There is no doubt that the Data Revolution is upon us. Geo-spatial monitoring, citizen-generated and crowd-sourced data, almost ethereal and intangible concepts just a few years ago, are beginning to make their way into everyday lexicon. More data are being produced today than ever before, from a wide array of sources. In the end, this new and emerging data can only be of value when it is used responsibly. Turning data into knowledge and knowledge into power is no easy feat. We have a collective responsibility to ensure the Data Revolution is inclusive and leveraged to effectuate real change.
This week, three members of the Land Portal team will be packing their bags and heading to Nairobi, to do just this. With the support of partners and colleagues two connected and complementary events will take place. The first of these events, a workshop on Catalyzing East Africa’s Data Ecosystem will be co-organized by FAO Kenya, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) the Local Development Research Institute, GODAN Africa, Research4Life as well the Land Portal, will take place at the University of Nairobi on May 8-10th 2019.
The overall goal of the workshop is to uncover the land data & information ecosystem (including gaps in existence, accessibility or abilities to re-use data) in East Africa and contribute to foster a regional policy dialogue on access to data. Objectives include to uncover the land data and information ecosystem, facilitating connections and cross-fertilization, as well gathering and communicating knowledge and information on land rights to make a wider impact. The target audience are data and information providers and users in East Africa, from government, research institutions as well as non-governmental organizations.
Additionally, a festival entitled “Making the Linkages Between Open Data and Land in East Africa” will take place on May 8th.The festival will convene a growing network of national and regional leaders to support and elevate ongoing work, ensure continuity of the open data conversation in East Africa, support an open data culture in the region, and connect the range of actors working in the East African region and internationally. This event will also help to reach out to new individuals and organizations who can help to enrich the open data community in East Africa.
Our goal as a team, in collaboration with like-minded colleagues, is always to facilitate (rather than dominate) conversations on the importance of open data in this field. Please follow the happenings of these events, and contribute your thoughts, by joining us on social media: @landportal (Twitter) or https://www.facebook.com/landportal/