Community update: What we’re up to and what’s coming next

Here’s a quick round up of news, updates and more, since our 10th anniversary summit. As a reminder, registered participants can still login and revisit hundreds of recorded sessions on the RightsCon platform.

If you’re like us, you’re missing the discussions, the connections, and the energy from the most recent RightsCon (held from June 7-11, 2021). Since we met two months ago, our team has been compiling success stories, key achievements, and feedback on your experiences for the RightsCon 2021 outcomes report.

There is a lot to cover in this year’s report. We dive into the numbers that shaped RightsCon, learning that – as a sneak peek – 59% of session organizers identified as women and 579 program sessions resulted in an astounding 1,320 hours of content. You can learn more in the full report, available later this month.

Did you catch RightsCon in the news?

Conversations that started at RightsCon made it to the headlines in the weeks following the event, reaching a broader audience globally. This includes discussions on safeguarding digital civic space, how digital rights are key to a post pandemic recovery, and China’s impact on internet governance.

We have seen reporting on Twitter’s Vijaya Gadde’s revelation that the company has declined multiple government orders it disagreed with, and on how India is emulating China’s approach to internet regulation, according to Cloudflare CEO and co-founder, Matthew Prince. The media also carried Malaysian artist Fahmi Reza’s call to “Keep calm and carry on dissenting” in the face of new repressive laws on freedom of expression in Malaysia.

What we’re reading and watching about RightsCon

The work moved forward at RightsCon continues to gain momentum as organizers and participants continue their efforts. Following a consultation with the RightsCon community, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression released a report on the threats posed by disinformation to human rights, democratic institutions and development processes. The #BanBS campaign, launched at RightsCon, has over 200 signatures and has been translated into over 15 languages. Following their RightsCon session, Digital Rights Watch kicked-off a series of events on how to rebalance the internet economy. And that’s only a selection!

Art competition deadline fast approaching

This is the final week to enter the Digital Art of the Resistance contest that we are hosting in partnership with Bread&Net. We are looking for digital artists, illustrators, comics, graphic designers, and doodle enthusiasts from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, who are passionate about human rights in the digital age. Send us your art by Aug 15, 2021, for a chance to win USD$1,000. You can find more information here.

Coming up in September: the dates for RightsCon 2022

Look out for our Save the Date announcement in your inbox early next month!