r0g_agency news & updates
r0g_newsletter: autumn 2024
Dear friends and colleagues,
this newsletter, with updates on our different projects and activities in the past few months, introduces, amongst others, two projects – #YoMIL and #FemPeaceEA – that focus on women in media and feminist peace networks.
Celebrating the First Graduates of the Africa Fact-Checking Fellowship – #defyhatenow Ethiopia (AFF-ETH)
The Africa Fact-Checking Fellowship – Ethiopia (AFF-ETH) is empowering youth to tackle disinformation! On October 11, 2024, our first cohort of 15 fellows graduated from the Africa Fact-Checking Fellowship – Ethiopia (AFF-ETH), marking a significant step forward in the fight against disinformation. AFF-ETH is one of the programs implemented under the #defyhatenow-Ethiopia initiative and funded…
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Breaking Barriers: #YoMIL Introduced to Transform Gambian Media for Young Women.
A path towards empowerment and amplifying women’s voices in the Gambian media is set to make a lasting impact on The Gambia’s media industry, #YoMIL Gambia is geared towards equipping young women with the tools they need to navigate and influence media spaces. On October 9, 2024, the Young Women in Media and Information Literacy…
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Navigating Bamenda with Mbuh Stella
Please join us in Navigating Bamenda, the second part of our #defyhatenow series featuring journalist Mbuh Stella.
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DECOLONISING CITY-MAKING THROUGH COOPERATION, CARE, AND TRUST-BUILDING
Hallo Berlin! Join us for a “roda de conversa” (a round-table-like format) where we’ll explore methods for decolonising city-making through cooperation, care, and trust-building. Let’s discuss actionable strategies for advancing decolonial practices and research in everyday city-making! When: June 4th, 16:30Where: OPEN CULTURE OFFICE, Knobelsdorffstr. 2214059 Berlin – CharlottenburgHow to join: Just come over!For more…
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Support girls in Ghana end stigma around periods
SUPPORT THE BOOK PRINT OF ‘No More Suffering In Silence,” which aims to educate and uplift girls in Ghana through menstrual health education.
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NAVIGATING BAMENDA
r0g_agency welcomes two special guests, both award winning activist peacebuilders fighting disinformation, youth extremism and online incitement to violence in Cameroon’s conflict-ridden North West Region. Bamenda,
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Jemen: Vom arabischen Frühling zum internationalen Stellvertreterkrieg
Die Runde wird von Jonas Ecke moderiert, ein promovierten Anthropologen, der im Jahr 2022 im Jemen im Bereich der humanitären Hilfe tätig war
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WORKSHOP: #blacklivesmatter!
Als Teil der Aktionswochen gegen Rassimus Charlottenburg – Wilmersdorf, die vom 15.März bis 15.April stattfinden, veranstalten wir einen Workshop zum Thema Anti-Schwarzer Rassismus. Jeder ist herzlich willkommen.
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DIASPORA DIALOGUES: Cameroon youth at the crossroads of crisis, roles and perspectives of Cameroonian Diaspora youth.
We shall specially consider the special role of Cameroon based outside Cameroon; their perspectives on transforming the conflict in Cameroon and the particular roles young people play.
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Dissertation result presentation: Merga Yonas “Digital Public Sphere – Perspectives of the African Diaspora”.
We are excited to host Merga Yonas at the r0g_office in Berlin as he discusses his PhD dissertation publication in an event titled “Digital Public Sphere – Perspectives of African Diaspora.” Merga is a Consultant and a Journalist based in Bonn, Germany. He was born in Dembi Dollo, Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. His first…
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r0g_10 personal stories
Celebrating #r0g_10, A decade of impact through the eyes of our community. Follow this link to read more personal stories.
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It’s time to celebrate! r0g_agency is turning 10 years old!
Come and join us on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023 and join us in celebrating a decade of collaboration with local organizations, achieving incredible milestones, and fostering positive change in communities around the globe.
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Cameroon Diaspora Dialogues Panel Discussion
In recognition of International Day of Peace, we are hosting our first #defyhatenow diaspora online dialogue discussion on September 23rd, 2023.
The topic will be the role of the diaspora in the violent conflict in Cameroon that began in 2016.
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Women Game-Changers in the Digital Arts Shifted Paradigms between East and West
As part of our r0g_10 year anniversary celebration, the r0g_agency will be hosting the next open culture feminist café (#OCFC) on Friday, September 18th at 6pm at the r0g_agency open space in Berlin Charlottenburg.
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Feminist Resistance Beyond Borders for Freedom, Peace and Justice
Join us for an important and timely conversation with feminists and activists from diverse regional contexts, centering on the leadership of women in the everyday practice of peace processes and peacebuilding while dismantling systems of patriarchy, Imperialism, militarization, colonialism and neoliberalism.
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JamNOrassismus; A jamming session against Racism!
The Action weeks against racism “Aktionswochengegenrassismus” in the Charlottenburg- Wilmersdorf district of Berlin kicked off on the 20th of March and ran until the 2nd of April, 2023. Various organizations in the neighbourhood planned a series of programs to start conversations against racism.
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r0g_newsletter: spring 2023
For our first newsletter of 2023, we have written about two topics that have been of interest to us in the past months.
Enjoy reading – and as always, do reach out with any questions, comments, or collaborations.
And be sure to follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on upcoming events and news. Links to our various platforms can be found below.
We hope you enjoy reading it. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to get involved.
#MMN- Migrant Media Network Toolkit featured on YENNA_IOM
written by Olumide Olufemi YENNA is the International Organization for Migration’s online learning platform on community engagement for the promotion of safe migration. It is designed to help experts in the creation of better activities and to increase the active participation of communities on migration-related topics. What I find interesting about this learning platform is…
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IOM_ Germany Q&A with two team members of the Migrant Media Network
#MMN – Migrant Media Network featured by IOM – Germany written by Olumide Olufemi Yahya Moro Yapha, a Gambian Diaspora Mentor of #MMN who has had first-hand experience with irregular migration alongside Susanne Bellinghausen, Project Manager for the #Migrant Media Network Project were interviewed by IOM_Germany on their impactful work in raising awareness across Ghana and…
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2023 #beproactive
We chose ‚pro-active‘ as our motto diving into 2023 – a call to us at home and to all our teams, colleagues and partners wherever they may be to take the lead in strengthening their communities, to think out of the box, to act on and create new initiatives.
