justice: How we are nourishing our planet
Since APC’s beginnings in the 1980s, our network has called for a strong response to the escalating climate crisis. The rampant proliferation of digital devices worldwide has been catastrophic to the health of the planet. In response we have found opportunities to strengthen our advocacy on ecologically responsible design, production, use and disposal of ICTs as we push for a circular economy and greater sustainability. In Bangladesh and India, APC members have been working on innovative solutions to address the growing problem of e-waste.
VOICE is advocating to shift e-waste management in Bangladesh from policy to practice
The process of setting up an e-waste management system in Bangladesh has begun but has been slow to develop. By identifying gaps, reviewing manufacturer compliance and engaging in public awareness campaigns, VOICE mobilises collective action for environmental justice and sustainability. Read more.
Community-driven solutions to developing a repair ecosystem in India
With mounting global pressure to keep up with the latest technology, the scale of our digital demand is resulting in staggering amounts of environmental waste. DEF responded with an inspiring pilot project to tackle the problem of e-waste in two communities in India. Read more.
To browse stories of how APC members have been achieving meaningful impact, visit the Seeding Change column.
How have you been inspired to plant seeds of change in your community? Share your story with us at communications@apc.org