Submitted By G. Kofi Annan For Africa 2.0 on New Assignment.net.

Project Manager: Saba Kennedy-Washington

On March 9, 2008, the 2008 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas hosted the Africa 2.0: Affecting change Using technology panel. Four African bloggers and entrepreneurs took their conversation about African development and technology’s influence to the forum which is known for sparking new ideas. As the only Africa-focused panel during SXSW interactive, the panel was part of SXSW’s effort to develop more diverse conversations during the week-long festival. Erik Hersman, Uduak Oduok, Nii Simmonds, and, G. Kofi Annan, lead a discussion about the activity of Africans online and many of the issues affecting the development of Africa. After introductions were made, the discussion started with insight by panelists on their experiences using technology to change their community and many of the hurdles they had encountered. During that initial discussion, it was made clear that the panel reflected only the english-speaking segment of Africans online and there was more work that had to be done to amplify the voice of other Africans who speak languages such as French, Arabic, and Portuguese.

The discussion highlighted the growth of the Nollywood (Nigerian Hollywood) film industry and how digital tools played a part in it’s growth and expansion. Examples of how the African experience was reported online lead an audience member to ask whether the scope was more of a utopian view of Africans and technology. The discussion highlighted the use of technology in various situations including during community unrest with many examples being given. The mobile phone as a platform for information sharing on the African continent was an important point. Discussion of the mobile phone introduced the topic of the effectiveness of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project and whether it should indeed be considered a failure as many in the media have indicated. A lively debate ensued with audience members sharing their thoughts on the best tools to support African citizen journalism and information sharing. A question from the audience highlighted the need for innovation in the technology area instead of a re-appropriation of foreign solutions. There were many questions about the best areas and countries for entry for companies looking to create new platforms for innovation in Africa. The panelists shared many of their personal experiences with the audience as the question and answer part of the forum continued past the scheduled end of the panel. As the panel concluded, panelists and many attendees continued the conversations at a nearby restaurant well into the evening. In all the Africa 2.0 panel allowed attendees to have some questions answered, sparked some new ideas, and allowed the panelists to take their online conversations to a lively audience.