The WYDE Civic Engagement project complements its activities at global and regional levels with ad-hoc country-level support. The overall aim of the Quick-Impact Actions (QIAS) is to provide urgent and strategic support to local actors working on youth political inclusion and participation, always upon request of the relevant EU Delegation.
Based on the specific objectives determined in close cooperation with EUDs, the most appropriate local actor(s) are identified and selected to implement the QIAs. This is done either through a direct technical intervention or an action grant, awarded directly or through a restrictive call for proposals, depending on the urgency of the need, the political calendar, and the potential to generate positive changes in youth participation.)
Background
In Bangladesh, digital spaces have become crucial for democratic and civic engagement. However, the country faces a significant digital divide, with an internet penetration rate of only 44.5% as of early 2024. Despite the increasing use of digital platforms, awareness of digital rights remains low, particularly among the youth, who constitute a significant portion of the population. Citizens have encountered various forms of digital suppression, including internet shutdowns, privacy violations, state-sponsored disinformation, and surveillance. These restrictions have directly impacted democratic aspirations, electoral participation, and civic engagement, leading to a shrinking of digital spaces.
Project Overview
The « Gen-D: Defending Digital Rights for the Next Generation’s Democratic Future » project aims to empower Bangladeshi youth and communities by strengthening digital rights awareness, enhancing digital literacy on information integrity, digital safety and security, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV). The project will focus on the following activities:
- Creating Internet Communities: Training and awareness on internet freedom for youth participation in democracy.
- Monitoring Information Integrity: Building a resource hub to combat misinformation and disinformation.
- Digital Rights Violation Tracker: Developing an open-source dashboard to track digital rights violations.
- Internet Freedom Campaigner Fellowship: Training young leaders to become internet freedom campaigners.
- Capacity Development and National/International Networking: Building internal capacity and enhancing international presence through participation in digital rights conferences and training sessions.
Expected Impact
- Enhanced understanding of digital rights, privacy, and safety among youth and communities.
- Reduced spread of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM) in Bangladesh’s digital space.
- Youth, journalists, activists, and at-risk communities equipped with digital safety skills.
- Established strong collaborations with digital rights organizations and key stakeholders.
- Active participation from youth and vulnerable groups in promoting digital rights.
About Activate Rights
Activate Rights is a youth-led collective dedicated to strengthening online rights in Bangladesh. The initiative prioritizes awareness, promotes documentation and circumvention techniques, monitors information integrity, and advocates for digital safety and security among youth and adults. Its goal is to foster a more democratic and open digital environment where everyone can fully exercise their human rights.
