Africa
7 February 2007
About 100 academics and policymakers from Africa and the rest of the world
today concluded the Africa conference on Information Ethics with the adoption
of the Tshwane Declaration on Information Ethics in Africa.
The three day conference, held at Kivietskroon outside the South African
capital Pretoria, started on Monday under the theme: Ethical challenges of the
Information Age.
The conference was hosted by the South African Government through the
Departments of Communications and Arts and Culture, with the official patronage
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),
the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) e-Africa Commission, the
Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development and in
close collaboration with the International Centre for Information Ethics, the
University of Pretoria in South Africa and the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the United States of America (USA/US).
African academics and policymakers sought to address the ethical challenges
of the information society from their perspective with the belief that the
mobilisation of the academic research in Africa is crucial for sustainable
social, economic, technical, cultural and political development of the
continent.
The use of modern Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) such as
computers, the internet, radio and television poses many ethical challenges in
the African continent such as social exclusion caused by a lack of access to
relevant information. Other challenges include the problem of illiteracy, and
computer illiteracy as well as the effective protection of core information
based human rights such as the right to freedom of expression and the right of
access to information.
During the Information Ethics Conference held in Germany, in 2004, mostly
European and US experts discussed the ethical challenges of information society
affecting their countries. Due to the absence of African experts, a decision
was taken to host an African Conference.
Delegates at the Africa conference adopted the Tshwane Declaration on the
Information Ethics in Africa with a commitment to focus on enhancing African
dialogue on developing norms and values for the African Information
Society.
Apart from the Tshwane Declaration, the University of Pretoria committed
itself to establish a Research Centre for Africa Information Ethics, to enhance
research areas on information ethics in the continent.
Delegates also established the African Information Ethics Network that will
enable academics and ICT and information policy makers to participate in a
global dialogue to discuss the challenges posed by the information society.
To enable academics and policy makers to address the practical applications
of ethical challenges of the information society, delegates recommended the
establishment of information Society and Development Advisory Councils to
advise African governments and other stakeholders on the main ethical issues
pertaining to the development of information and ICT-related policies in
Africa.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
Jim Patterson
Cell: 083 678 7015
Richard Mantu
Cell: 072 488 1520
Issued by: Department of Communications
7 February 2007
