Newsletter: Spring 2021

#MMN Migrant Media Network

Our #MMN program launched a new Social Media & Migration Field Guide for Ghana.

This resource supports trainers and community leaders in facilitating discussions on regular & irregular migration, the tactics smugglers use on social media, and opportunities at home. 

The highlight is a board game called Think Carefully – Move Safely. It is designed to encourage conversations about migration options and allows players to familiarize themselves with the risks and scenarios that could arise during migration.

Our blog post about the launch can be found here.

#defyhatenow Ethiopia 

#defyhatenow Ethiopia held a three-day workshop in Addis Ababa on March 15-17, 2021 for students and teachers from the PolyTechnic TVET College in Assosa.  

The workshop focused on building up social media literacy and engagement in order to help mitigate hate speech and prevent harmful content online.

#defyhatenow team members from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Germany facilitated this hybrid online/offline workshop. The workshop was hosted by the GIZ, our partner in Ethiopia.

#ASKnet Repair Cafés

The 2020 #ASKnet program wrapped up with a series of community repair cafés that were open to the public.

Items such as lights, cell phones, radios, and bicycles were brought in for repair. These repair cafés involve hands-on learning, empowering people with the skills needed to fix things on their own. Repairing items also helps reduce waste and preserve natural resources.

Applying Covid-19 regulations and safety precautions, multiple repair cafés were held in February and March by #ASKnet trainers and hubs in Uganda and South Sudan. Some even teamed up with online partners and guests from as far away as Brazil. 

#ASKnet’s guest mentor Ricardo Ruiz wrote a great blog post about repair cafés that can be read here.