Digital Rights Foundation and the World Economic Forum in collaboration with institutional partners hosted a first of its kind event in Kathmandu from February 19-21, 2020. This event brought together participants from across South Asia and the rest of the world to discuss the implications of digital and emerging technologies for organizations promoting advocacy and mobilizing people-powered action in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Furthermore, topics like digital rights, civic tech, transparency and governance also came under debate.

This event aimed to facilitate shared learning across regional contexts on how increasingly digitized world is moving towards shifting behaviours, creating new opportunities and the deepening challenges for the communities and stakeholders that advocates work with. The participants had an opportunity to discuss the challenges for strategic cross-sector alliances within the development sector. The Fourth Industrial Revolution was widely discussed, with attendees discussing the changes and the future threat it brings with it.

The panels ranged from focusing on Advocacy in Context: Regional Perspectives on Technology, Advocacy and People-powered movement which took a look at relevant tools and strategies that advocates are employing across different regional contexts in an increasing digital world. Additionally Nighat Dad moderated a panel titled,  Accelerating Digital Rights Conversations Beyond South Asia and Beyond, which focused on the current state of digital rights in South Asia and opportunities to deepen and accelerate the conversation across the region and within a global context.

Nighat Dad, Executive Director of DRF noted that, ‘The fourth industrial revolution brings with it various opportunities, however, it also poses different threats to different communities especially in the context of the Global South. It is important to bring digital rights groups from South Asia together to discuss the dynamics and landscapes around transparency, digital rights and advocacy so that it becomes a strong front like the Global North. Through this workshop, we were able to bring together different actors from South Asia and discuss in detail how collaborations within the community are important.’

Digital Rights Foundation is a registered research-based advocacy non-governmental organization in Pakistan. Founded by Nighat Dad in 2012, DRF focuses on ICTs to support human rights, inclusiveness, democratic processes, and digital governance. DRF works on issues of online free speech, privacy, data protection and online violence against women.

Contact Person:

Nighat Dad 

[email protected]