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The #237footBERLIN calendar 2023
Featuring Cameroonian diaspora football clubs based in Berlin in an effort to identify and support the voices in these clubs that can help support peacebuilding efforts in Cameroon.
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Launch of the #237footBERLIN Calendar 2023 An initiative of #defyhatenow / Lancement du calendrier #237footBERLIN 2023 Une initiative de #defyhatenow
Time: Friday, December 16th, 6pm – 8pmLocation: r0g_agency OPEN CULTURE SPACE Knobelsdorffstr. 22 14059 Berlin Title: Football, Peacebuilding, and Human Rights An evening of discussion and reflection & Launch of the #237footBERLIN Calendar 2023 An initiative of #defyhatenow The #defyhatenow project seeks to provide community-based and data-driven solutions to the problem of hate speech, disinformation,…
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No Roses From My Mouth, Featuring Stella Nyanzi – Open Culture Feminist Café Event.
This Open Culture Feminist Café event will highlight Stella’s work and we will learn more about her continued resistance while in exile. She will also read a selection of poems from her books, as writing poems is an integral part of her fight against oppression and her way of inspiring a revolution.
Date: Friday, December 9th, 2022
Was macht eigentlich “Open Culture” ? r0g_agency wurde in der Berliner Lokalzeitung, dem Kiezblatt, vorgestellt.
r0g_agency was featured in Berlin’s local newspaper, the Kiezblatt. The KiezBlatt is the neighborhood newspaper for Klausenerplatz in Berlin. It is published by the Kiezbündnis and appears four times a year. The newspaper has a circulation of 4000 copies. It is free of charge and is distributed in stores, restaurants and other establishments. The KiezBlatt…
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r0g_newsletter: fall 2022
With fall having arrived here in Berlin, we wanted to slow down for a moment to look back over the past few months and provide you with some updates about our projects.
We hope you enjoy reading it. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to get involved.
Shifting Power: Towards Decolonial Feminist Foreign Policy – Open Culture Feminist Café Event.
Join us for an important conversation with experts and advocates from diverse regional contexts in order to exchange ideas on establishing decolonial feminist foreign policies that could lead to a global shift in power.
Date: Friday, November 18, 2022
Crushing the Hate Curve – How peace technologies counter violent extremism online.
Time: Monday, November 7th, 6pm – 8pmLocation: r0g_agency OPEN CULTURE office Knobelsdorffstr. 22 14059 Berlin r0g_agency’s #defyhatenow initiative to counter social media hate speech and online incitement to violence was born in reaction to the sudden explosion of violent conflict in South Sudan at the end of 2013. When the relationship between social media and…
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#ONEdefyhatenow Nairobi trip
In May 2022, #defyhatenow lead team members from Berlin, South Sudan, Cameroon and Kenya met in Nairobi for the first time since the project was initiated to create an amalgamated initiative #ONEdefyhatenow and register a non-profit in Kenya whose principal mandate is to create awareness of responsible use of social media platforms and discourage the…
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Repair – Reuse – Upcycle … the essence of the ‘right to repair’! Mathew Lubari
Time: Monday, October 3rd, 2022, 6pm Location: r0g_agency office Knobelsdorffstr. 22 14059 Berlin Community Creativity For Development (CC4D) was founded in August 2019 by a group of three South Sudanese refugees in Northern Uganda. Richard Maliamungu, Edina Dawa and Mathew Lubari – all professionals who recognised the need to enact repair, reuse and maintenance of electronics…
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Jon Stever: Hacking Public Policy
Time: Friday, September 30th, 2022, 6pm Location: r0g_agency office Knobelsdorffstr. 22 14059 Berlin How can a global citizen’s assembly impact democracy? Jon Stever will introduce several tools and methods of governance innovation and will talk about the co-creation of the Nigeria Startup Bill and the first global citizens’ assembly. Jon is co-founder and managing director of…
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Part 3: Talk about Success
The enthusiastic participation of Youth in GoGirls season 2022- Image: Aleon Visuals In our previous posts about GoGirlsICT, we talked about the value of education and involving women in science. But in South Sudan, there is still a lot of work to do in dispelling old beliefs that women do not belong in education, science,…
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Part 2: GoGirlsICT Centering the Community
In an earlier post, we talked with Yine Yenki, co-founder and Mentorship Director at GoGirls ICT, an #ASKnet hub, in South Sudan, about gender and the importance of education for women. Another way in which GoGirls ICT is working to empower women and thereby strenghten their communities is by actively learning to involve women in…
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The Art of Cultural Resistance OFF-Biennale Budapest @ the r0g_agency
IMAGE: A re-staging of Endre Tót’s Gladness Demonstrations of the 1970s, October 8, 2017, OFF-Biennale Budapest. Photo by Zsolt Balázs. What? An evening discussing art, curation, and politics with OFF-Biennale Budapest. When? Tuesday, September 6, 2022, 6pm – 9pm Where? The r0g_agency officeKnobelsdorffstr. 2214059 Berlin OFF-Biennale Budapest is the largest contemporary art event in Hungary.…
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Part 1: Gender Relations as Part of #ASKnet Hub Work
GoGirls ICT talked to r0g’s summer intern, Lisa, about the organization. And here’s what they talked about: Gender identity is an essential aspect of everyday life all across the world, impacting everything from what you can wear to what you are allowed to do in society. What does gender mean to those living in Juba,…
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International Youth Day – #ASKnet and Local Expert Action Directory (LEAD)
Today marks International Youth Day, which celebrates the diverse characteristics of young people while acknowledging the challenges they face, including limited access to education, unemployment, conflict, and limited opportunities to improve their livelihoods. In commemoration of this day, my thoughts turn to how we may overcome some of these challenges as #ASKnet hub members and…
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IN THE LOVING MEMORY OF BENEDICTUS AGBELOM, REST IN PEACE
It is with great sadness and shock that we announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague Benedictus Agbelom, after a car accident in Ghana. Benedictus helped craft our #MMN – Migrant Media Network project, which aimed to deliver information systems and safe alternatives to migration for people from his home country of Ghana. …
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On Women’s Inclusion in Repair Culture
An #ASKnet workshop initiative in Rhino Camp refugee settlement, Uganda In places like the Rhino Camp refugee settlement, there never seems to be a shortage of those willing and able to serve their communities. I interviewed one of the incredible women at the forefront of an amazing knowledge-sharing initiative. Dawa Edina is a South Sudanese…
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Evening of r0g_agency at v2_lab in Rotterdam
The Netherlands-based organization v2, an interdisciplinary center for art and technology, invited the r0g_agency to come and present their work during an event called A Night of r0g. And so on Thursday, May 5th 2022 members of the Berlin-based team were in Rotterdam to talk about the work we do together with our partners worldwide…
Read More r0g_newsletter: spring 2022
Dear friends, Spring has arrived and with it, more unexpected turbulence. While we have been busy with our projects countering online incitement to violence in Cameroon and supporting young innovators in South Sudan and Uganda, we’ve also taken steps to respond to the devastating news coming out of Ukraine. Our r0g_Berlin office has become a community collection point…
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THE IROKO OF PEACEBUILDING IN HER COMMUNITY – ROSE OBAH.
