What we’re about
There is a Data Revolution sweeping the globe. It is bringing new levels of awareness and empowering every person to be a Data producer, supplier, and consumer. The Data is Open and available, published and used by governments and civil society, the private sector and multi-stakeholder organizations. Open Data is transforming communication, improving productivity, and driving transparency and accountability. Governments in Africa are using Data to benchmark Sustainable Development, to document the informal economy, increase economic diversity and growth. These are just a few small examples of how Data is transforming what we know about our world, how to change it, and how to measure the impact of our changes.
Data is a raw material for new applications and communication between the government and the public, the public and the government, and within the government itself. Data has value when it is utilized, and utility can only be maximized when people find Data engaging and interesting, easy to find and share, worth talking about and using.
It's like a story in the newspaper. The best background research can't make a poorly written story fascinating. It has to be well written, beautifully designed, documented, and presented to inspire and engage audiences in an ongoing conversation.
This is why we believe that Open Data is a tool for communication, and that the subject of the communication itself is what matters. In The Africa Data Revolution we want to use Open Data "tools" to communicate about Art and Science; Climate Change and Gender Equality; Economic Growth and Social Progress; The Rule of Law and Open Government; Childhood Development and Smart Cities; Broadband Adoption and the development of new digital industries; Old Media and Natural Resources; Farming and Transportation. It can be about any and all topics relevant to anyone interested in Africa.
Data is a tool to share and explore knowledge. The Africa Data Revolution is committed to the widest possible uses cases describing how Open Data tools can benefit people. In the weeks and months to come, we will explore those use case and build a global dialog about Data Driven African Transformation.
