EngageMedia is seeking a local country partner in the Philippines to spearhead country-level activities under the Greater Internet Freedom initiative. The selected partner will work closely with EngageMedia to further build the digital safety capacity among members of at-risk communities, and contribute to the consolidation of digital safety and digital rights experts and advocates in the region.

Now in its fourth year, the Greater Internet Freedom initiative aims to “enhance digital security for civil society and media organisations, engage citizens in internet governance debates, and advance human rights online”. EngageMedia continues its work with local partners in South and Southeast Asia to implement capacity-building activities, media campaigns, research studies, and other needed support to address digital rights and safety issues in seven countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

The engagement will begin in October 2023 and end in August 2024.

The deadline for applications is on Monday, September 25, 2023, 23:59 UTC+7 (Bangkok time).

Required Criteria

General

1. Must be an organisation registered in the Philippines
2. Must be eligible to receive foreign grants and funding
3. Must be willing to get additional consultants/contracts as needed, based on country-level activities
4. Must have extensive connections across civil society, particularly among digital rights defenders and internet freedom groups in the country
5. Must have a good grasp of digital rights and safety issues in the Philippines
6. Must be committed to submitting project deliverables in a timely manner

Networks

1. Is connected and/or has worked with at-risk communities, journalists, women and gender minority groups, academic institutions, and national-level policymakers
2. Is connected and/or has worked with digital security enthusiasts and practitioners for country- and region-specific events

Training and Capacity-building

1. Has experience in doing in-person or virtual events on digital rights and digital security issues
2. Has experience in hosting training sessions on digital hygiene and safety
3. Is able to gather training/event feedback, capture learnings from sessions, and supply comprehensive documentation for project-related events

Engagement and Research

1. Has extensive experience in engaging digital rights and digital safety organisations on advocacy campaigns
2. Has experience in engaging governmental agencies on digital rights policies
3. Has experience in conducting research and in-depth analysis on critical internet freedom issues in the country

Recommended Criteria

1. Has experience in conducting training sessions or capacity-building activities with human rights defenders, media professionals, and digital security specialists.
2. Is able to produce content and other visual materials for the purposes of advocacy campaigns

Application Process

Interested parties may apply via email on or before Monday, September 25, 2023, 23:59 UTC+7 (Bangkok time).

The email should be sent to EngageMedia Digital Rights Project Coordinator Prapasiri “Nan” Suttisome at [email protected], with the subject line, “Application: Greater Internet Freedom Philippine Partner – [ORG]“. Further questions and inquiries about this opportunity can also be sent to this email.

The email application should contain:

1. Your organisation’s basic information, including
   1. Name
   2. Short bio
   3. A link to your website
2. Your organisation’s contact person for this application
3. Your organisation’s networks, including but not limited to
   1. Primary target group
   2. Partners or other organisations you work closely with
   3. Digital rights and Networks you are a part of
4. Your rationale for applying as the Philippine local country partner
5. A list of previous work and activities related to digital security and digital rights advocacy in your respective country
6. At least one example or case study that shows the outcome of your work in the digital security and digital rights spaces