With the International Women’s Day, being on 8 March 2022, we talked to some of our partners on how their advocacy work for gender equality today builds a sustainable tomorrow for women in their communities. We talked to Rose Obah, a peace journalist and trainer in conflict transformation. She has worked with various communities ensuring…
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FASHION ・SUSTAINABILITY ・AFRICA
#MMN Meetup: How can the Ghanaian fashion industry become a resource for sustainable alternatives to migration? Talk and exhibits by Nuel Bans (founder & editor-in-chief of Debonair Afrik, a Ghanaian-based digital media publication) and Rhoda Wedam (founder and CEO of the Song-Ba Empowerment Center, Ghana) What is needed to develop sustainable business opportunities in the…
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Democracy Next Level – #DNL
neighbourhood participation – Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf a project by the student-run group City Next Levelfunded by Partnerschaft für Demokratie Charlottenburg – Wilmersdorf Interactive displays in public spaces are nothing new, yet they are almost solely used to promote advertising content. We want to change that and think they have the potential to connect neighbors and stimulate exchange…
Read More r0g_newsletter: January 2022
Dear friends and supporters, As we start this new year, we at the r0g_agency would like to send out a sincere THANK YOU to our teams and colleagues, friends, funders, and all those who have generously supported our work during this past year! 2021 was a year of dealing both with the pandemic and also its effects…
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Happy New Year 2022
Happy New Year to our partners, supporters, friends, and colleagues! Let’s toast to what we achieved together in 2021 and the projects we will tackle in 2022! Here’s to expanding access to information and knowledge, defying hate, and empowering migrants!
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#MMN meetup: Women and Migration
The Migrant Media Network is hosting a meetup on the 24. November 2021 from 18-20hrs, CET that focuses on the experiences of African diaspora communities in Germany. This meetup will focus on women and migration, specifically on how to create safe spaces for migrant women. The meetup will take place at the r0g_agency office, Knobelsdorffstr.22,…
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#MIGRANTMEDIANETWORK RADIO PROGRAM – THE GAMBIA
By Lamin Sanneh – #MMN Local Coordinator The Gambia – West Coast Region According to a joint report by the government of the Gambia and the International Organization for Migration, The Gambia is a country of out-migration. That means that migration is one directional: people migrant out of The Gambia, but people do not migrant…
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r0g_agency new logo!
The r0g_agency has a new logo! A bit of background from Heike, our designer, on the redesign process:“Eight years ago, back when the r0g_agency was mostly an idea, fueled by energy and enthusiasm and a vision for what could be, I was asked to design a logo; it has been in use ever since.Now, 8…
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#peacejam2021 Live Schedule
Pre Registration link https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctd-yurjgqG9RYMF6GgToGpsQoDJECJ2Vb Thematic moderated discussions Recovering after displacement – A chat with refugees and IDPs on their role in conflict transformation Host – Marina Modi, #defyhatenow South Sudan (Juba) Special Guest Contributors Blaise Mbuh -Founder Bamenda Film school Susan Duku – Executive Director RAWYA, Former Uganda RefugeesRepresentatives to Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework John…
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UN International Day of Peace, #defyhatenow Social Media #PeaceJam2021
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. At #defyhatenow we join the International Day of Peace commemoration by having #peacejam activities and discussions that call for conflict mitigation against acts of hate online and offline. We invite you to jam for peace with us from wherever you are in the world,…
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The r0g_ agency is looking for an experienced, passionate, and creative Social Media Coordinator, for a part-time (20 hours/week) freelance position
You will be responsible for creating and collating original text and video content, managing posts, and responding to followers. You will help curate and cultivate our organization’s online image and projects in a dynamic, cohesive way in order to achieve strategic goals, including increasing engagement, followers, and social impact.
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TOGETHER WE HEAL, LEARN AND SHINE
Photo Courtesy : Lovette The Gambia is both a source and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Gambian women, girls, and to a lesser extent boys are exploited for prostitution and domestic servitude. Women and children from West African countries are also trafficked to The Gambia for commercial…
Read More Newsletter: Summer 2021
Dear friends, As we head into summer, we’d like to share a few of our highlights and milestones with you. We are also looking for feedback from you, asking you to vote on the redesign of our logo below! Looking ahead to events in the coming months, we will soon be launching the #defyhatenow Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide for Ethiopia,…
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Policy Development and Social Media
Article by: Kendi Gikunda Public policy can be defined as any government action to address public issues and is essentially a government decision undertaken to pursue a specific goal or objective which may or may not be enforceable at the central, state or local level of governance. Policy-making thus remains a dynamic process that is…
Read More Newsletter: Spring 2021
Dear friends, Looking back on the first quarter of 2021, we have reached some important milestones, such as the release of a new #MMN Field Guide and wrapping up the latest #ASKnet hub development program, and are excited to share these updates with you. Enjoy reading! Some recent highlights: #MMN Migrant Media Network Our #MMN program launched a new Social…
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Who is responsible for regulating hate speech online?
