We are building the Yetu Infotech Collective as a stable and sustainable institution with the resources and capacity to support the growth of the socio-economic justice sector for many years to come.
Our collective includes Busi Mtabane, Esethu Stofile, Janine Arends, Jaysen Naidoo, Kholiswa Tyiki, Lebogang Mokoena, Lungile Sigasa, Mark Weinberg, Michael Graaf, Nicolas Dieltiens, Nosana Sondiyazi, Sinenhlanhla Manqele,Thabang Bhili, and Thilda Jack.
We envision a people’s internet that is user-owned and controlled, recommodified, free/affordable, safe and secure – a communications network that enables a world where all the resources required for life are produced democratically in harmony with the biosphere by each according to their ability and shared according to their needs – a world where everyone enjoys equality and dignity, and are free to contribute their creativity and live in peace.
Our context:
Information technology (Infotech) is increasingly shaping our lives and the Covid pandemic has accelerated the need for online interaction.
This process has the potential to enable greater access to information, openness and transparency, greater freedom of expression, solidarity, as well as stronger and more democratic forms of organising. But the digital age is reproducing the inequality and injustice of the society it is emerging in. We see not only an increasing divide between the power of those who have decent internet access and the majority, but also new forms of domination.
Rising authoritarianism (including surveillance, censorship and propaganda) is transforming our public spaces into open air prisons where we are constantly watched and trained to police ourselves – as well as surveillance capitalism that is transforming our privacy into something to be bought and sold. The right to communicate is emerging as a critical freedom to defend and advance in response to a digital feudalism where governments and a handful of large corporations control networks, platforms, technology and can shape content.
Our Goal & Purpose:
We envision a people’s internet that is user owned and controlled, decommodified, a free/affordable, safe and secure – a communications network that enables a world where all the resources required for life are produced democratically in harmony with the biosphere by each according to their ability and shared according to their needs – a world where everyone enjoys equality and dignity, and are free to contribute their creativity and live in peace.
We aim to:
Support working class community initiatives to establish and maintain secure and affordable networks that build the Internet From Below.
Provide progressive civil society organisations – and social movements in particular – with affordable and secure communication technology and capacity development so that they can maximise the benefits of information technologies while mitigating the risks.
Advocate for a communication system that is decommodified and free from commercial and state surveillance and censorship.
Our Values:
We are united by a common commitment to gender liberation, anti-racism, solidarity, participatory democracy, and environmental and economic justice.
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