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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Stanley Boakye-Achampong <researchcoordinator@aflia.net><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 28, 2026 10:09<br>
<b>To:</b> Undisclosed recipients <researchcoordinator@aflia.net><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Jill Claassen <jill.claassen@uct.ac.za>; Reggie Raju <reggie.raju@uct.ac.za><br>
<b>Subject:</b> SPARC Africa 2026 Update</font>
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You don't often get email from researchcoordinator@aflia.net. <a href="https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification" style="background:revert!important; color:revert!important; direction:revert!important; display:revert!important; font-size:revert!important; opacity:revert!important; visibility:revert!important">
Learn why this is important</a> </div>
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<div style="color:#000000"><span style="color:#000000; font-weight:bold">Caution:</span> This is an external email and may be malicious. Please take care when clicking links or opening attachments.
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<div class="x_gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">Dear Colleagues,</font></span></div>
<span id="x_gmail-docs-internal-guid-be3083dc-7fff-88a6-2257-7243161b2b58">
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">Greetings
 from SPARC Africa.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">As we move into the final months of the year, we would like to share a brief
 update on some of our ongoing activities and initiatives. We are grateful for your continued interest, support and engagement with the SPARC Africa network.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">SPARC
 Africa Website</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">SPARC Africa is partnering with SPARC US to develop the SPARC Africa website.
 The website will serve as a regional hub for showcasing our strategic focus and priorities, activities, membership, partnerships, resources, advocacy work, and opportunities for collaboration. Once the website is completed, we will announce its launch and
 share it with the network.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight:700; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">Open Access Week 2026 and Diamond
 Open Access Virtual Conference</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">This year’s
</span><a href="https://www.openaccessweek.org/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">Open
 Access Week</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">, will be observed under the theme “The Cost of Knowledge.” The theme
 provides an important opportunity to reflect on the financial and structural barriers that continue to shape access to and participation in scholarly communication, particularly in Africa.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">In this context, SPARC Africa, together with the Association of African Universities
 (AAU), the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA), and the University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Town, is organising a four-day Virtual Conference on Diamond Open Access on 2–5 November 2026.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">The Virtual Conference will build on the global Diamond Open Access movement
 and the </span><a href="https://ibali.uct.ac.za/s/doasummit/item/190359" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">Toluca–Cape
 Town Declaration</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"> (2024). It will provide a platform to discuss practical approaches
 to advancing equitable, sustainable, non-commercial and academy-owned scholarly communication in Africa. It will also provide opportunities for learning, capacity development and collaboration among institutional leaders, researchers, librarians, editors,
 ICT professionals and other stakeholders.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">Although the Virtual Conference takes place shortly after Open Access Week,
 it will extend the conversation around “The Cost of Knowledge” and explore how Diamond Open Access can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable scholarly communication ecosystem.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">We
 invite you to <b><span class="x_gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"></span><a href="https://workshops.aau.org/Virtual-Diamond-Open-Access-Conference">register</a></b> and participate in the Virtual Conference. Please also share the invitation
 with colleagues and networks who may be interested in joining the conversation.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">More
 information about the Virtual Conference and registration can be found </span><a href="https://workshops.aau.org/Virtual-Diamond-Open-Access-Conference" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">here
 - <span class="x_gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"></span>https://workshops.aau.org/Virtual-Diamond-Open-Access-Conference</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">.<span class="x_gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">
</span></span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight:700; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4"><span class="x_gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"></span>African
 Network of Open Education Librarians (ANOEL)</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">SPARC Africa is also working with AfLIA to establish the African Network of
 Open Education Librarians (ANOEL). The network seeks to create an African space where librarians and allied professionals are deeply embedded in inclusive, sustainable and locally grounded Open Education and Research ecosystems that expand access to quality
 learning and knowledge resources for all.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">ANOEL will provide African librarians with a collective platform to build skills,
 share knowledge and resources, strengthen professional networks, and increase their visibility and influence in advancing Open Education across African institutions</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">.</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap">
 It will support collaboration, advocacy, research, capacity development and the development of shared open knowledge infrastructure. </span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; text-align:justify; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">We are currently finalising the strategic framework for the network. Once this
 is ready, we will update the network on ANOEL’s activities and on how interested colleagues can become part of and contribute to its mission.</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">We
 look forward to your continued participation and to working together to advance equitable and sustainable scholarly communication and open education across Africa.</font></span></p>
<font size="4"><br>
</font>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">Kind
 regards,</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2; margin-top:14pt; margin-bottom:14pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; color:rgb(0,0,0); background-color:transparent; font-variant:normal; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">SPARC
 Afric<span class="x_gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"></span>a</font><span class="x_gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><font size="4">
</font><span style="font-size:12pt"><br>
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