Bamako (Mali): Civic Watch Shares Attends Forum on Digital Security & Social Cohesion 

/in

Recognised for its leading role in promoting #SafeDigitalSpaces through the #defyhatenow initiative in Cameroon, the Regional meeting aimed to share our experience with other countries.

Civic Watch is currently taking part in a two day Forum on Digital Security and Social Cohesion in Bamako, Mali. This invitation of Meta is coming after  a 3 day training that took place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in August 2022 with key digital actors of french speaking Africa States using ICT to mitigate violence and hate for peace  The training was organized by Meta and Search for Common Ground, with the aim of building digital peace in Africa. In continuation of the project, organizations met in Mali, for the Bamako Forum on Digital Security and Social Cohesion.

The Bamako Forum brought together researchers, civil society actors, policy markers, and digital and social cohesion experts, among them Civic Watch, represented by Tchiengue Donald, #defyhatenow Digital Project Coordinator. The Forum aims at examining ways of amplifying the analyses and experience of African scholars and civil society actors in order to support policy decision making in the face of increased fueling of conflicts and polarization, ills that come with the misuse of social media platforms. The forum is a stitch in time as it will lead to the creation of a platform for exchange, dialogue, and planning to build a sustainable partnership in research and advocacy on digitalization, conflicts, and social cohesion in the Sahel area. That way, there will be a better followup by the members for the development of Africa. 

The forum is intended to be a starting point for regional initiatives to tackle online challenges to peace and social cohesion in the Sahel area. To this end, with the support of Meta, an online campaign named #TamTam2Paix will be launched in the coming days with several digital actors from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad and Cameroon to amplify the messages of peace and togetherness in the light of current socio-political and geopolitical stakes. 

Africa is experiencing  a rapid growth in internet access which allows population access to social media which has become risky to its consumers due to the kind of information shared. There is a need to create awareness on the dangers surrounding the irresponsible use of these digital tools which are often used in; fueling conflicts and polarization, spreading of fake news, incitement to violence, extremist exploitation of digital tools, and the fueling of hate speech on social media, thus affecting social cohesion and stability across the region.

It is important to note that despite these disadvantages faced, the internet has positive sides that can be explored for sustainable peace and social cohesion. Hence the forum is for policymakers to better understand the links between digital tool access and conflicts. The Bamako Forum was established with the aim of fostering a lasting partnership between African scholars and practitioners to support National, Regional, and International policies regarding emerging digital issues. Emerging from consultations in the Sahel and West Africa involving various regional actors. The initiative encourages cross-sector collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who will combine their efforts to ensure the mitigation of these vices that are disturbing the peace and social cohesion in the African continent. During the forum the participants recognized the profoundly transformative power of ICT and its significance impact on lives and are therefore committed to follow principles and objectives stated in the Bamako Declaration of Digital and Social Cohesion of September 20,2023.

As part of Civic Watch’s mandate which is to reduce conflict online and offline, it is a milestone in joining other stakeholders in Africa to make Africans aware of the instabilities brought about by the misuse of digital tools. It will be more to reiterate to social media users the need to #ThinkBUClick while browsing so as to stop fake news, hate speech and violent extremism via the use of digital tools. 

HOW TO RESPOND TO HATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

/in

Online hate speech is a hateful post that takes place online with the aim of attacking or stigmatizing an individual or group of persons based on their gender, identity traits or beliefs. The attack could be directed to their country of origin, tribe, race, religion or political views.

Social media nowadays has become a place where many feel they can pour out anything they feel like saying to anyone. Some go for fun, others for entertainment while others go just to insult and downgrade others. These online bullying, harassing could lead to mental health problems like trauma. Online hate has lots of negative consequences that may affect a whole community if measures are not taken to reduce the flame. Memories of the 2018 post-electoral tensions in Cameroon, which were exacerbated by the spread of tribal hate messages online are still vivid. 

Many find social media platforms as a place where they can insult, harass people and promote hate. This does not mean it is right and we should not be bystanders. There are great ways to approach such persons and sensitize them. We can do that through online campaigns, share some tips with them, and use hashtags to make our message go viral.

While we are trying to eradicate the wild spread of #HateSpeech, #Misinformation, #Disinformation, Violent extremism online and offline in our communities, we need to mind the tone in which we are passing our message. If we respond to #Hate with hate, we increase hate in our community. We learnt from Martin Luther King that “Hate cannot drive out hate, only LOVE can do that”. 

