Butterfly Works

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Butterfly Works and SICA presented the “Surprising Africa Special” at Picnic 2008.

ppening in Africa? During Surprising Africa we found out why Google, Vodafone and Nokia are developing new businesses there. How Africans are building peace using mobile tools and how young artists are investigating their changing cultures through new media. More than fifteen international speakers shared their thoughts on culture, design and media. The main theme was: ‘What we can learn from Africa’. Think mobile journalism in Rwanda, urban photography from South Africa and mobile banking for the poorest in Kenya.

Surprising Africa presented a wide range of internationally acclaimed speakers on African new media and design. Ethan Zuckerman of globalvoicesonline.org showed how a new generation of globally focused digital empowered Africans are fighting old political structures and problems.

Africa 2.0 trend watcher Erik Hersman commented on the mobile revolution that is taking place across Africa and Mark Kamau of the Kilimanjaro Film Institute described his media-career that started at NairoBits.

Surprising Africa was sponsored by the Hivos - NCDO Cultuurfonds.