The revolution in Sudan united Sudanese people of every age group, political orientation, and gender. All eyes were on Sudan as the world watched the oppressed citizens topple one of the longest-ruling dictators in history. During these turbulent times, the diaspora community united and created a digital platform called “Sudan NextGen”, a prefigurative prototype of an open-source platform. The platform is open to any individual keen to contribute to Sudan’s development, be it experts, international organizations, or the community leaders in Sudan. Home – Sudan NextGen.
The platform’s objective is to transform Sudan using the Big Fast Results methodology (BFR). The platform unites experts of all sectors, both inside and outside Sudan. It is also democratically owned and managed by its members, and employs horizontal governance. There are non-hierarchical and non-coercive relationships between the members.
The platform has an advocacy arm that works with international organizations to address pressing issues that the communities in Sudan face. Similarly, it has a cultural team composed of an army of popular influencers that work on the platform’s visibility. Sudan NextGen Platform Overview (English) – YouTube
The renowned scholar David Bollier emphasized that commons are social systems developed to meet shared needs; in Sudan’s case, the shared need is enabling Sudan to become a leading digital economy. SudanNextGen aims to manage digital data and digital infrastructure to accelerate the development of Sudan. The platform has a mechanism to resolve conflicts and ensure overall member consensus through voting and polling. The generated profits or funds collected go into the management of the forum. These characteristics resemble that of a commons-based media source. Free, Fair and Alive: The Insurgent Power of the Commons.
In the previous year, Sudan NextGen launched multiple projects in coordination with the transitional government and civil society. It also showcased the performance of the projects across international key performance indicators. In a similar mechanism, it tracked the performance of all the ministries in Sudan.
The platform worked on short-term strategic goals, including stabilizing the economy, ensuring social development, and fighting corruption, to name a few. Also, the forum has an e-Learning space for young leaders in Sudan to learn digital skills and secure tech jobs. SudanNextGen is taking one of the first steps in creating jobs for the youth in Sudan, re-conceptualizing data, and visualizing how it can play a role in developing a democratic and equitable system.
Towards A Commons-Centric Sudan:
Today’s focus is on the digital commons of knowledge, software, and design because they are the ”new commons”- Benkler.
Today’s leaders realize the importance of digital platforms to the modern economy and the transformative potential it holds. The creation of SudanNextGen is a significant milestone SudanNextGen fits the criteria of a peer-to-peer model, Introduced by Bauwen as it puts civil society at the heart of the democratic process of value creation and distribution. Peer to Peer: The Commons Manifesto.
Members of SudanNextGen can collaborate as peers and as a result, it guides other social structures to create a shared platform. For instance, Locale, which aims to unite Sudanese artists to empower the Sudanese identity and preserve the Sudanese culture. Locale (@locale_sd) • Instagram photos and videos
Following an interview I had with Sally Atta, the founder of SudanNextGen, she highlighted that the platform’s progress came to a standstill amid the military coup in Sudan. The founder and CEO of the platform emphasized that the transition towards a commons-centric Sudan highly relies on political and economic stability. This reasserts the view of the scholar David Boller’s that commoning requires a functioning democracy and a change in the character of politics.