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 Liberia, the misuse of social media poses a threat to electoral integrity, with misinformation playing a role in societal polarisation. Oftentimes, platforms that enable democratic discourse are exploited to incite hatred, disseminate false information, and suppress political participation. Political campaigns are especially targeting young voters, who use social media extensively and are particularly affected by this issue. Evidence shows that during the 2020 midterm special senatorial elections and by-elections, a review by the Liberia Election Observation Network (LEON) identified 43 instances of hate speech among over 623 posts and 3,800 comments.
To address this concerning trend, LEON works to monitor social media activity during electoral campaigns by tracking and analysing content to identify disinformation, misinformation, threats, and hate speech, particularly targeting youth. Through these efforts, LEON aims to safeguard freedom of expression and participation in the country.
Project Overview
Through its Social Media Monitoring unit, LEON is addressing the growing challenges posed by social media in Liberia’s electoral processes. In order to safeguard the integrity of elections, freedom of expression, and youth participation, this initiative monitors and assesses social media activity. This project analyses social media platforms to mitigate the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech that disproportionately targets young voters.
The project focuses on two key objectives:
1. Promoting Transparency: Assessing both the positive and negative impacts of social media on election integrity to foster transparency and trust in the electoral process.
2. Providing Accurate Analysis: Delivering unbiased evaluations of public statements to counter misperceptions and enhance public understanding of critical issues.
Moreover, the initiative targets political actors, candidates, and the broader voting population, acknowledging that the unregulated use of social media by political entities can distort public opinion and undermine electoral integrity. Through evidence-based analyses, the project aims to counter threats to democratic discourse, support informed decision-making, and advocate for effective regulations to curb harmful online practices.
Expected Outcomes
Overall, the efforts will lead to effective flagging of misleading content and provide fact-based counter-narratives, enabling young people to make informed electoral decisions. The outcomes will focus on:
1. Improved Social Media Monitoring: tracking and analysis of social media activity related to electoral processes across Liberia, focusing on hate speech, disinformation, and other digital threats and proposing recommendations.
2. Enhanced Fact-Checking: establishing partnerships with fact-checking institutions to provide accurate analysis of public statements with verification mechanisms to counter misinformation and provide needed context.
3. Informed Youth Engagement: outreach initiatives, townhalls and online activities to distribute accurate and verified information to empower youth with knowledge to make informed decisions.
More about the Organisation
The Liberia Elections Observation Network (LEON) was launched in May 2017 as a partnership between The Liberian Crusaders for Peace (LCP), the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), and the National Union of Organisations for the Disabled (NUOD).