By: Fogha Mc Cornilius Hate Speech is as difficult to define as it is to regulate. There is no international consensus on what is considered hate speech and what isn’t. The difficulty with regulating hate speech is that it sometimes infringes on the freedom of speech, which is a right defended by international law. In…
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#INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021
African women are at the forefront of every movement but rarely get the recognition they deserve. On this year’s International Women’s Day, I choose to challenge the world leaders to consider African women who are initiating social and political change on the continent and beyond as their political partners and support the work of women…
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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021
The r0g_team wishes you a very Happy New Year 2021!We want to thank our friends, partners and funders for always supporting our work, even in difficult times. We are very grateful that we were able to continue our work despite both unfathomable Covid-19 challenges and new civil conflicts that broke out. With that, a special…
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Makers’s mobility: interview with Stephen Kovats from r0g Agency
Published 18 December 2020 by la rédaction on Makery – MakersXchange For MakersXchange (MAX), a study on the mobility of makers, Makery and UPTEC Porto are conducting a series of in-depth interviews to better understand the needs of makers for a future MAX pilot program. New interview with Stephen Kovats from r0g_agency for open culture…
Read More Newsletter: Winter2020
Dear friends, This year is coming to a close – and what a year 2020 has been! Yet while the pandemic has had a huge impact on the daily realities for most of us, it has also provided a great lesson in staying flexible and learning to adapt to an ever changing world. We (and…
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DOTS – THE IMPACT SUMMIT 2020, SUSTAINABLE, POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES TO REGULAR MIGRATION
Hosted by:Thomas Kalunge r0g_agency Migrant Media Network initiative 10.12.202014:00 In this session, we revisited a topic we came across while running the migrant media network project: a discussion about migration, technology, border control, and migration and technology in general. Due to the perceived or real increase in complexity of migration, governments are increasingly turning to…
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Cameroon Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide Launch
On November 10th, 2020 #defyhatenow reached yet another milestone: the launch of the Cameroun Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide. The Field Guide is the second one already produced by #defyhatenow, following the South Sudan Field Guide, and is the first to be available is both English and French, the two official languages of Cameroon. Since…
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One Africa 2, By Mac Alunge
There is no enemy We own our own our own remedy We make up one body, we are one family Soldiers in the same army ‘Enemy’, a blind invention of humanity Designed to distract us from harmony Causing division, pain and misery Obstructing the anatomy of our economy But if we do have an enemy…
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Why dictionaries have to go through changes: A short excursion into the philosophy of language
Whenever new words are added to the Duden, probably the best-known dictionary in Germany, controversial discussions tend to come up in no time. A short excursion into the philosophy of language not only reveals the ambiguous character of language but also illustrates the important role dictionaries play in society. The mutability of the German languageLanguages…
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Hate Speech in Germany
The widespread growth of hatred and agitation on the Internet has transformed hate speech from an underestimated phenomenon into a persistent threat to democratic communication cultures in Germany. The largest representative study to date on the topic of hate speech #Hass im Netz reveals that more than half of the people in Germany are less…
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Migrant Media Network holds training of trainers to discuss verifying migrant messaging
Diaspora plays a crucial role in creative ways to share information to potential migrants reported by Nicholas Bruce What is a migrant was one of many topics discussed at the Training of Trainers workshop organised by Migrant Media Network (#MMN) on 17-21 August. #MMN is one of many projects of r0g_agency, a Berlin-based agency for…
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Refugees as Innovators? How #ASKnet is Empowering Young East Africans
Reported by Sara Shedden Casanovas The Access To Skills and Knowledge as a Weapon of Peace He wasn’t raised in a wealthy household. His home town has been destroyed twice. He lost both parents as a child. Life has been very tough, he admits, but when he tells his story, there is no gloom in…
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COVID19 _#StopCorona
Common Measures to Stop the Spread of Corona Virus Wash your hands (20 seconds) with soap and potable water Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth Use a hand sanitizer / hydro-alcoholic gel when you’re out Maintain social distance – at least 1.5 metres Don’t hug, kiss or shake hands when you meet Use a…
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International Women’s Day Feminist Café: SHE RHYMES!
Reported by Susanne Bellinghausen To everybody who joined us on March 8, at our International Women’s Day Open Culture Feminist Café special program, ‘SHE RHYMES!’, we want to thank you for a wonderful, inspiring and very personal afternoon. Starting off with the personal and moving spoken words by Eilis Frawley, drummer and founder of the…
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DOTS The Impact Summit: Entrepreneurs from all over the world gather in Kenya to co-create open source local solutions to global issues
Reported by Sara Shedden Casanovas There is something Vicy Wenzelman can do with ease: cross-pollination. She is the co-founder of the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG), a global network of 190 social and technological innovators from 42 countries. For Vicy, “people from GIG are passionate, they are all burning for what they do, they are hackers,…
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Beyond Irregular Migration: #MMN and a Migrant‘s Perspective on How to Find Solutions to Challenges
Reported by Sara Shedden Casanovas Desmond Alugnoa understands very well why many young people in Ghana are embarking on a dangerous journey to Europe searching for a better future. A couple of years ago, he also considered crossing the desert to Italy. Like most of his fellow students, when he finished high school he had…
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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020
we wish you all a very happy new year 2020 and want to thank our team, partners, supporters and funders for making 2019 such a successful year.
