The internet is a global social space for interaction and a platform where people from diverse social backgrounds used as a medium to communicate, make friends, build relationships with people across borders, and engage in business enterprises for a scale up and visibility. In our digitally connected environment, we can see what is happening around the world in a moment notice. This social space has enable hundred of millions of people globally to sit at the comfort of their homes and offices to interact with the global audience around the world with ease. Citizens all over the world have found this social space as a veritable platform to express their opinions, views and perspectives bordering on issues as it affects them. Civil society organizations (CSOs) and human rights defenders all over the world have used the open internet space to advocate, engaged and demand for social justice, good governance, accountability and probity in governance and also to hold their governments and political leaders at all level of governance accountable to them. But this fundamental freedom and human rights has been most times distorted by authoritarian leaders for their selfish interest through the use of digital authoritarianism. The term "Digital Authoritarianism" has taken a serious toll on the already shrinking global civic space. Before l delved into this subject matter, let us know what "Digital Authoritarianism is all about. "Digital Authoritarianism" means the use of technology to suppress human rights. It is also known as "Techno- Authoritarianism". "Digital Authoritarianism" is the way that many leaders around the world wield the power of the internet and technology to gain and solidify control over their people. The rapid growth of technologies including state of the art facial recognition technology, internet filters and controls, digital surveillance and censorship, and social media have fueled the authoritarian dreams of many leaders throughout the world who see these advances in technology as new tools to dehumanized and control their people. They has been a growing trend of leaders using technology in order to strengthen their ruling power and attain growing influence around the world. Digital authoritarianism is the extension of authoritarianism into the cyber realm. In authoritarian countries, political power is consolidated by a single ruler or party regardless of the will of the state. Whether through digital or physical means, authoritarian leaders aim to quell dissent and perpetuate their rule. Indicators of authoritarianism include a weak civil society, the promotion of narratives about grave threats, and institutionalization of the coercive apparatus and executive authority.
DIGITAL RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.
Digital authoritarianism has been imposed by the government in a country such as China. lnternet censorship is very pronounced in China, sites like Google and social media tools like facebook and twitter are censored and all blocked. The government blocks website content and monitors internet access. The internet was suspended and banned by the Chinese government which has deprived the Chinese people of their fundamental human rights of access to information, freedom of speech and expression online which is an infringement on their digital rights as citizens to access the open internet space. This cut off the citizens from the rest of the world and also stands as a stumbling block for human rights defenders and other active citizens who have the advocacy power to engage their government online on governmental and political issues, not to be able to air their views, free speech and expressions.
Other countries such as Saudi Arabia, lran, Syria, Cuba,Vietnam, Pakistan, Egypt, and Sudan places digital surveillance on the internet which makes the internet space not to be free for citizens to access information and have right to free speech and expression online. The internet is a free entry platform with no hindrances for internet users as long as users are data enabled. But this benefits has not been enjoyed by some users in different parts of the world on online presence, as their government and sometimes internet service providers (ISP) places surveillance mechanisms and regulatory frameworks to gagged up the digital space, thereby depriving millions of internet users of their right to access to information. Google restricts access to some of its business services to certain countries or regions such as Crimea, Cuba, lran, Myanmar, North Korea and Syria. Countries like China, North korea, Turkmenistan and lran have blocked social media access for the past years.
"Digital authoritarianism" is an obstacle to free access to information, free speech and expression online, it limits the content of information accessible to internet users and is a great violation of the internet users digital rights. Recently, on the 4th of June 2021, the Nigerian government suspended twitter, a global social media tool and places a ban on the organization's services in Nigeria. This development has deprived over 40million Nigerian users of twitter handle of their digital rights of access to information, free speech and expression online through this medium. The Nigerian government also made pronouncement to punish any Nigerian who uses twitter handle in the country to tweet their views to be charged to court. This is a typical example of digital authoritarianism in practice by the Nigerian government. The suspension and the continuous banned on the open internet by some countries in the world is an infringement on the digital rights of the citizens and as such should be condemn and opposed by all well meaning citizens, social advocates, human rights defenders and civil society organizations from around the world.
The global civic space continues to shrink as a result of the oppressive and repressive authoritarian laws and policies imposed by dictators on the online space. Civic actors, human rights defenders and digital activists all over the world faces serious human rights violations and abuses online, threat to life and most times abductions by government owned security outfits simply for using the digital media platforms to constructively opposed and criticises the government in power and their evil political agendas. The civil society being one of the three spheres of influence in the society is always at the receiving end by those in the political corridors of power who always uses their political power to harass, victimize, intimidate and most times incarcerate civic actors and human rights defenders for speaking up and being a voice for the voiceless in the society. Many civic actors and human rights defenders across the world have been incarcerated for years without trials by the political gladiators in power for speaking up against the evils of misgovernanace, embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds, maladministration, corruption in high places, high handedness and arbitrary abuse of power and office of the political leaders.
In conclusion, to tackle these anomalies, civic actors, human rights defenders and civil society organizations must come together from across the globe to build strong formidable coalitions and alliances. Strengthen existing networks and collaborations to create synergies and build a formidable global voices to speak up against the evils of any barbaric, anti-people, repressive laws and draconian policies of any dictatorial government clamping down on the civic space in any country of the world. These coalitions, alliances and networks should also serves as a global forum to call for solidarity for civic actors and human rights defenders any where in the world in difficult situations.
