"Africa has become a linchpin in the EU’s ambitions to support economic development, particularly through digital transformation. The February 2022 EU-African Union (AU) Summit will provide an opportunity to present the EU’s Global Gateway not only in opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initia
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tive but also as a cooperation project between two interested parties. The goal should be to jointly accelerate digital development, not only in infrastructure but also in the development of sector-specific digital applications digital skills and capacity building as well as policy frameworks and regulations. Such efforts require a partnership of mutual respect and shared interests that advances individual and human rights and democratic norms and that addresses pivotal issues such as health, education, climate change and sustainability. The EU also needs to ensure a coherent and coordinated approach that links Global Gateway with the European Green Deal." (Summary)
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"Gendered disinformation is a form of identity-based disinformation that threatens human rightsworldwide. It undermines the digital and political rights, as well as the safety and security, of itstargets. Its effects are far-reaching: gendered disinformation is used to justify human rightsabuses and
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entrench repression of women and minority groups. This policy brief explains whatgendered disinformation is, how it impacts individuals and societies, and the challenges in com-bating it, drawing on case studies from Poland and the UK. It assesses how the UK and EU are re-sponding to gendered disinformation, and sets out a plan of action for governments, platforms, media and civil society." (Introduction)
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"Through these mediations on gendered disinformation, and the variety of perspectives that the authors bring, we call into question hegemonic structures of knowledge production. The anthology forces us to call into question the very idea of objectivity, blurring lines between 'truth' and 'lies'. The
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report contains experiences where women have been harmed equally by untrue information, half-truths and narratives that reflect deep-seated biases rather than deliberate lies. For the discourse on gendered disinformation to encompass all these experiences requires a larger contemplation on what we mean by 'objective truth'. (Contribution of report, page 4)
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"The aim of this paper is to investigate the phenomena of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, as well as their impact on the political sphere. In addition, the paper attempts to explain the harmful influence of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation on public debates, dem
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ocratic processes, and civil society engagement." (Introduction)
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"The overall aim of the workshop was to promote discussion among the archives on their respective practices, to reflect on the practice of interviewing with the involved historians and, last but not least, to find ways to make better use of the interviews available in the archives [...] The first pa
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rt of this reader contains the self-portrayals of the archives involved in the network and presentations of their contemporary witness projects, while the second part features reports from the historians on their practice, including reflections on their approaches. The appendix contains detailed overviews of the archived interviews of contemporary witnesses. Together with the texts, they are intended to give an impression of the interesting interviews that can already be found in the Ecology Archives and to arouse curiosity about their scientific use." (Editorial, page 4)
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"Das deutsche Rechtssystem basiert grundsätzlich auf individuellem Rechtsschutz. Nur die bzw. der Einzelne kann also eigene Rechte einklagen. Doch gerade wenn es um strukturelle Rechtsverletzungen geht, wie es zum Beispiel bei digitaler Gewalt meist der Fall ist, wäre eine kollektive Rechtsmobilis
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ierung hilfreich. Betroffene müssten dann nicht allein klagen, sondern können sich zusammenschließen oder mit Unterstützung eines Beistands klagen, oder ein Verband könnte an ihrer Stelle den Rechtsstreit führen. Im Folgenden werden Möglichkeiten kollektiver Rechtsmobilisierung dargestellt. Dafür werden zentrale Begriffe wie Streitgenossenschaft, Prozessstandschaft, Sammel- und Musterklage sowie Verbandsklage kurz erläutert. Eines der wesentlichen Probleme kollektiver Rechtsmobilisierung gegen digitale Gewalt ist, dass es an einschlägigem Recht fehlt, welches überhaupt – individuell oder kollektiv – mobilisiert werden könnte. Daher wird nach einer knappen Einführung in die Problematik zunächst das mobilisierbare (einklagbare) Recht gegen digitale Gewalt bzw. dessen Fehlen dargestellt, bevor auf prozessuale Fragen eingegangen werden kann." (Einleitung)
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"As journalists from across Sub-Saharan Africa, we adhere to our profession’s principles of honesty, fairness, accuracy, transparency, sensitivity and thoroughness. When reporting and editing on sexual and gender minorities & religion, we resolve to: 1. independently develop our knowledge of diffe