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Keynote Talk by Fortune Agbele – Migrant Media Network Public Presentation
The recent case of a Chinese national found dead in a lorry in England or the boat that sank near the Canary Islands, taking with it 60 irregular migrants from Africa, prove that irregular migration is a global issue. It is estimated that around 30,000 migrants died globally between 2014 and 2018, most of which…
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Reclaiming Self-Expression – African Feminism in Digital Spaces
Reported by Blen Desta Once again our Open Culture Feminist Café featured the feminist movement in Africa last September, this time in a conversation with Rosebell Kagumire, a pan-African feminist journalist and socio-political analyst, on the theme of ‘‘Reclaiming Self-Expression – African Feminism in Digital Spaces.’’ Furthermore adding quality to this edition of the feminist…
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#MMN_Migrant Media Network Public Presentation
Reported by Sara Shedden Casanovas Migrant Media Network 2019 ended with a public presentation of the project, at the Haus der Statistik on December 13th. #MMN trainee and political scientist at the University of Bayreuth, Fortune Agbele, opened the event with a keynote talk. She highlighted the need for policy-makers and politicians to apply multiple…
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#MMN_Migrant Media Presentation 2019
PUBLIC PRESENTATION DECEMBER 13, 2019 11am – 3pm Werkstatt – Haus der Statistik Karl-Marx-Allee 1 10178 Berlin engaging diaspora communities in social media awareness e& open tech innovation to foster informed migration choices introduction by: Fortune Agbele – Political Science Researcher, University of Bayreuth Please join our team of Berlin and regional based Ghanaian trainers…
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open:fora feminist café – the personal is political !
reported by Blen Desta In May 2019, as part of our week-long “open: fora” event, we began our feminist café journey to exchange ideas and learn from different grassroots projects, causes, and social activism in a small afternoon gathering with friends and colleagues from the open culture community. Themed ‘the personal is Political’; the feminist…
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Workshop: Migrant Media Network (Ghana)
4-day Workshop on Social Media Sensitization and Migration in Berlin WHEN: July 17-18 and 22-23, 2019 WHERE: r0g_agency for Open Culture and Critical Transformation, Knobelsdorffstraße 22, 14059 Berlin CONTACT: Thomas Gitonga Kalunge, thomas@openculture.agency, +491772426390 Aim: Training Ghanaian diaspora in Germany to become trainers on social media sensitization in the areas of regular and irregular migration. …
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open:fora showcases how open source can foster peacebuilding and sustainable development
open:fora was conceived by r0g_agency & OSEG both as an artistic action and as an open street meet welcoming the whole neighborhood. The event was funded by Guerrilla Foundation, a Berlin based organization that supports activists and grassroots movements in Europe. The organizers sought with this event to open the doors to grassroots change actors in Berlin and across all continents.
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open:fora – the open culture street meet!
Hosted by r0g_agency and OSEGDate: between 04.05 – 09.5.19Venue: openculture_officeKnobelsdorffstr. 2214059 BerlinProgramm: www.open-fora.org Welcome to open:fora weeklong neighbourhood open culture street meet, in Berlin’s deep West. In times of increasing illiberal democracy (Orbàn), upload filters and Exiteering the pressures on our freedoms to act, share culture and make voices heard, reinforces the urgency to act…
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Happy New Year 2019
We wish you all a wonderful year 2019 and look forward to a lot of fun and fruitful collaborations.
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My #ASKotec Experience – by Hellen Kimaru
The following post was originally published by team HyracTech at medium.com/@hyractech. I have this belief in skills if we are to make any economic impact and especially for my country where there are limited jobs despite the fact that young people are well schooled, the expectations and the standards set are that standard college or university…
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Our christmas wishes for #ASKotec
In our end-of-year 2018 sprint throughout December, we present to you 31 items that define #ASKotec. By donating to our crowdfunding campaign you support us in assembling more #ASKotec kits, develop targeted curricula, and deliver the basics of electronics and IT skills to young, highly motivated people in transition regions. The christmas packages are packed as…
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End-of-Year event 2018 #HateFreeSouthSudan
Juba, 27th November 2018 – We cordially invite you to attend the #defyhatenow end-of-your-events in Juba and various locations in Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Egypt to celebrate the achievements made in social media hate speech mitigation since 2014. [Download the official press release End-of-Year Event 2018] Over the past four years #defyhatenow and its partners has…
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Georgia Nicolau on #ASKotec
Georgia Nicolau is the co-founder and co-director at the Procomum Institute. She is an activist and a researcher in the fields of culture, arts, politics and citizen innovation. Between 2013 and 2016 she was the Director of Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Brazilian National Ministry of Culture and undersecretary of Creative Economy and Cultural Policies. Graduated…
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Peacebuilding through social media literacy in South Sudan
How can social media literacy accelerate peacebuilding efforts in post-conflict regions like South Sudan? Discuss with us on Tuesday, Oct 23, 2018 from 5pm. Presentations start at 6pm. Two of our colleagues from the #defyhatenow project, nominated as Peace Ambassadors to attend the One Young World Summit in The Hague will be joining us in Berlin.…
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#ASKotec in Nepal
Our friend, colleague and #ASKotec pro Me’rlyk Erderms Aebdyul is now in Nepal prepping for his demo and talk at Kathmandu Mini Maker Faire (#KMMF) on Sunday! Learn all about the event at kathmandu.makerfaire.com Also in the kit is Hyrac Tech‘s #HyracBox >> Check it out at hyracbox.com HyracBox is one of the components of the #ASKotec and the HyracTech team published…
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Rob van Krakenburg on #ASKotec
Rob van Kranenburg is the founder of the Council – the largest #IoT thinktank. He works as Ecosystem Manager for the EU projects Tagitsmart and Next Generation Internet; chairs AC04 – IoT Hyper-connected Society of the IERC, The European Research Cluster on the Internet of Things; is in the SmartCitiesWorld Advisory Board; and is involved in building the ecosystem for the Next Generation Internet. Furthermore,…
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#PeaceJam18 online for UN World Peace Day
