Your Guide to a
Successful Proposal

The RightsCon proposal portal is a one-stop-shop where you can submit and manage session proposals, apply for our Connectivity Fund, and more. Create an account to get started!You can propose a maximum of five sessions for consideration. Please note that the limit only applies to the number of proposals per person, not per host institution.

Depending on the format, a session will support a number of roles, including:

• The session organizer develops the session content and structure, and coordinates with facilitators and speakers at all relevant steps in the process.

• A facilitator leads discussion and activities, and steers participants to reach the session goal. Most, but not all, session organizers also choose to facilitate.
• A speaker frames the conversation from an expert’s perspective and offers ideas for participants to question and consider.
• A participant brings personal input and experiences to the table and actively contributes to the session goal.

The RightsCon 2022 program will introduce two new session formats to the Call for Proposals: social hours and private meetings.

Social hours are hosted in an integrated networking platform, which seeks to replicate the coffee breaks and hallway conversations of an in-person summit. The format features an informal, self-directed space where our community can connect, form partnerships, meet with experts, and share ideas.

Private meetings are closed-door and invite-only sessions, capped at 25 participants. The format is ideal for cross-sector coordination around current policies, projects, and initiatives, and provides a unique opportunity to secure commitments from key stakeholders.

Jump to the section about formats for more details.

We take seriously our responsibility to build a program and a summit space that reflects the diversity of experiences embodied by our community. RightsCon’s policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion aim to address dynamics of privilege and power that impede trust, openness, and collective action.

Diversity is one of our core evaluation criteria. As always, we welcome proposals that explore technology’s intersection with gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability status, economic status, and/or other social, cultural, or personal identities.

Organizers should arrange facilitator lineups with care and consciousness of regional representation, and representation of communities across regions – such as Indigenous peoples, Black communities, and people with disabilities – that are traditionally pushed to the margins and excluded from global convening spaces.

Access Now upholds a no-tolerance policy for men-only panels (“manels”). We also look critically at sessions that only feature perspectives from communities which perpetrate and benefit from systems of oppression, including but not limited to: colonialism, racism, classism, and land and resource exploitation.

We may reach out to organizers to offer feedback or recommend facilitators for sessions where these standards aren’t met. In rare cases, we may pull a session from the schedule if it violates our policies.

Access Now’s Code of Conduct establishes principles and expectations for participation at RightsCon. If you have ideas on ways we can better serve our global community, contact us at [email protected]

RightsCon convenes people from around the world to discuss critical issues and advance a shared agenda for human rights. Every moment counts, and every session should capitalize on, and contribute to, an environment of excellence.

If your proposal is accepted into the program, we’ll work with you to develop session excellence. Session excellence embodies our commitment to providing training, resources, recommendations, and opportunities to network with other organizers, all in the service of a diverse and participatory program.

At RightsCon, participants are not passive listeners, but active contributors. Your proposal should clearly articulate what you want to achieve and how participants will help you reach that goal. No matter the format, a well-structured session will make the best use of the people and perspectives in the room.

While most sessions are conducted in English, the program supports other languages, such as Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. In an effort to make RightsCon more accessible, the proposal form offers optional sections where you can submit answers in another language.

If the proposal form presents a barrier to submitting a session for consideration, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at [email protected], and we’ll work with you to facilitate your participation in RightsCon.

We offer funds for organizers, facilitators, and participants who need access to a stable, secure internet connection, or support for childcare or other services during the summit. The application form for the Connectivity Fund will open soon, and anyone is welcome to apply.