After introducing the CC Italy Chapter to you in July, the CC Netherlands Chapter in August and CC Bangladesh Chapter in September, we are now travelling to Africa to introduce the CC Tanzania Chapter! 

The Creative Commons Global Network (CCGN) consists of 45 CC Country Chapters spread across the globe. They’re the home for a community of advocates, activists, educators, artists, lawyers, and users who share CC’s vision and values. They implement and strengthen open access policies, copyright reform, open education, and open culture in the communities in which they live.

To help showcase their work, we’re excited to continue our blog series and social media initiative: CC Network Fridays. At least one Friday a month, we’re travelling around the world through our blog and on Twitter (using #CCNetworkFridays) to a different CC Chapter, introducing their teams, discussing their work, and celebrating their commitment to open! 

Say hello to CC Tanzania!

The CC Tanzania Chapter was formed in July 2018. Its Chapter Lead is Aristarik Hubert Maro and its representative to the CC Global Network Council is Emmanuel T. Malongo. Since the beginning, the Chapter has been involved in advocating CC licences, promoting and supporting open education and copyright but over the last year, in particular, it has enhanced its activities covering almost all CCGN Platforms. For this post, we spoke to CC Tanzania Chapter Lead Aris who told us a bit more about the Chapter’s work. He responded in both English and Swahili! 

CC: What open movement work is your Chapter actively involved in? What would you like to achieve with your work?

CC Tanzania: We are now actively engaged in advocacy training on CC Licenses and Open Educational Resources (OER) to teachers and educators in Tanzania. We are also currently conducting online training on “ICT Soft Skills to Librarians” in Tanzania. Recently, we participated in the AfLIA Creative Commons Webinar on Open Access to Information. CC Tanzania would like to achieve its mission to connect and engage effectively all key stakeholders in the free knowledge ecosystem to actively participate in CCGN Platforms.

CC Tanzania: kwa sasa tunajishughulisha na mafunzo ya leseni za CC na maudhui huru za Elimu kwa Walimu Tanzania. Pia tunaendesha mafunzo kwa njia ya mtandao ya Ujuzi wa TEHAMA kwa Wakutubi Tanzania. Hivi karidbuni CC Tanzania imeshiriki katika Semina kwa njia ya Mtandao ya AfLIA Creative Commons juu ya upatikanaji huru wa taarifa. CC Tanzania  inapenda kufikia dhima yake ya kuwakutanisha na kuwafikia wadau muhimu wa mfumo wa maarifa huru kuweza kushiriki kikamilfu katika majukwaa mbali mbali ya CCGN.

 CC: What exciting project has your Chapter engaged in recently?

CC Tanzania: We had three projects funded by the CC Community Activities Fund (CAF), these were:

• An open Capacity building training on educational ICT soft skills for educators in Tanzania
• An initiative promoting access to learning materials in Tanzania during Covid-19 school closure and OERs sharing
• A stay home challenge promoting innovation and unearthing creativity talent among children in Tanzania 

These CAF projects gave us great experience advocating for CC in Tanzania and enhanced active participation of stakeholders in CC Tanzania’s activities. 

CC Tanzania: Tulipata udhamini wa miradi mitatu kupitia Fedha za Kazi ya Kijamii (CAF) ambazo ni:

• Mafunzo huru ya kuwajengea Ujuzi  wa TEHAMA katika elimu kwa Walimu Tanzania
• Upatikanaji wa Maudhui za kujifunzia Tanzania wakati wa virus vya Corona kufungwa kwa shule na kugawana maudhui huru za elimu
• Chanagamoto ya kubaki nyumbani: Kukuza uvumbuzi na ubunifu wa vipaji kwa watoto Tanzania. 

Miradi hii imeleta uzoefu mkubwa sana kutangaza CC nchini Tanzania na kuimarisha  ushiriki hai wa wadau katika shughuli za CC Tanzania. 

CC: What do you find inspiring and rewarding about your work in the open movement?

CC Tanzania: The willingness of the members to participate in the funded activities and the readiness of key actors like teachers, librarians, students and technologists to get involved with Creative Commons’ ideals.

CC Tanzania: Uhai wa wanachama kushiriki katika shughuli zilizodhaminiwa na utayari wa watendaji muhimu kama walimu,wakutubi,wanafunzi, na wanateknolojia kujihusisha na mambo bora yanayohusu Creative Commons.

CC: What are your plans for the future? 

CC Tanzania: We are planning to actively involve more actors, especially those involved in copyright reforms, educators, writers and technologists in the country. Through these actors, we will be able to initiate copyright reforms that accommodate open licences to allow the free sharing of knowledge, as well as advocate for open licences in the education and technology industries.

CC Tanzania: Tunapanga kuwahusisha kikamilifu watendaji/washiriki zaidi hasa wale wanaohusika na mabadiliko ya sheria, walimu, waandishi na wanateknolojia nchini Tanzania. Kupitia hawa watendaji tunaweza kuanzisha utaratibu wa kufanya mabadiliko ya sheria ya haki miliki kutambua leseni huru ili kuruhusu kugawana maarifa bila gharama yoyote na kuhamasisha matumizi ya leseni hizo katika sekta ya elimu na teknolojia.

CC: What projects in your country are using CC licenses that you’d like to highlight? 

CC Tanzania: We love the learning materials for children found at UBONGO Kids sites and other learning platforms.

CC Tanzania: Tunapenda maudhui ya kujifunzia ya watoto yanayopatikana katika tovuti ya UBONGO Kids na majukwaa mengine

CC: Anything else you want to share?

CC Tanzania: Since its inception, CC Tanzania has also been supported by local sister institutions in Tanzania, including:

• The Open University of Tanzania
• The Law School of Tanzania
• The Institute of Judicial Administration Lushoto
• The Dar es Salaam University College of Education
• The Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH)
• Wikimedia Tanzania Group
• DUDUMIZI

CC Tanzania: Toka kuanzishwa kwa CC Tanzania pia imekuwa ikipata msaada kutoka kwa taasisi za ndani ya nchi ambazo ni 

• Chuo Kikuu Huria cha Tanzania
• Shule ya Mafunzo ya Sheria Tanzania
• Chuo cha Uongozi wa Mahakama Lushoto
• Chuo Kikuu Kishiriki Cha Elimu Dar es Salaam
• Tume ya Sayansi na Teknolojia Tanzania 
• Wikimedia Tanzania Group
• DUDUMIZI

Thank you to the CC Tanzania team, especially Aris and Emmanuel for contributing to the CC Network Fridays feature, and for all of their work in the open community! To see this conversation on Twitter, click here. To become a member of the CCGN, visit our website!

?: Featured image has icons by Guilherme Furtado and Vectors Point via Noun Project (CC BY 3.0).