Congolestic

Social, economic and political life has experienced an unprecedented upheaval as a result of the emergence of new digital economies built on the infrastructure of information and communication technologies. The Internet and ICTs will continue to affect all fields, all sectors, and all Congolese. But whether or not it will positively or negatively affect the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Africa more broadly depends on the ways in which technology are used, and the regulations that we develop to guide its development in our country and continent. The use of ICTs in Africa and particularly in the DRC currently remains sporadic, with little clear guidance for their positive development and impact on sustainable development. The NGO “Congolestic” therefore serves to bring people together from various stakeholder groups as equals to discuss public policy issues related to ICTs in the DRC. It aims to inform and inspire those with policymaking power in both the public and private sectors in the DRC, and facilitates a common understanding of how to maximize ICT opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise from ICTs in the DRC. The mission CONGOLESTIC’s mission is to raise awareness, provide information, discussions and training on new technologies of communication and the Internet in the DRC through multistakeholder collaboration on various content platforms. We organize courses and workshops on cybersecurity and the right to Internet access. Also, we have an incubator and work with groups of engineers and students in computer sciences on projects and ideas related the internet of things. Our particular interest in the multistakeholder collaboration with African institutions and global dissemination of draft laws and policies on ICTs, the position and contribution of the DRC to the international discussions as well as trends on new technologies for the civil society actors and the public.