DRAPAC23

Local and regional contexts on digital rights issues

Festival attendees can expect a number of spaces to discuss important conversations and collaborate on addressing vital and pressing digital rights issues, including but not limited to:

1. Extremism and Hate Speech
2. Gender Justice
3. Climate Justice
4. Digital Authoritarianism
5. Data Justice
6. Disinformation
7. Media Freedom & Censorship
8. Challenging Big Tech
9. Youth Engagement
10. Digital Labour
11. Digital Security
12. New Money
13. Access & Inclusivity
14. Open and Secure Technology

Diversity of participants and venues

The Festival sessions will be facilitated by a diverse group of changemakers and organisations from across the Asia-Pacific. Similar to the Coconet Digital Rights Camp, the Festival team is taking great care to increase the participation of underrepresented and marginalised sectors in the digital rights space.

The Festival also aims to bring digital rights issues beyond the usual conference-style venues. We envision a unique range of venues for our various session formats.

Variety of co-created sessions

Go Broad

• Keynote Speeches
• Panel Discussions
• Parallel Events by Partners

Go Deep

• Talks, Roundtables, and Other Discussions
• Training and Workshops
• Localization Sprints
• Hackathons
• Tech Labs

Go Celebrate

• Film Festival
• Art Exhibits
• Musical & Other Entertainment
• Self-Care and Fitness

Spread your story to a diverse, regional audience

The Festival will be a unique opportunity to address and interact with a captive audience of changemakers.

Get a wealth of feedback and discourse

Hear directly from changemakers about the region’s pressing digital rights issues.

Find collaborators and co-creators

Have a project in mind? The Festival is an opportunity to pitch and jump-start your ideas.

Get logistics support from EngageMedia

EngageMedia will assist session facilitators to look for suitable venues, conduct outreach and promotions around your event, and help with other logistical needs.

Priority for travel sponsorships

EngageMedia will be sponsoring the food and board of a limited number of Festival attendees. Individuals and organisations who will be selected to host and facilitate sessions will be given priority.

Raise the profile of timely digital and human rights issues

COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated and normalised the authoritarian use of digital technologies. Digital surveillance has radically increased, with governments tightly tracking the movements and associations of their citizens. Big Tech, law enforcement, and other vested stakeholders have worked closely with governments to exploit the opportunity to expand their power and control.

Other regional risks and trends include the following:

• Increases in human rights abuses
• Backsliding on gender equality
• Curtailment of freedom of expression and assembly
• A rise in disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation, including the use of this trend for authoritarian purposes
• Increased website blocks and takedowns, internet throttling, and shutdowns

The Festival is an opportunity to raise the profile of these issues to broader audiences, not only regionally but also globally.

Allow changemakers to sustain their work and advocacy

Asia-Pacific civil society is resilient, with a long history and deep foundations, but it needs support to combat these digital rights issues. The Festival will be a large stage for changemakers to showcase their work and find support and collaborators within a broader range of allied actors.

Join a group of distinguished organisations contributing to digital rights

Our current funders and partners include:

• Sida
• ARTICLE19
• Association for Progressive Communications
• Chiang Mai University’s School for Public Policy

Go to EngageMedia.org/Festival for an updated list of funders and partners.