August 23, 2018//-“Every new idea and initiative meets resistance. We have to find the courage to take risks, even to fail, if the goal is worthwhile.” Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General.
We have a responsibility to ensure that children and young people are protected from the ills they may encounter on the Internet as Africans.
It is important to promote and protect the digital rights of children on the continent by making sure children are well orientated and empowered; likewise those who work with children.
This was our call to the Africa Committee of Experts on Child Rights and Welfare during the African Union Day of African Child under the theme ” Leave No African Child Behind for Africa’s Development .”
Our message was simple – while we appreciate what is being done for children on the continent by the expert committee; a lot more is required in this era of digital revolution and Artificial intelligence.
Our quest is to drive home the issue that crime has taken a different dimension and so is crime against children. The Agenda 2040:thus Fostering an Africa fit for children is a roadmap geared towards young people and draws inspiration from Agenda 2063 which has the hope that young people will be the drivers of Africa’s renaissance.
J Initiative and World Vision International being the convenors of the campaign with the hashtag #DACOnlineSafety consider it crucial to call on and share the position paper of the Day of the African Child 2018 with the Custodian of the Agenda 2063 Ambassador Quartey who is the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
This request was gladsomely granted by the astute and open-minded diplomatic and we think his effort is commendable and should be emulated by others in the interest of the African continent.
We would like to reiterate here that in order to prevent child online abuse and victimisation, African States must work together to build a support system that works to create a safe and secure online environment for their children.
Similarly, States should consider introducing digital citizenship and literacy courses in both formal and informal settings to help protect children online especially on social media.
“The privacy of the African Child is compromised when others broadcast their live images ,behaviour and locations online. We therefore ask for an Internet safety strategy to preserve their reputation online.
We have to note and remind ourselves that, today we have the AUC Chairperson as H.E Mousse Faki Mahamat, but in a few years; that person will be an African Child. ” Awo Aidam Amenyah.
By Awo Aidam Amenyah, Executive Director, J Initiative
