Young political and civil society activists gathered to analyze digital rights agendas, gender, diversity and youth, with a viewpoint on democratic innovation, an activity jointly organized by Asuntos del Sur, Hivos, Fundación Avina, Fundación Internet Bolivia and International IDEA.
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The event took place on 10-11 December 2018 in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia and succeeded in bringing together a diverse group of members from civil society and the political arena, benefiting from the participation of regional and international specialists (the latter from Argentina, Colombia and Mexico), who contributed to a broad and in depth contextualization of the crisis in confidence afflicting modern democratic institutions and of the obstacles which hamper the emergence of new leadership.
Within this framework, many issues were addressed such as the increasing role of the internet; citizens’ participation and strengthening of democracies; freedom of expression; privacy and a focus on the rights of the digital society, issues which were fleshed out by an analysis of growing hate speech and prevailing discrimination in conservative groups opposed to women’s agendas and diversity.
The event was characterized by a highly participative logic and the application of the feeling methodology which allowed prototype proposals to address four subject areas. The first is on hate speech in digital spaces; the second is on data transparency in order to improve state institutions; the third is on the positioning of women’s rights, diversity and youth in political parties programme agendas; and the fourth on evolution from political activism to mainstream political participation.
Several participants underscored the team work of the organizations that promoted this initiative and suggested that it be replicated, and expanded, in the kind of diverse setting promoted by International IDEA.
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