Download the PDF Version of this press release. Juba September 15, 2018 – #defyhatenow is proud to coordinate the international social media #PeaceJam18 for UN World #PeaceDay on September 21st 2018 with the theme: Peace for all. We aim to connect South Sudanese and peace jammers around the world on UN World #PeaceDay to increase…
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Obasegun Ayodele on #ASKotec
Obasegun Ayodele is the Co-founder and Executive Director at Vilsquare.org. Vilsquare is the first Nigerian research company focused on data science to help businesses invest in the African market. Their vision is to globalize accessibility to Africa by creating easy and useful data driven insights about investment opportunities in African communities. Vilsquare helps organizations penetrate…
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Eva Yayi on #ASKotec
Eva Yayi is is the Co-founder of GoGirls-ICT Initiative, a Technology Organization that mentors women and girls in South Sudan. Currently, Eva is a Masters Candidate at the Kobe Institute of Computing, Japan holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the Uganda Christian University. She also works as a Teaching Assistant at the…
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Anna Lowe on #ASKotec
Anna Sera Lowe is a co-founder of Kumasi Hive, the makerspace in Ghana that supports innovators to build businesses out of their ideas; and the MakerNet Alliance of individuals and organisations working on different aspects of local manufacturing around the world. Her background includes running a factory, a stint as managing director of a tech…
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Elvis Chi Nwosu on #ASKotec
Humans of South Sudan aims to promote and bring awareness by showing ordinary people and places. Their main goal is: Realizing The Advantages of Diversity. African Cultural Awareness in Norway in partnership with YWCA South Sudan >> migrasjon.com “The #ASKotec skill training initiative has been a much needed resilience and peacebuilding tool for the youths of South Sudan after the new conflict. It…
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Victoria Wenzelmann on #ASKotec
Victoria Wenzelmann is one of the Co-founders and Directors of GIG, the Global Innovation Gathering, and founder of the big blue Labmobile. In 2013, she co-organized AfricaHackTrip, a journey of nine European web developers and designers to East Africa to connect local tech ecosystems. She holds M.A. degrees in Cultural Anthropology and African Studies and…
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Andrew Quitmeyer on #ASKotec
Meet one of #ASKotec‘s supporters, Andrew Quitmeyer. Andrew studies the intersections between wild animals and computational devices. He’s a professor at the National University of Singapore researching how to blend biological fieldwork and DIY digital crafting. Andrew also leads “Hiking Hacks” around the world where participants build technology entirely in the wild for interacting with nature…
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Online and offline polarization
The impact of social media on peace, and how to turn the tide This article was originally published on frient-peacebuilding-forum.de/../frient-peace-building-forum-2018/… Overview The worldwide spread of social media both opens new horizons and poses new challenges to peacebuilders. Social media platforms contribute to freedom of speech. Even so, the filter bubbles they create can also…
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Join us in building 5 more #ASKotec kits with skilled trainers
Providing Access to Skills and Knowledge in the form of a multi-functional Open Tech Emergency Case gives rural and urban innovators a new point of entrance for understanding the basics in a range of vocational skills from soldering, building simple devices to the handling of important yet often specialised tools that in these regions are…
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#ASKotec at FabLab Siegen
The Come_IN Digital Project Week of the Chair of Business Informatics and New Media at the University of Siegen brought together families, senior citizens, refugees and students for a week-long series of activities, building and developing together. The project Come_IN has been building computer clubs in various cities in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) for more than ten years, always following…
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Between hate and hope
Lessons from Kenya on hate speech and political manipulation originally published at furtherfield.org/review-of-the-hate-news-conference The conference began with Jo Havemann presenting #DefyHateNow, a campaign by r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation, a community peace-building initiative aimed at combating online hate speech and mitigating incitement to offline violence in South Sudan. More than ten years ago the…
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Launching the Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide
Download the PDF Version of this press release Juba, 2nd July 2018 – The community peace building initiative #defyhatenow is launching the Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide comprising tools, strategies and resources to combat hate speech both online and offline. Date: Monday, July 2nd, 2018 Time: 2pm – 5pm Venue: Hai Mauna Classic…
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#ASKotec at #Tech4Dev2018
The 5th International Conference on Technologies for Development (Tech4Dev 2018) took place from 27-29 June 2018 at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Conference in a Nutshell The Tech4Dev Conference is the biennial flagship event of the UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development hosted by CODEV at EPFL. The Conference focuses on the potential of technology solutions to…
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A peacetech approach to mitigate mass violence in South Sudan
This article was originally published on frient-peacebuilding-forum.de/pbf-voices-blog/… How can technologies and digital media be strategically used to achieve conflict-resolution and peacebuilding objectives? To answer this question, peacetech is a growing field that allows peace advocates and local communities to develop new forms of engagement. The term peacetech thereby refers to two different approaches: 1) Utilizing existing online/social…
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#defyhatenow at the Social Media Conference in Kampala, Uganda
The UGANDA SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCE 2018 had its focus on: DEMOCRACY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL (DIS) INFORMATION CONFERENCE BACKGROUND The Uganda Social Media Conference is an annual programme organized by the Uganda country office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) which aims to bring together key stakeholders from government, civil society, academia and…
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Join the HATE NEWS conference in Berlin
As part of the Misinformation Ecosystems Conference Series 2018 and in partnership with r0g_agency a.o. Disruption Network Lab presents: HATE NEWS Manipulators, Trolls and Influencers Investigating online opinion manipulation, strategic hate speech and misinformation – and their impact on civil rights. What is the relation between deliberate spread of hate online and political manipulation? This event looks…
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South Sudanese colleagues visiting Berlin
