By Mabinty M. Kamara in Monrovia
Regional actors from Central and West Africa are in Liberia to plan a collective approach that would foster and enhance information sharing across member organisations.
The three-day conference which commenced yesterday 27 July was organized by the National Democratic Institute and brought together the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), and Innovation Lab Liberia (iLab ), as well as organizations from Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Delegates attending the conference are expected to identify ways to tackle these vices. They will therefore examine how disinformation and hate speech can undermine the electoral process, and how civil society and media organisations can analyze the election environment and take action to address threats to electoral integrity in their respective countries.
A press statement issued by the organizers said that Influencers and amplifiers with political or nefarious backing have consistently used disinformation and hate speech as tools to undermine information integrity, including electoral and democratic systems across the region.
In addition, representatives at the conference will also deliberate on tools and methodologies for overcoming challenges and monitoring the online space and take a look at how disinformation and hate speech can be used to target women and other marginalized communities.
“NDI, in partnership with the Government of Canada, is pleased to support this convening of regional groups who work on countering disinformation and hate speech, especially in the lead-up to elections, when tensions can be high and swift reactions to dangerous content can have an immediate positive impact. We are looking forward to three days of engaging conversations and brainstorming on the most effective approaches to counter information manipulation and hate speech in West Africa,” Zoe Hartman, Programme Manager, National Democratic Institute was quoted in the press statement saying.
In her welcome remarks, the NDI National Director in Liberia Vandetta Barnard Jones expressed appreciation to the participants from across the continent while emphasizing the importance of the event. She urged the participants to make good use of the valuable lessons that will be learned during the three days.
NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organisation that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms, and values, to secure a better quality of life for all.
With funding from the Government of Canada, NDI and partners are currently implementing projects in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Liberia to counter disinformation and misinformation during electoral periods. The initiatives are largely meant to improve information integrity and reinforce the credibility of electoral and democratic systems across these nations.
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