Digital technologies can help to counter challenges with innovative solutions; Photo credit: re:publica/Gregor Fischer (CC BY 2.0)
Tech for Good
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.
- Research & EducationTech for Good-Ever wondered what a flea looks like up close? You want to know what kind of yeast is swimming in your craft beer? Build with us simple microscopes to explore the microscopic universe around us! We can have a look on different tiny samples under the microscope and detect bacteria and yeast in yogurt and beer. So bring some things with you which you want to examine and take part in our expedition into the micro universe.
- Politics & SocietyTech for GoodCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)-From global content moderation to overnight algorithm variation affecting news streams, Big Tech is taking full control of key aspects of our social lives and directly affecting our collective autonomy, media independence and, more generally, freedom. We will continue the conversation started on RP17 on Digital Colonialism, this time going beyond just describing the problem: we will define a footprint on how to overcome it.
- Science & TechnologyTech for Good-In this workshop we are going to talk about how to replace plastic bags and daily life packaging with biodegradable materials and learn how to make bio plastics.
- re:publicaTech for Good- , - , -The Global Innovation Gathering's Labmobile is a mobile space for learning, hacking, making, and most of all for knowledge exchange and community building. The main goal is to have a vehicle to bring people together who would otherwise never have met. We want to share stories and our learning that connections made through co-creation are deep, impactful and lasting: We are what we create together!
- Politics & SocietyTech for GoodCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)-The absence of Net Neutrality, and the introduction of free Facebook via internet.org, was craftily exploited by the new social media army employed by the country's political candidates in the 2016 elections. Fake news and misleading headlines flourished through this, and continues to contribute to an ever growing problem of misinformation online.
- Science & TechnologyTech for Good-Amongst essential technology developments Open Source Ecology Germany is focusing on small scale forms of energy autonomy. By using modular and scalable elements like the UniProKit, the SolarBox is a key project to give maximum flexibility for mobile energy solutions. Open sourcing the development and creating OER materials means this kind of technology becomes an accelerator for innovation and empowers global tech solutions and Access to Skills and Knowledge #ASK. Let's build it together!
- Research & EducationTech for Good-#ASKotec; the 'Access to to Skills and Knowledge Open Tech Emergency Case' is a resource kit for community trainers, created for mobile field-use where there is neither easy power nor internet connectivity such as refugee camps, low-infrastructure regions or rural areas. Intended as ‘Open Tech for Good’, #ASKotec was created through a series of hub development workshops by a community of young innovators intent on bringing skills training and peacebuilding together in the effort to end the South Sudan conflict.
- Media & JournalismTech for Good-The EAMLab is a short term media residency program and focuses on networking and collaboration amongst young professionals and innovators. The initiative is aimed at introducing new formats of collaboration between African media centres and local media professionals and to promote constructive and peaceful media work. This session provides an overview of diverse ideas and projects the fellows developed and realised in 2017 and gives an entertaining outlook of the upcoming activities in 2018 of the program in Africa and South-East_Asia.
- Science & TechnologyTech for GoodCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)-Facebook and Google suck up our personal data and turn it into fake news, engagement algorithms and “psychographic messaging” fed by Russian bots and digital stealth operatives trolling for Brexit and Donald Trump's election. A battle is looming over who will control this sea of data and artificial intelligence, with the needs of the public interest and private, Internet-based businesses often in conflict. What can be done to promote innovative policy approaches about the use of Big Data, and to develop a social economy for the digital age?
- Politics & SocietyTech for GoodCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)-Social/political blogging contributes to diversity of opinion across Africa. Bloggers are filling the shoes of traditional media that struggles to stand as a real pillar of democracy. In this context, blogging provides news analysis in contrast to the hysteria of social media news coverage. Away from lifestyle blogs, what is therefore the role of social/political bloggers – to provide analysis of the issues of our day, to offer an alternative voice or to remain independent/credible at all costs?
- re:publicaTech for Good- , - , -The Queen of Typewriters clarifies why everybody needs a mechanical typewriter, explains how you find the right one, gives tips for cleaning and mainenance and presents "Lady 1337", a vintage mechanical typewriter that also serves as a USB keyboard.
- Business & InnovationTech for GoodCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)-See the premiere of “Digital Africa“ - a documentary film portraying different digital innovations across Africa. During a four week journey through Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana we met and interviewed founders and innovators working on local solutions to development problems.