Working together against hate and disinformation online and for children's rights in the digital space
In recent months, we have had the special opportunity to collaborate with the Hopes & Actions Foundation from Sudan as part of the CrossCulture Programms (CCP) Synergy of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa).
The NGO Hopes and Action Foundation was founded in 2022 during the political transition phase in Sudan and has since been working to promote digital rights, digital education and the protection of marginalised groups. A particular focus is on combating technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and promoting safe, equal internet access for the population.
As part of our cooperation project Opportunities and risks of the digital world for marginalised groups, a systematic exchange of experiences, knowledge, skills and best practices took place over the past few weeks. The aim was to contribute the expertise and experience of the Digital Opportunities Foundation to provide targeted support to the Hopes & Actions Foundation – particularly in the areas of hate speech, disinformation and digital risks for vulnerable population groups – and to identify the needs of the Sudanese population with regard to promoting media literacy.
Themed online meetings on disinformation, hate speech and children's rights in the digital space
After a joint kick-off meeting, in which we got to know each other and discussed our respective needs and expectations, three detailed online sessions followed. In these meetings, we focused on three key topics:
- Hate Speech: Presentation of the EU project AMeLiE – Advanced Media Literacy Education to counter online hate speech, which highlights creative ways in which digital media education in schools can actively contribute to the prevention of hate speech. The project developed worksheets for different age groups and launched the ‘Kind Speech Day’ campaign, which raises awareness among young people about the importance of respectful language online and offline.
- Disinformation: The EU project Anti-Rumour was presented, in which strategies were developed to raise awareness of fake news and conspiracy narratives and to empower young people to distinguish truthful news from any kind of misinformation.
- Children's rights in the digital world: The discussion focused on the particular challenges faced by children and young people online. It also addressed how protection, participation and involvement can be achieved equally for all children and how these principles can be implemented in practice within the framework of the project Child protection and children's rights in the digital world.
However, the online sessions were not just about sharing best practices. Equally important were insights into the implementation, documentation and evaluation of ongoing projects by the Digital Opportunities Foundation. In addition, there was an exchange of views on needs, different context-related and country-specific challenges, and possible solutions. The meetings highlighted how valuable this direct exchange is, especially when knowledge from different social and political contexts is brought together.
Joint further development of materials
Based on the experiences, resources and learning opportunities shared in the online meetings, the Hopes & Actions Foundation has further developed and successfully implemented three key components: a guide for parents on online child protection, community guidelines for young Sudanese digital citizens and citizen journalists, and a blog article on children's rights in the digital world. In addition, the materials presented in the project by the Digital Opportunities Foundation will be translated into Arabic and published on the Hopes & Actions Foundation website. This will ensure that relevant information and practical tools are accessible to a much wider target group and contribute to greater digital security and education in the long term.
We are delighted that our methodological approaches, concepts and materials are being applied, adapted and further developed beyond Europe, thus achieving a sustainable and long-term impact – beyond the duration of the project.
Outlook: Next steps and deeper cooperation
Our shared vision is to strengthen local capacities and promote digital safety, media literacy and protection from digital violence for vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner. We look forward to continuing on this path together with many new ideas, materials and a growing network that is committed to digital opportunities and rights worldwide.
Special thanks go to the Hopes & Actions Foundation for the excellent cooperation, the inspiring exchange and the joint commitment to digital rights, child protection and education.