Session
Subtheme
Organizer 1: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Government, African Group
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Government, African Group
Speaker 1: Rosemary Mwangi, Government, African Group
Speaker 2: Maja Calovic, Civil Society, Eastern European Group
Speaker 3: Victor Omondi Kapiyo , Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 4: Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Maja Calovic, Civil Society, Eastern European Group
Speaker 3: Victor Omondi Kapiyo , Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 4: Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: A roundtable promotes peer-to-peer learning and enables cross-regional collaboration, encouraging participants to explore actionable strategies and solutions. It will also save us time when moving to breakout sessions since we will use the existing layout to allocate participants to groups.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: A roundtable promotes peer-to-peer learning and enables cross-regional collaboration, encouraging participants to explore actionable strategies and solutions. It will also save us time when moving to breakout sessions since we will use the existing layout to allocate participants to groups.
Policy Question(s)
1. How can collaboration between civil society, governments, tech companies, and fact-checkers be strengthened to combat disinformation and hate speech at national and regional levels, particularly with the rise of far-right movements and shifting geopolitics?
2. How can national multi-stakeholder coalitions improve content moderation and platform governance while balancing trust, safety, and freedom of expression?
3. What strategies can coalitions from the Global South adopt to enhance engagement with tech platforms and policymakers, especially in light of funding constraints and regulatory challenges?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain renewed motivation to work collectively as civil society actors, recognizing the power of coalition-building, especially in an era of shrinking civic space and funding constraints. Attendees will learn how to engage and collaborate with stakeholders such as governments, tech companies, fact-checkers, and media organizations to combat disinformation and harmful online content, even amid budget cuts. The discussion will provide space to share country experiences, exchange strategies, and explore cross-regional collaboration on content moderation and platform governance.
The session will delve into how national coalitions operate, balancing platform accountability, regulatory engagement, and protecting digital rights. Participants will be inspired to replicate similar coalition models in their countries, understanding the value of collective advocacy, shared resources, and coordinated action in addressing digital governance challenges.
SDGs
Description:
The Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) Project, funded by the European Union and led by UNESCO, led to the formation of National Coalitions on Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Indonesia, and Kenya. Launched in January 2021, these coalitions serve as multi-stakeholder platforms fostering collaboration between national regulators, media associations, fact-checkers, peace-building organizations, tech companies, international organizations, civil society, and academia. The primary goal of these coalitions is to localize content moderation while tackling hate speech and disinformation, ensuring freedom of expression remains protected, especially in the Global South. By facilitating structured dialogues with Big Tech, they are strengthening platform governance and influencing national policy frameworks. Since their formation, the coalitions have grown significantly, with Kenya (23 members), Bosnia (17 members), and Indonesia (16 members), increasing their influence in shaping platform policies. Their efforts have led to key policy wins and industry collaborations, such as: - Bosnia & Herzegovina: Through coalition efforts, engagement with the government and tech platforms became possible, and TikTok began implementing recommendations to improve content moderation. - Indonesia: The coalition has become a trusted partner of META in election monitoring, ensuring safer digital spaces during electoral processes. - Kenya: The coalition drafted amendments to the National Cohesion and Integration (NCIC) Act, adopted later, and developed national guidelines on content moderation, soon to be submitted to the Ministry of ICT. This session will bring together representatives from these coalitions to share experiences, challenges, and successes in advancing platform governance, highlighting how community-driven advocacy can drive impactful changes in national policies.
The Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) Project, funded by the European Union and led by UNESCO, led to the formation of National Coalitions on Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Indonesia, and Kenya. Launched in January 2021, these coalitions serve as multi-stakeholder platforms fostering collaboration between national regulators, media associations, fact-checkers, peace-building organizations, tech companies, international organizations, civil society, and academia. The primary goal of these coalitions is to localize content moderation while tackling hate speech and disinformation, ensuring freedom of expression remains protected, especially in the Global South. By facilitating structured dialogues with Big Tech, they are strengthening platform governance and influencing national policy frameworks. Since their formation, the coalitions have grown significantly, with Kenya (23 members), Bosnia (17 members), and Indonesia (16 members), increasing their influence in shaping platform policies. Their efforts have led to key policy wins and industry collaborations, such as: - Bosnia & Herzegovina: Through coalition efforts, engagement with the government and tech platforms became possible, and TikTok began implementing recommendations to improve content moderation. - Indonesia: The coalition has become a trusted partner of META in election monitoring, ensuring safer digital spaces during electoral processes. - Kenya: The coalition drafted amendments to the National Cohesion and Integration (NCIC) Act, adopted later, and developed national guidelines on content moderation, soon to be submitted to the Ministry of ICT. This session will bring together representatives from these coalitions to share experiences, challenges, and successes in advancing platform governance, highlighting how community-driven advocacy can drive impactful changes in national policies.
Expected Outcomes
The session will inspire civil society actors in other regions to establish or strengthen similar coalitions, using the Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) model as a blueprint for engaging platforms and policymakers effectively.
The session will form a platform for the exchange of ideas on effective regulation and an opportunity to share practical examples.
Hybrid Format: - We will use live polling tools like Mentimeter or Slido to make discussions interactive.
- We will invite questions from both in-person and online audiences during the session.
- Having a virtual moderator to oversee chat discussions and pass questions to the speakers.
- We will set up virtual breakout rooms for networking online.
- We will make sure to encourage ongoing discussions through chat forums or social media groups after the session.