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rent belief systems and SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) issues; 2. avoid mentioning faith affiliation or SOGIE status when such information is not directly relevant to a story; 3. carefully consider word choice and framing around sexual and gender minorities and followers of different faiths. Use sources’ preferred terminology when appropriate; 4. allow marginalized people to speak for themselves and in their own voices; 5. strive to include moderate voices in our reporting, not just the extremes; 6. seek out knowledgeable sources capable of providing accurate information and analysis; 7. always consider the motivations and potential biases of our sources; 8. be especially diligent in verifying all details when covering sensitive news and ask for clarification when needed; 9. avoid including dangerous hate speech in our stories; 10. avoid sensationalizing or capitalizing on marginalized identities; 11. avoid using imagery that depicts religious or sexual and gender minorities in stereotypical or dehumanizing ways; 12. take all measures possible to provide anonymity when necessary to protect the safety and security of individuals and communities; 13. practice the qualities of responsible, ethical journalism by minimizing harm and avoiding hearsay and rumor; 14. encourage diversity in our newsrooms; 15. ensure that our personal beliefs and biases do not influence the objectivity of our reporting or limit the topics we cover. If our beliefs somehow make covering a story impossible, we should pass it onto a colleague." (Reporting resolution, page 6)
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"Somaliland needs legal, policy and institutional reforms in order to avoid arbitrary and politically motivated interference with the dissemination of information and opinions to the public. This is the conclusion of one of the papers presented at the 4th Annual Conference organized by the Social Re
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search and Development Institute (SORADI). With a focus on media development, the conference in Hargeisa on August 24 and 25 [2013] brought together representatives from government institutions, policy makers, civil society as well as academics, journalists, international scholars, and traditional leaders to discuss, debate and exchange ideas on press freedom in Somaliland's young democracy. With 57 licensed newspapers, 8 TV stations, 108 news websites but only one public radio station the first contribution to the discussion centered on the media industry, its practices and the lack of enforcement of regulatory frameworks. Lessons from what the author of the second paper called "Africa's freedom of speech dilemma" guided the conversation on what there is to learn for Somaliland. Further afield, the third paper dealt with the role of the Diaspora in shaping the media landscape in Somaliland. As part of the discussion on professional media practices, the fourth presentation looked at challenges of Somaliland Universities to offer relevant studies programmes. Debating the intricate issue of balancing rights and responsibilities of media, the fifth paper looked at the performance of the media during the time of elections. The final paper summarised promises and challenges of media freedom in Somaliland." (https://ke.boell.org)
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"This report reviews the situation in which media operate in the Middle East, specifically in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and also including a short section on Tunisia [...] Part 1 explores the historical development of the media in the region, outlines their structural environment, and
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probes practices of censorship and self-censorship. Part 2 looks into those developments of the past decades that have affected the monopoly on information by states and the access to information on the part of the public. Part 3 critically examines the function of guidelines for good journalistic practices in the region, and provides some samples of codes of ethics. Part 4 presents an overview of the recent situation of the media and freedom of expression in the region and provides some historical background. In general, this part seeks to survey the existing media, including the press, radio and television, the Internet, as well as media legislation in the individual countries. Due to specific local circumstances, some of the country sections are however structured in a slightly different manner. Part 5 compiles select training opportunities for journalists, as well as organizations and projects that are committed to networking, monitoring, advocacy and legal aid." (Foreword, page 8)
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"This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of censorship in Lebanon which will hopefully allow the many local artistic and cultural actors the opportunity to lobby for the most appropriate legislative amendments to the current censorship regulations which are currently not conducive to t
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heir work. Thus accordingly, the study provides an extended definition of censorship covering both prior censorship (i.e. that which occurs prior to screening or production as is the case with cinema films and theatre plays) and post censorship (exercised following publication or production as is the case with print periodicals). Special emphasis is placed on censorship exercised by state institutions. Self censorship, though not uncommon, falls outside the scope of this study. The first section of this study defines the legal institutional framework of censorship by presenting the various forms of censorship and the authorities that implement it. The second section is devoted to the topics which are censored." (Executive summary)
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