The annual Digital Citizen Indaba (DCI) is a platform for bloggers, podcasters, vodcasters, mobile journalists, citizen reporters, new media practitioners, online industry experts and civil society representatives, as citizens who try to empower themselves and their community using new media technologies. The DCI takes place at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa just before the annual Highway Africa Conference (HA) in September. The DCI was established after it was recognised that Highway Africa could do more to encourage new media take-up by non-journalists, thereby ensuring that citizens have a (digital) voice too.

The working theme of the 2009 DCI is ‘digital civil society and journalism in Africa’, and aims to focus on the complex interaction between the mainstream media and civil society. It is also focusing on how this interaction can be leveraged to advance civil society activism and enrich journalism on grassroots issues. Some very interesting and inventive experiments in digital media activism, and journalistic take-up of the information disseminated during the course of this activism, have taken place. The DCI is showcasing these experiments as ‘best practice’, with the intention of ensuring that DCI participants integrate these practices into their work. The DCI also includes case studies where online and mobile media have been used to disseminate crucial information during state crackdowns on the mainstream media. The importance of citizen-based media in addressing the gaps and silences in mainstream media reporting will also be explored.

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) is privileged to attend this year’s DCI in Grahamstown at Rhodes University in South Africa. A presentation was made on “Gender, Civil Society and Digital Media”. It was clearly noted that Civil Society Organisations have a big role to play in bridging the digital divide among women and men. Organisations were urged to note that their goal as an organisation should determine which digital tools to be used to promote their cause. Online engagement is not enough, CSOs must engage in offline activities by taking the message to rural communities to tap into new media. They need to choose the best media tool that suits their target audience. The DCI is a two day event ending on 6/09/2009 which also marks the beginning of the Highway Africa Conference.

A number of presentations were made in relation to this year’s theme’ digital civil society and journalism in Africa’’ View Details:

http://www.digitalcitizenindaba.com

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