We live in a connected world in which digital technologies accelerate our communication, make information more accessible and production processes more transparent. At least this is what we hope for. However, only half of the world's population has access to the internet and humanity is still facing major challenges at the beginning of the 21st century: Poverty, hunger, inadequate access to education or health, conflicts and corruption are still a daily occurrence for many people.

Digital technologies can contribute innovative solutions to master such global challenges. To achieve this, shaping the digital future together with partners from Africa, Asia and Latin America is key.

With a growing young population, Africa is a continent of opportunity - young inventors and entrepreneurs are developing innovative digital applications – ranging from mobile payment systems such as M-Pesa to 3D printers made of electronic waste.

The Topic "Tech for Good" looks for inspiring contributions and asks: Does digitization provide access to education for all? Are start-ups able to save the world? Will smart sensors and apps increase the efficiency in agriculture? How can for example big data, blockchain or open source software solutions contribute to greater efficiency, transparency and equality worldwide?

The sessions can provide examples of solutions and success stories, but also discuss the challenges and risks associated with digital change. We would like to provide a stage amongst others to visionaries, techies, makers, developers, experts, innovators and creative minds from the African continent for an open dialog on the digital transformation at the re:publica Accra and include insights from across the globe. Be part and shape the global digital future!

As the main partner German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports re:publica Accra and the Topic ‘Tech for Good’. BMZ also supports sessions in the Topics “Female” and “Data”: HerStory - Insights from Female Leaders and Tackling Financial Crime: Open and Big Data for Investigative Journalism.

  • Science & Technology
    Tech for Good
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    The idea of Open Science is to enable more people to make valuable contributions to scientific research and develop solutions collectively, especially in low-resource settings. Due to pricey lab equipment much research output has been restricted to a few highly funded laboratories. In countries like Egypt and Cameroon, innovators and scientists are fixing, hacking and recreating tools using digital fabrication. Discuss with us Open Science Hardware and laboratory equipment as a common good.
  • Science & Technology
    Tech for Good
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    A mid-wife in the mountains of Nepal, a surgeon under bombardment in Northern Syria – how can digital, distributed manufacturing support them to deliver basic needs and healthcare services they need? This session will present different innovative approaches to hacking the humanitarian aid system. Speakers will present their projects and discuss how they can support each other by creating a globally accessible open source catalogue and network of crisis response makerspaces.
  • Mobility & City
    Tech for Good
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    OPEN ° LIGHTS are DIY open source lighting modules designed to meet the needs of wheelchair users. In this workshop you can learn how to build your own OPEN ° LIGHT for your wheelchair or another use case.
  • Politics & Society
    Tech for Good
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    The international community has promised to eradicate hunger by 2030. During the last decade, numbers are declining, but current progress is too slow if this goal is to be reached. Welthungerhilfe is a pioneer in the use of digital innovations to scale up the fight against hunger. We would like to present two promising examples: the Child Growth Monitor App, which is designed to save children's lives using Augmented Reality, while the sharing economy app AgriShare connects smallholder farmers.

    [Partnersession]
  • Politics & Society
    Tech for Good
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    What happens if you give digital changemakers from Africa, Europe and other parts of the world a chance to exchange and collaborate on equal terms? Let’s join the African-European YouthLab and explore together how young people around the world can advocate for stronger, impactful and context-specific youth involvement. You have ideas, we have ideas, let’s meet up and “re:shape” the digital transformation by discussing how local initiatives and like-minded people can connect better in the digital age.
  • Science & Technology
    Tech for Good
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    The use of data and information communication technologies (ICTs) by civil society organizations, governments, and private sector entities is now a mainstream, day-to-day part of how humanitarian and development projects happen. However, there are few real world examples of how to responsibly use these tools in ethical and effective ways that protect and respect human rights of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. What are greatest threats, harms and risks associated with using ICTs in humanitarian environments, and how might humanitarian actors mitigate these? Consequently, it is also often unclear how ICTs stand to benefit humanitarian action. The panelists will share their recent experiences trying to create best practices and design new technology for using data in extremely complex environments such as Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, and Lebanon.
  • Politics & Society
    Tech for Good
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    Digital data offers manifold opportunities to development. However, it can also generate new forms of exclusion, new methods of surveillance and threaten individual privacy. In this session, we will explore six emerging trends identified in a recently published study on the future of data in development. In this session, practitioners will discuss how they're using data to advance development and explore how the trends might impact their work on the way forward.
  • Science & Technology
    Tech for Good
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    Half of the world’s population does not have access to the internet. Limitations in providing affordable services in low-income areas and innovations in low-cost communication technology have resulted in new possibilities for the development of affordable, locally owned and managed networks. These networks not only provide access, but also have broader development implications. In this workshop we will show how they work and delve into the opportunities they offer and the challenges they face in the global South
  • Politics & Society
    Tech for Good
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    Digital attacks against human rights defenders have expanded dramatically. Vaguely defined anti-terrorism legislation and spyware allow for targeted surveillance; trolls manipulate online content and conduct intimidating smear-campaigns. Against this backdrop of shrinking space and global backlash, holistic strategies for digital rights defenders are crucial. The session presents experiences from human rights activists in the Global South and discusses success stories and lessons learned from digital security and privacy initiatives.
  • Politics & Society
    Tech for Good
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    Developing countries receive approximately 82% (21.3 million) of the world’s refugees, and innovative e-learning solutions can play a key role in helping new arrivals settle into host communities. This panel debate will debate new technologies and policy approaches to making e-learning tools available to refugees, and the ethical and political issues that come with using e-learning platforms in vulnerable communities.

    [Partnersession]
  • Business & Innovation
    Tech for Good
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    Meet up with innovators in the maker, Tech4Dev and networked local manufacturing movement, and connect with the MakerNet Alliance, a network of organizations and individuals leading Industry 4.0 and sustainable manufacturing initiatives around the world.
  • Science & Technology
    Tech for Good
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    How can technology acceleration be harnessed to tackle wicked problems, such as climate change, rapid urbanization, or feeding 10 billion people while regenerating natural ecosystems? This question is at the foundation of Good Tech Lab, which explores the frontiers of technology, entrepreneurship and finance, where pioneers tackle the world's biggest problems. In this talk, we will share some insights of our research on "impact tech" entrepreneurship, as well as the opportunities and challenges this movement is facing.