Paradigm Initiative will join digital rights and inclusion stakeholders at this year’s RightsCon, taking place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) in Lusaka, Zambia, from May 5-8, 2026. Hosted by Access Now, the 14th edition of RightsCon will convene business leaders, policymakers, general counsels, government representatives, technologists, academics, journalists, and human rights advocates to address pressing issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. At RightsCon, PIN will contribute to conversations that will shape global debate and influence policy at the national, regional and international levels. PIN’s Executive Director and Co-Chair for the Freedom Online Coalition, ‘Gbenga Sesan will participate in the Freedom Online Coalition Strategy and Coordination Meeting.
On the sidelines of RightsCon, on May 4, 2026 PIN will host its Digital Rights and Elections in Africa Monitor (DREAM) meeting with stakeholders, in preparation for the general elections in Zambia which are scheduled for August 13, 2026. DREAM aims to ensure that digital rights during elections are monitored and that stakeholders can implement relevant interventions to address potential impacts on digital rights. On May 5, 2026 PIN will host a Ministerial Roundtable distilling global commitments to country priorities, drawing from the Global Digital Compact and World Summit on Information Society outcomes.
‘For our team, engaging at Rightscon is more than just reflections, it strategically aligns with our mission, drawing our thought leadership on key thematic areas and showcasing the work we have done, are doing and will do. We will connect and find common ground to collaborate and shape our digital ecosystem,’ said Thobekile Matimbe (Senior Manager Partnerships and Engagements.)To find our footprint, please join the following sessions PIN is hosting or speaking at!
Sessions with PIN as host
| Session Title | Host | Date | Time (EAT) | Room | Sessions Link |
| Freedom Online Coalition Strategy and Coordination Meeting | Freedom Online Coalition | 4 May | 9am – 5:15pm | Private | |
| Freedom Online Coalition Strategy and Coordination Meeting | Freedom Online Coalition | 5 May | 9am – 4pm | Private | |
| Playtime peril and the need to safeguard kids from harmful content | Paradigm Initiative | 7 May | 10:15 am- 11:15 am | AG05 | |
| Building Capacity for Digital Rights: Human Rights Protections Through Cyber Legislation Training for Law Enforcement | Paradigm Initiative | 6 May | 12:45-13:45 | Room 3 | |
| Stronger Together—or Stuck Together? Rethinking Civil Society Coalitions for a new digital era | Wikimedia/PIN/GPD | 6 May | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | A105 | |
| Protecting Online Space: African and Global Strategies in Resisting Restrictive Cyber Laws. | American Bar Association/Chapter 1/ Access Now/Paradigm Initiative | 7 May | 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm | AG09 | |
| Freedom Online Coalition 15th Anniversary Africa Regional Dialogue | Freedom Online Coalition | 7 May | 2pm – 3pm | A108 | |
| Connecting in Taiwan, Winning in Kenya: How RightsCon Sparked a Landmark Case Against Internet Shutdowns | Paradigm Initiative | Wednesday, May 6 | 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | BANQUET 2 | |
| Platform Power: Gender, Race & AI in East Africa | Paradigm Initiative | Wednesday, May 6 | 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM | BANQUET 3 | |
| They are watching the streets | Atlantic Council/PIN | 8 May | 2:00PM -3:00PM | AG01 | |
| DREAM | PIN | Closed | |||
| Roundtable Meeting | PIN | Closed |
All Sessions with PIN as Collaborator
| Session Title | Host | Date | Time (EAT) | Room | Sessions Link |
| Bridging the digital divide while fighting for freedom: The case of Zambia’s digital future | Bloggers of Zambia | 6 May | 11:30-12:30 | AG09 | |
| Beyond Regulation: Can Constitutions Hold Big Tech Accountable | International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) | 8 May | 11:45 am – 12:45 pm | Room 5 | |
| Protecting Children in Africa, the need for multistakeholder approach in realizing AU Child Online Safety Policy | MTN Group | 6 May | 14:00 – 15:00 | A103 | |
| Beyond tech platforms: the responsibilities of corporations in advancing media freedom and journalists’ safety | IPI | 7 May | 9:00 am -10:00 am | A110 | |
| Lessons from African Commission Resolution 630: Platform Accountability and the Role of Journalists | Thomson Reuters Foundation | Thursday, May 7 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | A105 | |
| African Mobile Operators/Service Providers and Civil Society Consultation on Managing Internet Shutdowns | MTN Group | Private | |||
| Decolonising AI: Global South Perceptive | BBC Media Action | Friday | TBD | TBD | |
| Building Digital Resilience and Safety for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Ahead of Elections | DUKINGIRE ISI YACU | Thursday, May 7 | 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM | BANQUET 1 | |
| Fighting for an Internet in the Public Interest: From Vision to Action | Centro de Estudios en Libertad de Expresión y Acceso a la Información (CELE) | 6 May | 10:15am – 11:15am | Room A103 | |
| Where Security Meets Human Dignity: Advancing Rights-Based Security Solutions Together (Private Session) | Access Now | 6 May | 12.45 pm – 1:45 pm | A115 | |
| Data protection or the public’s right to know: Must we choose? | Media Defence | 6 May | 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm | AGO4 | |
| Safeguarding Digital Democracy through Strategic PIL: Lessons from Emerging Democracies | Thursday, May 7 | 4.30PM – 5.30 PM | Banquet 1 | ||
| Imagining New Forms of Justice: Strategies to Address Online Gender-Based Violence Beyond Criminalization | 6 May | 8:15 | Online | ||
| Defending Democratic Civic Space: Building Resilience in the Face of Digital Oligarchy | CIVICUS DDI | 7 May | 2:15PM – 3:15PM | Room 4 | |
| Second Summit Against Spyware 2026 | International Justice Clinic (IJC) | 2-3 May | Private | ||