🔗Introduction

In a recently published collaborative episode between HATCH, ThreeFold, and Hub Culture’s Chronicle Discussions, innovative minds converged in Zanzibar, Tanzania, to delve into the intersections of technology, digital sovereignty, and the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI).

🔗African Regenerative Futures - Part 1

Led by Tate Chamberlain, the conversation featured Stan Stalnaker (Founder and CEO of Hub Culture), Kristof de Spiegeleer (co-founder of ThreeFold), and Kalebu Gwalugano (Founder and CEO of Sarufi), each offering unique perspectives on the open-source Internet, the future of digital communities, AI development, and data sovereignty.

Kalebu introduced Sarufi, a platform he created to empower developers and business owners to develop tailored chatbots in local languages, utilizing AI technologies. Gualugano’s vision resonated with Stan and Kristof, who emphasized the importance of community-driven initiatives and open-source principles in driving technological innovation.

Hub Culture’s commitment to digital identity, asset tokenization, and AI governance aligned closely with ThreeFold’s mission to revolutionize Internet infrastructure and promote individual sovereignty. The two entities showcased the potential for collaborative efforts in advancing AI capabilities while maintaining ethical standards and data sovereignty.

The conversation covered a range of topics:

• Evolving nature of AI: Ethical considerations in AI development; Concerns about data privacy and algorithmic bias; Importance of responsible AI development
• Zanzibar’s tech scene and initiatives by ThreeFold alongside Sarufi & Hubcluture: Potential to shape digital communities and AI development; Foster collaboration and promote open-source principles; Prioritize digital sovereignty and human-centric design; Guided by ethical principles and community engagement; Aim to create a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable digital future
• Collaboration between Kristof, Stan, and Kalebu: Convergence of values and visions; Emphasis on open-source software, digital identity, and AI development; Shared journey towards empowering and ethically sound technology; Exploration of AI, digital sovereignty, and community-driven innovation
• Exploration of AI’s Present & Future: Questions of sovereignty, control, and intelligence; Intersecting paths of technology, community, and digital innovation; AI as a sovereign being; Challenge to conventional views of AI development; Current limitations of AI; Importance of understanding ethical implications

🔗African Regenerative Futures - Part 2

The African Regenerative Futures Summit in Zanzibar brought together key voices to discuss Tanzania’s development opportunities in a lively manner, focusing on technology, education, and entrepreneurship. Veronica Likunama and Victor Muhagachi emphasized the importance of local context and community support in overcoming systemic challenges. Dr. Stephanie Dungu’s entrepreneurial journey underscored the need for innovative solutions in healthcare. Participants advocated for a unique, self-sufficient development path for Africa, prioritizing local talent, sustainable practices, and collaborative efforts to foster holistic growth and redefine success.

You can listen to the full podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, or Apple Podcast

🔗ThreeFold x H.E.R DAO

On Monday, ThreeFold and H.E.R DAO, a women-centered developer DAO with a focus on inclusivity, joined forces to host a meetup in Dar Es Salaam, attracting over 50 students, developers, and tech enthusiasts. Read more about the event.

H.E.R DAO has already established a presence in East Africa, aiming to diversify the blockchain ecosystem and uplift marginalized communities through initiatives like Hackathons and conferences. Their mission focuses on fostering WEB 3 adoption and empowering individuals across the continent. Discover more

This collaboration sent a powerful message that diversity is not just a goal to strive for but a necessity for driving meaningful change in the tech industry. Together, we laid the groundwork for future collaborations and initiatives that will continue to champion diversity, inclusion, and empowerment in the digital space in Tanzania.

Moreover, our commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond partnerships; it is embedded in our initiatives like Dunia Yetu. Through Dunia Yetu, we aim to empower women and youth in Tanzania by providing access to education, opportunities, and resources in the tech sector. By fostering diversity and inclusion in Tanzania’s digital ecosystem, we can unlock the untapped potential of women and youth, driving economic growth and innovation.

Each step forward brings us closer to realizing our vision of a more inclusive and equitable technology industry, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of background or identity. Discover our Dunia Yetu initiative and follow our latest developments.

🔗Vision of Collective Empowerment

In the heart of Tanzania, a transformative movement is underway, known as Dunia Yetu, Swahili for “Our World.”. More than just a name; it embodies a vision of collective empowerment and digital self-reliance. Dunia Yetu is a beacon of unity, encouraging Tanzanians to take control of their digital destiny. It seeks to redefine the nation’s digital landscape, fostering a future where citizens are not just users but architects of their online world.

🔗Empowering Tanzania’s Youth and Future

At its core, Dunia Yetu is about empowering Tanzanians to reclaim ownership of their digital infrastructure. It envisions a future where the benefits of the Internet are harnessed by the people, for the people. For millions of Tanzanians, Dunia Yetu could represent more than just connectivity; it’s a gateway to education, opportunity, and economic empowerment. By democratizing access to the Internet, Dunia Yetu will open doors for entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration, especially for the youth. With this project, Tanzania’s youth are empowered to shape their digital future, harnessing technology to overcome challenges and seize opportunities. It’s not just about connectivity; it’s about unlocking the full potential of Tanzania’s next generation.

🔗Looking Ahead to 2024:

As Dunia Yetu gains momentum, stay tuned for exciting updates and milestones. In 2024, this transformative project will see the light, ushering in a new era of digital empowerment for Tanzania.

Together, through Dunia Yetu, Tanzanians are building a brighter, more inclusive future—one where the digital world truly belongs to us all.

In 2023, we had the pleasure of hosting two summits in Zanzibar – one in July and another in November, named the Africa Regenerative Future Summit. These events brought together leading innovators and investors committed to advancing human flourishing, with a specific emphasis on science and technology shaping the trajectory of Africa’s future.

