Events

EVENTS

Welcome to Digital Rights Foundation's Events area. The team is constantly working hard to ensure digital freedom and safe access to the internet for the citizens of Pakistan, and this space is where we'll be sharing all the updates on our events and activities with you!

For more details on our events, please write to us at [email protected] and we'll be sure to respond asap.

 

2019


Multi-stakeholder conference on harassment:

The Conference on 23 October 2019, titled “Combating Online and Offline Harassment in Pakistan”, included a keynote address from Kashmala Tariq, the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment. The first panel, titled “Tackling the criticisms of the Law - Is the legal system a tool for silencing or resistance?”, was moderated by Nighat Dad.
The panelists included Syed Fareed Ali (director training at Federal Investigative Agency), Tooba Syed (lecturer at Quaid-e-Azam University, Awami Workers Party, Women Democratic Front), Khawar Mumtaz (Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women), Tanzeela Mazhar (Journalist), Zoya Rehman (Researcher), Aslam Chohan (Consultant at Punjab Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment), Fauzia Viqar (Ex-chairperson of Punjab Commission on the Status of Women) and Nuzhat Shirin (Chairperson, Sindh Commission on the Status of Women). The second panel titled “Reforming the law - A way forward” included Maleeka Bokhari (Member of National Assembly), Kashmala Tariq (Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment), Barrister Jannat Ali Kalyar (DRF), Dania Mukhtar (Lawyer), Rukhshanda Naz (KPK Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment), and Aisha Sarwari (Co-founder Women’s advancement Hub, Author and Journalist).
Ms. Maleeka identified workplace harassment as a key area of concern for the current government, she stated that, “workplace harassment was not part of PTI’s original plan, however, our plans are fluid and not set in stone, and we will now look at this issue as it is in tandem with the government’s aim of increasing female workforce participation.”

DRF collaborates with UNESCO to mark International Day for the Universal Access to Information in Pakistan on 26th September in Lahore

In partnership with UNESCO Islamabad, DRF commemorated the International Day for the Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2019 at ICS, the University of Punjab on Thursday, September 26, 2019. The event was organized in partnership with the European Union, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Embassy of Sweden in Pakistan, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and civil society partner Digital Rights Foundation (DRF). At the event, the Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Ms. Ingrid Johansson, gave the opening remarks along with the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Wouter Plomp. Speakers at the event included Mr. Zahid Abdullah, the Federal Information Commissioner; Mr. Mahboob Qadir Shah; the Chief Punjab Information Commissioner; Anoosha Shaigan from Courting the Law; Mr. Nabeel Qadeer and Usama Khilji from Bolo Bhi. UNESCO Representative Pakistan, Ms. Vibeke Jensen gave closing remarks. The Deputy Head of mission at European Union Delegation to Pakistan, Ms. Anne Marchal also attended the event.

Session in Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan on Peace Building and Cyber Security Measures

Digital Rights Foundation in collaboration with Shaoor Foundation spoke at the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan on cyber security and data protection on 10th December 2018. An interactive session took place with students around ethical practices online and the implications of the online world on one's offline life. The session also focused on how the internet at times could be used as a radicalization tool by terrorist groups and how it is important to maintain healthy practices online.

Session in Bacha Khan University, Charsadda on Peace Building and Cyber Security Measures

Digital Rights Foundation in collaboration with Shaoor Foundation spoke at the Bacha Khan University, Charsadda on cyber security and data protection on 11th December 2018. A much needed debate around safer use of the internet took place with the students. The conversation also focused on how the internet should be used responsibly and how some groups use it for radicalization purposes which needs to be put to an end.

March 2017

March 2017 at Digital Rights Foundation

March 2017 started on a wonderful note for Digital Rights Foundation, with Internet Freedom Festival scheduled in the first week of the month. The activities kept escalating for the team, from Open Government Partnership Consultation event scheduled in the mid of March, to Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Submission by DRF, Submission for the report of UN Secretary General on the safety of journalists on the issue of impunity, submission to UN Office of the High Commission of Human Rights on the situation of Digital Gender Divide in Pakistan, RightsCon Summit during the end of the month, Women's Day campaign, and events and seminars conducted and attended by the team throughout the month. Read here.

