Tooling Together, a recent event hosted by the Accelerator and Code for Africa and the African Digital Democracy Observatory, brought together a group of 75 researchers and changemakers working to address pressing challenges related to the information environment in the Global South, and particularly in Africa.
The event showcased innovative tools and methodologies that support fact-checking, closing information gaps, protecting children’s safety on social media, and other crucial functions. Attendees from more than a dozen countries learned about new tools that can support their work and provided feedback to enhance tools in earlier stages of development.
Additionally, the event included information sessions covering topics like data collection and analysis, ethics, and media ecosystems. Questions and discussions at the event surfaced insights about pain points in research on the information environment that are informing the Accelerator’s continued work to build shared infrastructure that speeds and enhances research.
The individuals and organizations participating in research on the information environment represent a relatively new field that crosses disciplines and sectors – and impacts nearly everyone around the globe. Tooling Together was a valuable venue for people with a range of professional roles to learn from each other and consider future collaboration.
In a feedback survey, attendees highlighted the value of meaningful discussion, hearing from others with shared experiences, and the regional diversity of the solutions that were presented. One attendee wrote: “Learning about the existence and operationality of these varied tools broadened my understanding of the possibilities in this field and sparked ideas for potential applications in my work.”
We are grateful to the speakers, presenters, and our partners at Code for Africa who made this event a success.