From Principles to Practice: A Conversation about Democracy in Action
To mark the 2025 International Day of Democracy 2025, Co-creation HUB (CcHUB) in partnership with the African Internet Rights Alliance(AIRA) hosted innovators to a virtual Pan-African event themed “From Principles to Practice: A Conversation on Democracy in Action”
The event began with an opening remark delivered by Yvonne Eweka, Senior Programme Manager, Elections and Governance at CcHUB, highlighting the role of technology in democracy not as a barrier, but as a bridge that enables meaningful participation and gives agency to citizens, amongst other factors that makes the international democracy day important. She closed her remarks with a powerful quote reminder from the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres: “Democracy is powered by the will of the people, by their voices, by their choices and by their participation.”
Angela Minayo gave the opening remark on behalf of the Africa Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA). During her speech she highlighted AIRA’s work on safeguarding digital rights, particularly in countries where democracy is under threat. She also highlighted their work of the alliance in advocacy (including submissions to UN bodies), capacity building, research, and partnerships.
The event featured a panel conversation and civic innovation showcase with diverse speakers from leading civic technology organizations from across Africa who are using civic tech to enhance transparency & accountability, citizen engagement, digital resilience, policy engagement and advocacy – thereby promoting meaningful participation of citizens in democratic processes.
While speaking during the showcase, Gabriel Okeowo -Country Director at BudgIT, traced their journey from Nigeria to multiple countries in Africa and the US. He spotlighted civic tools like Tracka, PHC Accountability Tracka, Govspend, and me.budgit.org (AI governance chatbot), emphasizing how these tools enhance transparency, citizen engagement, and accountability.
Kimal Havey from the Legal Resources Centre in South Africa shared their focus on human rights, strategic litigation, advocacy, and research, and how the LRC is using technology to improve access to justice. He also spotlighted some of their recent projects such as Global Witness Ad Tech Investigations; Surveillance in South Africa, and Political Microtargeting alongside AIRA & CIPIT.
As the Regional Ambassador of the Civic Tech Innovation Network West Africa, Yvonne gave an overview of Co-creation HUB’s work at the intersection of technology and society, particularly in governance and elections. She showcased CcHUB’s initiatives such as GoVote, GoVote LMS , GoVote Radio Show, and Election in Africa: Trends, Diversity & Emerging Technologies” research. She also underscored the importance of research, policy engagement, building digital resilience and advocacies that support better democracy and ensures technology serves democratic values in a rights respecting way.
The Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), also had a chance to talk about the work they are doing as a community of practice uniting practitioners, leaders, activists, and technologists. Katlego Mohlabane, the CTIN lead, highlighted their projects including the Civic Tech Atlas, CTIF Network, African Union Civic Tech Fund and Civic Tech in Africa podcast. Moipone Kgatle, AU Civic Tech Fund Lead, added their four-pillar approach: grantees, capacity building, ecosystem building, and monitoring & evaluation for sustainability.
After the innovation showcase, the event moved straight into a panel discussion where the panelists discussed how democracy can be preserved. While speaking about low internet penetration as a barrier to civic tech, and those in the digital divide Yvonne emphasized that radio remains one of the most effective tools to reach grassroots and underserved communities, citing examples of how the GoVote radio show is bridging the information gap. Gabriel reminded participants that underserved communities need government services most and they deserve the highest standard of governance.
While contributing to the panel discussion the CTIN team emphasized that community and advocacy in the civic tech space thrive when like-minded voices are brought together and Media advocacy works best through collaboration, not isolation. Kimal emphasized that the online and digital spaces are powerful tools for civic justice, and that everyone who engages online must be cautious about what we share because those narratives have real-world consequences.Yvonne wrapped up the event by reinforcing that democracy thrives on engagement and information, and active citizenship is built through continuous participation. It was an enlightening and impactful way to mark the International Day of Democracy 2025. At CcHUB, we believe in technology that serves people, safeguards freedoms, and drives inclusive innovation across Africa. Watch the full event here.