EngageMedia is set to participate at the 17th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, representing Asia-Pacific changemakers working in the digital rights movement. During the forum, to be held from November 28 to December 2, EngageMedia will showcase its research work on data justice and improving data protection laws in the region.
The annual meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format and features over 250 on-site and online workshops, lightning talks, town halls, and open forums aligned to the overarching theme of “Resilient Internet for a Shared Sustainable and Common Future”.
The IGF meeting will utilise a digital platform to enable all participants to join the discussions at the on-site events. Register here to learn more about IGF and to attend the online sessions.
Town Hall: Social Justice during Rapid Datafication
On Thursday, December 1, 1:30PM-2:30PM Bangkok time (UTC+7), EngageMedia will host a town hall session titled “Social Justice during Rapid Datafication”. The discussion will draw from EngageMedia’s research collaboration with the Alan Turing Institute for the Advancing Data Justice Research and Practice project, which produced a report on how data justice is perceived and understood by stakeholders in Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as a video and a Pretty Good Podcast episode expounding on the research findings.
The session will explore different perspectives on social justice in relation to global trends of rapid datafication and increased reliance on the internet. The discussions will also touch on the ethics of data collection, governance, and analysis, as well as power relations in the context of defining and promoting international data governance standards.
Participating in the discussions are EngageMedia Research and Program Manager Egbert Wits, researcher Thompson Chengeta of the Advancing Data Justice Research and Practice Project, and ATI Ethics Research Assistant Rosamund Powell.
Lightning Talk: Improving Data Protection Laws through Grassroots Learnings
On Friday, December 2, 1:30PM-2PM Bangkok time (UTC+7), EngageMedia’s Project and Communications Manager Vino Lucero and Internews Senior Advisor for Internet Governance and Policy Berhan Taye will moderate a lightning talk titled “Improving Data Protection Laws through Grassroots Learnings“. The session will focus on how governments can improve their data protection laws and ensure these are aligned with their respective countries’ realities, based on lessons learned from the grassroots.
The talk will feature insights from Taye along with Sokunthea Chann of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, Santosh Sigdel of Digital Rights Nepal, and Wahyudi Dyafar of ELSAM. The talk is part of EngageMedia’s work with Internews under the Greater Internet Freedom program.