With a range of exciting events happening these days in Berlin we are very happy to welcome three of our colleagues from South Sudan. The founders of the #Go Girls ICT Initiative Yine Yenki and Eva Yayi as well as Bior Jaden attended the annual Global Innovation Gathering, presented at this year’s 12th edition of…
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IoT Day 2018
For #IotDay, a group of jHUB pioneers, along with local peers and colleagues came together with other refugees at the Rhino Camp settlement in Northern Uganda to introduce the concepts of IoT (Internet of things), inspire young people through the design and building of open technology-based ‘things’ such as DIY solar chargers, and LED lights. …
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Raising awareness on the misuse of Social Media
Download the PDF Version of this press release Juba, 6th April 2018: #ThinkB4UClick (Think Before You Click) is an awareness campaign that aims at pointing out the dangers of misinformation, fake news and hate speech with a focus on South Sudan. Over a period of one month, we aim to discuss with the public the…
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DEFY – the film
Download the PDF version of this press release Combating hate speech through the Arts Starring Silvano Yokwe, Doker Stephen, Winnie Joseph, Nicole Mariam Produced by SKP South Sudan, Bilpam Studios with r0g_agency Director Egily Hakim Egily Written by Sam Lukudu Juba, 26th February 2018. – The community peace building initiative #defyhatenow is proud…
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Mapping Refugee Culture and Innovation Sites in Uganda
Since mid-2016 r0g_agency has become increasingly active with its partners on peacebuilding and open tech innovation at a number of South Sudanese refugee settlements in Uganda, primarily in the regions of Arua, Adjumani and Bweyale. Beginning with the first pilot trainings using the #ASKotec kit as part of the 2016 jHUB community development workshops at…
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#vienna school
Meeting the Other – a communication project between Rhino Camp and HBG Youths
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ThingsCon Nairobi
The #ASKotec team participated in ThingsCon Nairobi. An event organised by our friends and colleagues at ThingsCon, who are telessly working “toward a human-centered and responsible Internet of Things“. The following is from Simon’s event report at medium.com/@jimmiehu/diversity-relevance-globalism-in-the-iot-cced43be412a “[…] A particular take on those specific and highly relevant problems was provided by the team around Jaiksana…
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#Peace4All Video veröffentlicht
The new #Peace4ALL music video from the #PeaceVillage in collaboration with #defyhatenow takes place Tuesday March 28th 2017 at 6pm. More information at www.defyhatenow.net
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#Rhinotalks
#RhinoTalks, brought together different actors and relevant stakeholders from South Sudanese NGOs in Uganda, Journalists and refugee settlements leaders with the aim of sharing / developing of strategies for mitigating the occurrence of hate rhetoric among south Sudanese asylum seeking communities in Uganda.
Read More #Peace4all video released
The new #Peace4ALL music video from the #PeaceVillage in collaboration with #defyhatenow takes place Tuesday March 28th 2017 at 6pm. More information at www.defyhatenow.net
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Juba Wiki Sprint
Wikipedia Peace Sprint Within the #defyhatenow initiative we were training students from the University of Juba on writing and editing information about South Sudan on Wikipedia, the online global encyclopedia from 6-9 November 2017. Read the #defyhatenow press release (PDF) Objectives Empowering South Sudanese to have a global voice in national narratives and knowledge in…
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Open Hardware Guide published
Following up on the 2016 “Let’s Go jHUB” programme, the OPEN HARDWARE GUIDE is an outcome of the Open Tech and Repair Skills workshop which was led by Timm Wille and hosted by the Hive Colab innovation hub in Kampala. As a follow-up to the first Open Learning Guide (#OLG) the Open Hardware Guide gives examples…
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Constructed and Open Identities in the Fog of War and Peace
Socio-Political and Historical Context of Hate-Speech in South Sudan | by Roman Deckert. The people of South Sudan have been suffering from one of the gravest humanitarian crisis since major armed conflicts erupted in 2013. About 2 million have been internally displaced, while more than 1.5 million fled to neighbouring countries, mainly Uganda, Kenia…
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Wikipedia for Peace Berlin
Originally published at meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_for_Peace_Berlin_2017 A peace project in Berlin from July 4th to July 18th 2017! […] We think that Wikipedia needs more and better content on social movements, justice and peace in general. So we started up Wikipedia for Peace, which is a community project organized by Wikimedia and Service Civil International. The project is organized as a “workcamp”, where people…
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Wau Wikipedia Peace Agents
Using Wikipedia to #defyhatenow in Wau, South Sudan. The #defyhatenow team held a Wikipedia peace agents workshop in Wau. Wau Wikipedia Peace Agents #defyhatenow 15-16th December Wikipedia was searched to get an initial overview of information about South Sudan, what languages are being used and for things that are particularly interesting to promote peace, unity…
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ojoVoz Workshop in Berlin
#defyhatenow Workshop in Berlin, Germany For more information on ojoVoz visit https://r0g.zeitpunkt-agentur.org/outcomes/ojovoz/
Read More Workshop: Using ojoVoz to #defyhatenow in South Sudan
#defyhatenow Workshop in Berlin, Germany For more information on ojoVoz visit https://r0g.zeitpunkt-agentur.org/outcomes/ojovoz/
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#PeaceJam 2016
#defyhatenow social media #peacejam r0g_agency are very happy to coordinate the international social media #peacejam for UN World #peaceday, September 21st 2016 Events taking place now with #defyhatenow partners in Juba, Wau & Maban (South Sudan); Nairobi & Kibera (Kenya); Rhino Camp in Uganda, Edmonton Canada; and whever you are online. Please use hashtags #PeaceJam #DefyHateNow #SouthSudan…
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#defyhatenow social media #PeaceJam16
Peace messages from Juba #peacejam “Peace is our strength” by Abar Algor & “PEACE is NO PoCs” by Soro Wilson. Photo: Hakim George We are very happy to coordinate the international social media #peacejam for UN World #PeaceDay, September 21st 2016 Events taking place with #defyhatenow partners in Juba, Wau & Maban (South Sudan); Nairobi &…
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Peace messages from Juba #peacejam “Peace is our strength” by Abar Algor & “PEACE is NO PoCs” by Soro Wilson. Photo: Hakim George We are very happy to coordinate the international social media #peacejam for UN World #PeaceDay, September 21st 2016 Events taking place with #defyhatenow partners in Juba, Wau & Maban (South Sudan); Nairobi &…
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Introducing Sauti ya Wakulima to South Sudan