During the inaugural summit in July, Zanzibar’s President, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, honored us with his presence. In a formal declaration, he publicly expressed the government’s dedication to establishing a digital free zone, a locally-owned Internet infrastructure, and an incubator to support young local innovators – all in collaboration with ThreeFold – and their commitment to the ICT sector as a whole.

The second summit saw the birth of Dunia Yetu (meaning “Our World” in Swahili), a collaborative movement forged in partnership with a cohort of tech developers and innovators from Dar Es Salaam. This initiative is driven by a shared commitment to reshape the digital landscape in Tanzania and Africa. Its goals include empowering coders, fostering economic development, and constructing a sovereign, autonomous digital ecosystem for a more promising digital future.

Looking ahead to 2024, our vision includes a continued series of gatherings focused on OurWorld, ThreeFold, and other projects and individuals prioritizing a planet-first, people-first approach to support Tanzania and the broader African continent.

More information:

• Summit I: Read Zanzibar Seeks to Become a Digital FreeZone (via The Citizen) and Mwinyi Commits to Improvement of Digital Spaces (via Daily News Tanzania) for further details.
• Summit II: Learn more about Dunia Yetu
• Dunia Yetu: Read Sovereign Internet - A game changer for Tanzania (via The Citizen)

The ThreeFold Team was in Austin, Texas, in June to share our vision for a decentralized Internet as an exhibitor and sponsor of Consensus by Coindesk. The four-day conference attracted over 20,000 people who explored conversations on topics like decentralization, blockchain, crypto, Web 3 and more. The ThreeFold team shared our “planet first, people first” vision and story with hundreds of attendees who visited our conference booth to learn about ThreeFold – leading to new community members, farmers, token holders, and partners. 

Co-founder Adnan Fatayerji conducted several media interviews and found that our story resonated well – after all, Consensus is the Festival for the Decentralized World. Nevertheless, many of the other projects at Consensus are still using centralized infrastructure for hosting. We shared the potential for ThreeFold as the foundation to make a truly decentralized world a reality. Already, independent people and organizations from 80 countries and counting are connecting decentralized Internet capacity, bringing to life this new infrastructure.

“As the Layer 0 for Web2/3/4 or 5, we came to Consensus with open arms and in the spirit of collaboration and that’s exactly what happened. We made friends and connected with the projects out there that are truly moving the needle of ‘Trust’/Web3 forward. We look forward to nurturing these incredible partnerships on ThreeFold’s foundational layer and to scale ‘Digital Trust’ in all its forms towards mainstream adoption.” – Adnan Fatayerji

Bringing the Sovereign Internet to Austin

Together with some of our Austin friends, we gathered with 45 like-minded people at Casa de Luz, a spiritual and wellness retreat, to launch the first sovereign Regional Internet in Austin, Texas. All of us shared our own stories and reasons for attending. Then we explored the opportunities, benefits and next steps for Austin to establish its own truly self-sovereign regional Internet.

We found shared values among a group of open, inspiring, passionate and like-minded individuals who formed this founding group. Austin has long been a hub for innovative thinkers and high-tech companies. Austin has a strong connection to and respect for nature. Austin is aligned well with our planet-first, people-first philosophy.

We believe that, together, we’re strong enough to build new regenerative systems powerful enough to enable anyone to have a sovereign, safer and more fulfilling life. And we’re honoured to be working with the people of Austin in the global rollout of the Internet of Internets. We’re now looking to launch the first 3Nodes there to lay the foundation of Austin’s sovereign Regional Internet.

We’ve spent a truly incredible week in Austin, spreading the word about ThreeFold, forming meaningful connections and finding a new home. Thank you, Austin!

“It’s been inspiring to meet everyone at Casa de Luz! Feeling so grateful for the opportunity to build Austin’s sovereign Internet together!” – Sacha Obeegadoo

“It was such an honor. I’ll never forget that day. We’re going to do something really beautiful!” – Sam Taggart

“Connecting with the beautiful community of the good people of Austin was absolutely amazing. We really felt at home and Austin is a true freedom vortex in the US where people truly value their free spirits and the importance of staying resilient and independant. We could not have dreamt of a better place to start the Internet of Internets in the US and create the first local internet. Keep it weird Austin!” – Florian Fournier

Next steps

The founding gathering in Austin was just the beginning. Building meaningful relationships with local communities to start the next few Regional Internets will be a big focus for the ThreeFold ecosystem in 2022. Therefore, we’ll be travelling to various places across the globe to connect the dots in the upcoming months.

After entering a partnership with Paradise Hills to build the first Community Cloud, planting the seeds for the first Regional Internet in Austin represents another crucial step in our journey to create the Internet of Internets – a glocal model that is infinitely scalable. So, the next few months will be vital for our expansion phase and for building a better future for all of us.

Together, we’re building a better Internet by and for the people, the foundation for a better world. An Internet to regenerate our planet and to empower the collective – the many and not the few.

So, we’re proud to join together to build the future we want to live in – whether by building or buying a 3Node, by buying the ThreeFold Token (TFT), or by helping us bring the sovereign Internet to your community or region.

New to ThreeFold? Join the movement now and learn how to be the Internet.

ThreeFold will also host a gathering outside of the Convention Center. We will share more via our Telegram News Channel when the details are finalized, so stay tuned.

ThreeFold is more than an Internet. It is the foundation for a truly decentralized world. Are you ready to join the global ThreeFold movement?

Check out the full Consensus agenda and take advantage of our 25% discount code to buy tickets.

And don’t forget to let us know if you’ll be joining ThreeFold at Consensus – we’d love to connect with you!