Yoti announces new digital identity-themed African Conservation Challenge 

Today, digital identity startup Yoti announce the launch of their latest social purpose initiative - an African Conservation Challenge exploring the use of digital identities to help foster authentic, trusted, dignified online dialogue between communities and other stakeholders engaged in conservation across the Southern Africa region. The Challenge is open to individuals and organisations based anywhere in Africa, and comes with a prize of $15,000. 

Background

Historically, rural voices have been either missing or largely ignored in much of the debate and decision making around the management of natural resources, particularly wildlife, in Africa. It is widely acknowledged, however, that the involvement of local people is critical to successful conservation outcomes. This Challenge seeks to support the development of an online platform that will engage a variety of stakeholders. These include government officials, conservation leaders, members of the public and, crucially, local communities living close to protected areas or whose land is wildlife habitat, to ensure trusted, respectful, verified and non-confrontational debate on critical issues that affect them, and the policies and programmes of the wider conservation sector. 

The overall objective is to help communities take their rightful place as equal partners in policy negotiation, development and implementation processes and to amplify their voices to ensure informed decision-making at national, regional and international levels that reflects the demands and rights of rural people to manage their wildlife. It is believed that an online forum based on the concept of ‘verified identities’ of all participants will help foster authenticity, trust and raise confidence among participants that they are engaging with genuine Southern African community members in their own words, based on their lived realities and experiences as equals at the table. 

The Challenge

As part of its Social Purpose Strategy, digital identity startup Yoti will manage the running of a Conservation Challenge to support the development of a trusted online forum where these critical debates can safely take place. The Challenge is open to web developers across Africa, and promoted through partners such as AfriLabs, the primary membership organisation for innovation labs in the region. African organisations (or individuals) will be invited to submit a short proposal outlining the proposed functionality and layout of the website. 

Under normal circumstances any developer would have at least one conversation with their client before firming up a proposal. As a result, entries submitted for this Challenge will be considered preliminary ideas only, and will be judged as such. The final site design and functionality will be determined following discussions between the winning entry, local conservation partner Resource Africa, and Yoti. First and foremost, the organisers are looking for interesting, compelling proposals based on the information and guidelines provided. 

Further details and Further Reading 

Full details of the Challenge, and submission guidelines, are available in this downloadable PDF. The competition closes on 30th May, 2021. Further background reading on the engagement of local communities in African conservation efforts can be found in this excellent paper published by National Geographic Society and African People & Wildlife. Another useful paper by Chemonics and Arizona State University is available here.