“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” – Mahatma Gandhi
It’s the fundamental duty of any generation to strive towards leaving a better world than the one they came into. To achieve that, you have to lead the change you want to see in the world. Sometimes that means running the race solo, but history has shown that if you want to go far, it’s prudent to find yourself a trustworthy partner.
Choosing a partner is not always an easy task. The ideal partner aligns with your vision and core values; anything else is for appearance only. That’s why Windscribe is pleased to announce our partnership with Paradigm Initiative, an NGO operating in 5 African countries with a focus on connecting African youth with digital opportunities and ensuring digital rights for all.
As many of you loyal Windscribers know, we’re all about ensuring digital rights, circumventing censorship, and freedom of expression for all. The icing on the cake is that we are also all about your digital privacy and peaceful co-existence with everyone on the planet regardless of race, gender, religion and however else you choose to identify.
How It Started
During the early days of the Gabon political unrest (the 2023 version), we were looking for local contacts to help us monitor the situation on the ground. One of our foundational principles is the commitment to provide a censorship-free internet experience to all those who need it. In cases like that of Gabon, it’s very difficult to get an accurate idea of the status of internet connectivity without sources on the ground.
We’ve found that announcing country-specific relief codes on our social media channels means that these codes get abused by people that they aren’t intended for. We’ve amended that approach to be focused on finding local distributors who can safely help spread relief codes to those who need it, as well as report back to us about the efficacy of our anti-censorship efforts.
That’s where our paths crossed with the amazing Paradigm Initiative. Their Executive director, Mr Gbenga Sesan, is a fierce advocate for digital rights and a fighter against internet censorship in Africa. You can read his take here. Together we have our eyes set on lofty goals, enshrining the digital right to connectivity and privacy across Africa using all the resources available to us.
What We Are Hoping to Accomplish
Our goal is simple; broaden the percentage of people who have access to an unrestricted digital world, where their privacy is protected and censorship is wiped off the earth (and space too). We also hope to use this partnership to connect with other like-minded people and organizations that share similar interests and values.
As with any productive partnership, this partnership is based on trust and transparency. Windscribe is not expecting anything outside the scope of the agreement, and we have not asked them to review our products. We leave that to super strict cybersecurity experts that we know will give potential users an unbiased opinion - we know we're the best, but we understand that people want to hear that from unaffiliated sources.
We reached out to our partners at Paradigm Initiative on their take on this partnership; here is the statement from their rep:
“As Paradigm Initiative, we reckon the need for strategic collaborations as they underscore our commitment to advancing digital rights and inclusion across the continent. In the same collaborative spirit, we are joining hands with Windscribe to provide free Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to support access to the internet. We believe these networks are vital tools in securely navigating the digital landscape while reinforcing our shared vision of an inclusive and accessible digital space for all. By combining our strengths, we aim to amplify the impact of our collective efforts in supporting free and open Internet.”
We’re Always Looking To Do More
Do you know an organization that you would like us to partner with? We're open to working with almost anyone, as long as they share our values.
The core criteria for being a Windscribe Partner is that your company does its best to stand on the right side of critical internet rights discourse, including freedom of expression, individual right to privacy, and access to safe internet.
We aren't just looking at working with NGOs and privacy advocates, either. As long as the company shares our values and vibes, then we're game. You can see an example in this cool YouTube video from our partnership with World of Warships.
If you would like to partner with us, send a quick dope email explaining what you would like to accomplish with the partnership. WE DO NOT WORK WITH AFFILIATES OR DO PAID-FOR REVIEWS. If that is your pitch, then sorry (not sorry), but we're good.
For the rest of you safe internet and privacy lovers, shoot your shot, and let's work together to make the digital world that little bit safer!