To further buttress the point and the need for digital rights across the world, in a landmark resolution adopted by consensus, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) affirms that " The same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular, freedom of expression" (HRC resolution 20/8 June 2012). Deeply concerned about the increasing number of human rights violations online - freedom of expression in particular - documented by the UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Human Rights Council (HRC) has considered follow-up resolutions on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the internet where it recalled states to respect their commitments towards safeguarding the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) online with a strong emphasis on the right to access to information and freedom of expression.
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Article 19, as well as to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); It States that; "Everyone had the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".
ON MAPUTO AND BRISBANE DECLARATION I STAND.
- MAPUTO DECLARATION:
The 2008 UNESCO conference on " Freedom of Expression, Access to information and Empowerment of People " in Maputo, Mozambique recalled the importance of freedom of expression in democratization, thereby emphasizing the role it plays in fostering transparency and openness in public debates as well as in decision - making. Besides, UNESCO highlighted the inextricable linkages between freedom of expression and the cultural identity for that a transgression of the freedom of expression is a threat to diversity. Therefore, this declaration is calling upon member states to work for a pluralistic, inclusive communication technologies (ICTs), and to refer to the guidelines of the document if they are to raise awareness on and promote its provisions within the United Nations system and among-st strategic partners.
- BRISBANE DECLARATION:
During the 2010 UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Conference, the participants recalled both the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the two phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). In unanimity, the participants have recognized the right to know or freedom of information as an integral part of the freedom of expression, and acknowledged the challenge of the digital and knowledge divide in bringing the information communication technologies (ICTs) agenda forward. Finally, they have urged the international community to foster cultural understanding and to promote media literacy at all levels of the society.
DIGITAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS MUST INTENSITY ACTIONS FOR LEGISLATION OF DIGITAL AND MEDIA RIGHTS IN NIGERIA.
#DigitalRights #AccessToInformation #Openlnternet #MediaLiteracy #OpenNet #OpenNetGlobal #lnternetFreedom #Digitallnclusion #RightToFreeSpeech #RightToFreedomOfExpression #Paradigmlnitiative #ForumOnInternetFreedomInAfrica #FIFAfrica #FIFAfrica2022 #AllianceForAffordablelnternet #A4Al #DigitalRightsAndlncusionForum #DRIF #lnternetFreedomForum #lFF #FreedomHouse #OpenlnternetAndDemocracyLeaders #WorldMovementForDemocracy #CYPLP #CIPESA #CIPE #NDI #CIMA #NED #ECOWAS #AfricanUnion #EU #UN.
RANK NO 1 ON THE WHOVA LEADERBOARD AT FORUM ON INTERNET FREEDOM IN AFRICA (#FIFAfrica2021) HELD ON THE 28TH - 30TH SEPTEMBER 2021.
A BRIEF PERSONAL BACKGROUND OF MR. ENOBONG EKWERE (DIGITAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST) IN NIGERIA.
Comrade Enobong Ekwere is a social influencer, blogger, vlogger, digital rights activist, SDGs advocate and a global citizen. He is the program manager of children and young people living for peace (CYPLP) an organic, voluntary, youth focused and a think- tank non governmental organization based in Kaduna, Nigeria. A Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate of Public Administration (Upper Credit) level from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria. Enobong Ekwere holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered (NIM) Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a graduate member of the institute (Associate member in view). He works with young people in local communities across Nigeria localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and advocating for digital rights and open internet in Nigeria, accelerating action online and offline, engaging duty bearers and policy makers to be accountable for it's implementation by 2030. He is a strong advocate of good governance and democracy, digital rights and open internet, accountability in government, freedom of information, access to information, free press, social justice and social inclusion. As a youth advocate and a global leader who loves to see social reforms in the society, he uses his personalized blog to write compelling stories on developmental and topical issues on national and global concern that shapes and transform people's lives and impact the larger society for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning. He engages in community service and volunteerism, community outreach, social mobilization and advocacy tours to hard to reach local communities in Nigeria advocating and advancing the cause of the SDGs, digital rights and open internet in particular so that no community and youth would be left behind. CYPLP as an organization works primarily in serving vulnerable population of children, youth, elderly persons, persons living with disabilities (PLWD's) and women in unserved, underserved, underrepresented and marginalized local communities in Nigeria.
He can be reached via:
Tel:+2347082558952
Email: julyenobong2020@gmail.com
: enobongekwere825@gmail.com
MY PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/enobong.ekwere.372
TWITTER:
http://www.twitter.com/Enobongekwere2
INSTAGRAM:
http://www.instagram.com/enobongekwere825
LINKEDIN:
https://www.linkedIn.com/in/enobong-ekwere-3271b116b
MY ORGANIZATIONA'S SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/cyplp.net.ng/
TWITTER:
http://www.twitter.com/youngpeoplefor/
INSTAGRAM:
http://www.instagram.com/cyplp/
WEBSITE:
www.cyplp.net.ng
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