Nearly 80% of the South Sudanese population rely on agriculture to maintain their livelihood, mostly rural residents who farm subsistence or cash crops. Half of this population live below the poverty line and need access to better agricultural information, resources and markets. A mere 4% of viable agricultural lands are continuously cultivated in South Sudan…
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Juba as an Open Source City : Urban Planning as a Tool for Peace Building
Author: Regina Díaz Salgado – Masters Governing the Large Metropolis Sciences Po Paris (April, 2016 Berlin) Currently, in a state of civil unrest, South Sudan’s future remains uncertain and worrisome. South Sudan gained independence just five years ago in July 2011, which makes it the newest country in the world. However, newfound independence did not bring about…
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Wiki Sprint at #PeaceHackCamp
The #PeaceHackCamp was held in Juba from 30 November to 2 December 2015 with an amazing line-up of South Sudanese and international peace builders. One of the programme activities during the #PeaceHackCamp was the South Sudan Wikipedia Peace Agents Workshop. The workshop aims to introduce Wikipedia, the world’s biggest free and open knowledge resource, to South Sudanese.…
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#PeaceHackCamp 2015
Juba, South Sudan – November 30 to December 2, 2015 Bringing together peacebuilders, tech innovators and open culture advocates from across South Sudan and beyond to hack, code, make and collaborate for peace! Visitors are invited to participate and collaborate during the event, in workshops taking place in the format of a “barcamp”. “We invite…
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#defyhatenow background notes
Background research for detailed “DefyHateNow campaign + robust training curriculum summary of different policies, contexts and approaches re:monitoring and combatting hate speech on- and off-line. r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation Susanne Bellingshausen, Abiol Lual Leng, Yoann Fily, Stephen Kovats, Jodi Rose #DefyHateNow is an initiative to combat social media hate speech by…
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#DoDevDif – Doing Development Differently
How could development be done differently to increase opportunities for open innovation and knowledge sharing and strategies to best utilize available tools? On 22 January 2015 r0g_agency for open culture gGmbH, Digital Unite e.V. and the Centre for Internet & Human Rights at the European University Viadrina (CIHR) hosted by the Embassy of Canada to…
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South Sudan #DeepDive: Prof. Leben Nelson Moro
Join us for a special evening with our guest Prof. Leben Nelson Moro from the Center for Peace and Development Studies, University of Juba, South Sudan. At a time framed by the extremes of humanitarian crisis, immense pressures on equitable development and great uncertainty in its future political path South Sudan: #DeepDive is a unique…
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[proto:type]Y2014
In the run-up and development towards a first global ‘Summit of Critical Making’ to be held in Yogyakarta Indonesia in 2015, the newly formed Culture Arts Technology Collective CATEC in collaboration with r0g_agency and the HONF Foundation are hosting a [proto:type] event: The Yogyakarta Meeting on Open Culture and Critical Making. [proto:type]Y2014 highlights the unique and innovative forms of open culture practiced in Indonesia fusing…
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Warrap Wikipedia Sprint
Open Knowledge literacy training A ‘Wikipedia sprint’ or ‘wikisprint’ for Kuajok, the capital of Warrap Sate, in collaboration with local students and the Kuajok Youth Organisation aims to draft the first comprehensive and community created Wikipedia entry in Warrap State … and perhaps South Sudan by local experts and residents. The sprint format introduces…
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Report on South Sudan ‘open systems strategies’ research trip November 2013
Stephen Kovats and Clemens Lerche (r0g_agency, Berlin) Juba and Kuajok (Warrap State), South Sudan In Mid-November Stephen Kovats and Clemens Lerche of the Berlin, Germany based r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation gGmbH, a non-profit organisation working with and developing open source and open systems methodologies in post-conflict development visited South Sudan (primarily…
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#OSWARRAP: Open Systems Strategies linking FOSS & Open Knowledge
– to strengthen agriculture in Warrap State, South Sudan Abstract. In many parts of the world new civil societies emerging from shattering conflict and revolution are facing the challenge to (re)construct nothing less than entirely new nations. Urgent calls to define political participation, state identity, economic self-determination, basic freedoms and reconciliation among resolute opponents…
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Social Media Week Berlin
[SMW announcement, originally posted on socialmediaweek.org/Berlin] #SMWBerlin September 23 to 27, 2013 The biggest free new media and tech conference, taking place simultaneously in 8 cities around the world! Powered by Nokia, #SMWBerlin will bring together experts in a range of fields – from science and art, education and gaming, to entrepreneurship and marketing…
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The Future of Open Systems Solutions, now
UNESCO WSIS+10 review The Future of Open Systems Solutions, Now. Stephen Kovats r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation (Berlin, 06 May, 2013) Abstract The aim of this report is to provide an overview and analysis of WSIS Action Line C3 ‘Access to Information and Knowledge’, with regards to the effects and…
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#MMJuba Documentation
Media&Makers: JUBA 2012 Open Knowledge and Sustainable Media Forum 11-13 December 2012 Juba, Republic of South Sudan Media&Makers: JUBA 2012 – Open Knowledge and Sustainable Media Forum brought together policy makers, journalists, researchers, open source developers, and civil society stakeholders to develop scenarios for a sustainable media sector and civil society in South Sudan, with an…
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Open Source in Post-Conflict Development
Twitter: #OSJUBA Could the world’s newest capital Juba, also become the world’s first Open Source City? #OSJUBA is a conference and workshop held in Berlin on 21-22 June 2012 that brought together international development experts, open tech specialists, hacktivists, artists and policy makers to discuss methods, platforms and Open Source projects that could be used…
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CIRCUM/POLARITY – Art, Culture and Open Technology in the Changing Arctic
CIRCUM/POLARITY was a r0g_media event in 2012 in collaboration with the Embassy of Canada, hosted by the Marshall McLuhan Salon in conjunction with the ‘German-Canadian Arctic Science and Research Conference’. The evening introduced the Arctic Perspective Initiative(API) a non-profit, international group of individuals and organizations working to promote the creation of open authoring, communications and dissemination infrastructures…
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