Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ccafrica - Re: [ccAfrica] Farewell from the CC Africa RCs

ccafrica AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Creative Commons Jurisdiction Teams in Sub-Saharan Africa

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: kayode yussuf <kayusyussuf AT yahoo.com>
  • To: Tobias Schonwetter <tobias AT creativecommons.org>
  • Cc: CC Africa mailing list <ccafrica AT lists.ibiblio.org>, simeon AT creativecommons.org, Claudio Ruiz <claudio AT creativecommons.org>, Alex Gakuru <gakuru AT gmail.com>, tobiasschonwetter AT gmail.com
  • Subject: Re: [ccAfrica] Farewell from the CC Africa RCs
  • Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2016 05:43:31 +0100

Dear Alex and Tobi,

Thank you for your dedication, leadership and guidance to the VC African team. 

Your efforts made a lot of impact for the CC Nigeria team and I know we can run to you to tap off your immense knowledge and experience. 
Thank you. 

Kayode Yussuf 

On Dec 2, 2016, at 11:00 AM, Tobias Schonwetter <tobias AT creativecommons.org> wrote:

Dear colleagues and friends:

as some of you may already know, Alex and I will be stepping down as regional coordinators for CC in Africa at the end of this month. Being the RCs for Africa has never been just a job for us but a real privilege and honor, and indeed a unique opportunity to support what CC stands for and aims to achieve in light of what is needed in Africa. During our tenure we have helped creating new and reviving some existing CC teams in strategically important regions of our continent in accordance with our own anchor country strategy, and more recently we intensified our efforts to build even more country teams to generally increase traction of CC on African soil. We also focussed on developing a system for future translations (something that will become increasingly important in the future we think to reach those in Africa who are not fluent in English); moreover, we tried to connect African affiliates with each other and with their global peers, and we also tried to support local activities as much as we could (sometimes financially, sometimes strategically - or both). 

But maintainig and growing an active, vibrant CC community in Africa remains a challenge. We are still underrepresented with only 7 country teams in sub-Saharan Africa, and we particularly lack activities in francophone Africa and in Southern Africa (outside of South Africa). We didn’t manage to organise a regional meeting for too long (although plans exist to have a  proper one during the next Global Summit in Toronto in 2017); and we also realise that most of you are stretched beyond capacity which makes commiting time to CC difficult at times (and perhaps more difficult than elsewhere). Sometimes, we haven’t succeeded in making clearer that CC is not primarily about copyright law (an issue not very high on many domestic agendas in Africa) but about the much much more fundamental goal of creating inclusive societies with equal access and participation opportunities in cultural and educational activities, among other things. As such CC remains crucially important for Africa. 

It is now time, we feel, that something else is tried to increase CC’s footprint in Africa and globally. From the outset, the regional coordinator system had its weaknesses, including the fact that it created a middle-(wo)men structure between affiliates teams and HQ. But it was felt when we were appointed that this was needed to sufficiently cater for cultural, ethnic, economic and developmental differences between different regions. And sure enough, we often felt in our conversations with our RC colleagues that needs, concerns, interests and simply the way CC “business" is conducted by affiliates differs, especially between the Global North and the Gobal South. It was our job in the past to raise these issues with CC HQ to ensure these differences were adequately taken into account. However, based on the recommendations of the CC Steering Committee, CC will soon embark on a laudable process to "create a stronger, more active and engaged [global] community”. And CC is already putting systems in place to ensure that voices from all regions are heard and that CC HQ staff is trained and supported to think truly globally (see the appointments of Claudio Ruiz from Chile as Director of Ecosystems and Simeon Oriko as Network Manager). It is our (all of us) responsibility to support them in their difficult task ahead.

Alex and I are long-time Creative Commoners and while we step back from our positions as RCs we will of course continue to do this important work in our respective countries - and together with you and our global peers.

It has been a real pleasure to serve as your Regional Coordinators!

Talk soon.

---
Dr. Tobias Schonwetter
Regional Coordinator: Africa
Creative Commons

twitter: @tobyschonwetter








_______________________________________________
ccAfrica mailing list
ccAfrica AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ccafrica



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page