Yet Another Year at RightsCon, and It Was Big!

Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) was at RightsCon - the world leading 3-day event to discuss the future of the internet - organised by Access Now from March 29 to March 31, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. During the event, DRF hosted four sessions that discussed different issues relating to the safe and fair access to the internet. As mentioned here, the sessions reflected on what all DRF had been doing the past whole year. Read details here.

We’re Coming to RightsCon2017 and It’s Going To Be Big!

Every year, Access Now brings together digital rights activists from around the world in the world's leading event for the future of the internet - RightsCon Summit. And Digital Rights Foundation is thrilled to announce that just like the past few years, we'll be hosting a series of sessions at the conference this year and they'll be the reflection of what the team of DRF has been busy with in 2016. Details of the sessions hosted by DRF can be found here.

Digital Rights Foundation at Internet Freedom Festival, 2017

Digital Rights Foundation participated in and was a partner at the Internet Freedom Festival (2017) held from March 6th to March 10th in Valencia, Spain. The primary agenda of the meeting was “joining forces to fight censorship and surveillance”. The main themes for the event were community, training & best practices, internet freedom: present and future, tools & technology, regions & groups, communications & design and journalism & media. Details here.

April 2017

4th PITB Round Conference

Nighat Dad and Shmyla Khan from DRF attended the TechHub Connect: 4th PITB Roundtable Conference at Arfa Software Technology Park, Lahore on April 6, 2017. The Conference brought together stakeholders from the tech industry, government and civil society on one table. The IT Census was discussed along with the need for a taskforce from civil society. DRF raised questions of the need for a data protection policy and greater gender parity within the tech sector.

A Glimpse into the Month of April ’17 at Digital Rights Foundation Theme

A legislation called Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which was enacted in the name of securing people of Pakistan struggles to solve issues pertaining to digital spaces. A lot of times, people don't know who to turn to if they encounter any unpleasant incident online. This problem amplifies when citizens don't know their constitutional rights. Digital Rights Foundation was engaged in the series of sessions and events throughout the month of April to talk to people from different backgrounds about their digital rights and aimed at empowering them with the information needed to raise their voices against injustice and to demand their rights as the citizens of Pakistan. Read here.

May 2017

Digital Security Clinic

Digital Rights Foundation setup its first digital security clinic at Digital Youth Summit 2017 happening in Peshawar, Pakistan from May 5 - 7, 2017. During the summit, the expert team of DRF will be providing digital security assistance to the attendees, and also talking about the importance of digital rights and privacy in today's world.

"Digital Rights and Online Harassment in the Global South" at Harvard University

Nighat Dad spoke about "Digital Rights and Online Harassment in the Global South" at The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University on May 3, 2017. Nighat's talk focused on how people in the South are unaware of their digital rights. They, especially women, face online harassment and have no support to handle the trauma that comes with it. She also emphasized on the fact that cyber threats very often translate into offline consequences.

Nighat shared the process of setting up Pakistan's first Cyber Harassment Helpline with a very limited budget for the survivors and victims of online harassment. She alse highlighted the stats of the helpline in the first 4 months of operation since its launch in December 2016. The talk in its entirety can be watched here: [YouTube Link]

Hamara Internet: Challenging the Evolving Threat of Online Violence

Digital Rights Foundation is organising a conference on "Challenging the Evolving Threat of Online Violence" as part of its project Hamara Internet. The event is scheduled to take place on May 25, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The conference will explore issues of online harassment and gender-based approaches to the internet. DRF also plans to introduce its yearlong quantitative study on electronic violence against women, using data that was gathered through sessions that were conducted under the Hamara Internet project, in collaboration with Making All Voices Count (MAVC). The agenda for the event can be found here.