Choose to #ACT4Peace today! 

You cannot correct someone by insulting them, if you do so they will not learn. They will instead increase their actions and find ways to bring you down. There are a few things you can do to help curb the spread of online hate: 

  1. The first thing you need to do is to ACT 
  2. You can invite them to join you,  engage in empathic and peace building conversations online.
  3. Educate them on the dangers of #HateSpeech both online and offline, e.g. it can lead to acts of #Violence in our communities.
  4. You can respond to #HateSpeech by posting something that promotes #Peace. You can undermine hateful content with positive messages that spread tolerance, equality and truth in defense of those being targeted by hate.
  5. While trying to build peace, mind you that all cultures are to be respected. Do not use a culture negatively in trying to prove a point. 
  6. You can use hashtags like; #Act4Peace, #NoToHate, #NoToHateSpeech, #WeStandTogether, #HateFreeCameroon, #defyhatenow etc.

Thank you for reading this piece and please share with us ways you think we can respond to online hate without spurring people’s anger, more hurtful words and violence.  If we do not act now, online hate will spread its wings so wide that we will not be able to mitigate it. 

To learn more on how to champion peace initiatives in your community, we invite your to read or download free copies of the #defyhatenow Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide

Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide, Cameroon , Second Edition 2021

#defyhatenow

#SafeDigitalSpaces

#HateFreeCameroon

Back to school 2022-2023 : #HateFreeSchools in Cameroon

/in ,

Civic Watch in its implementation of the #defyhatenow initiative works to counter, mitigate #HateSpeech, violent extremism both online and offline in Cameroon. We equally work to empower youths to become peace building leaders in their school environment and communities.

This coming back to school 2022-2023 academic year, Civic Watch will accompany students with the aid of their teachers for a #HateFreeSchool. It is our aim to build these students with moral values, inculcate the habit of tolerance, a peaceful coexistence and living together. The past three years have recorded an increase of violence in school milieus. Reports of students stabbing peers and teachers, indulging in sexual immorality on campus and others involved in sharing nude videos online. In addition, the two English speaking regions of Cameroon have been timid with schooling in the past years due to the Anglophone conflict. Students fear they might become a target and lose their lives for going to school. Schools burnt down by unidentified men who threaten the lives of those who dare to go to school. Statistics published by Human Right Watch show that an estimated number of 700 000 children have been out of school between the year 2017 and 2021. This is one of the major reasons that Civic Watch Cameroon calls for an active and collective back to school campaign. 

depict the dire situation of children of school going age based in the conflict-struck regions

We will print out posters, print design pictures of peace and they will be posted in the school campuses, we will as well share with them the content of the #defyhatenow Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide; like, the importance of peace, living together, tolerance and the dangers of violence, hate speech online and offline. In the end of this #HateFreeSchool Campaign, we will be sure of inculcating the spirit of building peace, importance of living together and giving them basic skills of mitigating hate speech in their schools and communities. We will want the students to realize that they need #PenNotGun to build a good and prosperous future for them and #HateFreeCameroon. This will help to fosters peace in #Cameroon and our society.

Civic Watch team will visit primary, secondary and university schools to have a talk with them. Other relay team members based in the North West and South West regions will visit schools there and have a talk with the students and pupils on the need of building a #HateFreeSchool for a brighter future. We begin from the primary level so that while growing they will know the importance of peace, acceptance and tolerance in their communities. They will learn that despite their difference in tribe, class, and religion, there is no difference between them. Their difference complements each one of them to make them stronger together. They will understand that without one of them they are weak. 

While going on the field to talk with the students, we will equally share with them online because we know that many students are online. The aim is to reach out to as many students as 1000. If many share, students will learn to be careful online. They will #ThinkB4TheyClick, the spread of hate speech will reduce and the rate of violence in our schools will reduce as well. This is to make students conscious and join the spreading love and mitigate hate in their classes and communities. That is why we urge you to defy hate NOW. 

Join the campaign of building hate free schools by using these hashtags on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc; 

#HateFreeSchools

#PenNotGun

#Youth4Peace

#Teens4Peace

#PeaceInMySchool

#NoToHateSpeech

Africa Fact Checking Fellowship “Special Grand Nord”.

/in

AFFCameroon is a program that is run by Civic Watch and its partner defyhatenow. Its aim is to train journalists, bloggers and content creators to be able to fight against online #FakeNews, #Misinformation, #Disinformation, by #Factchecking information both online and offline.  The program is aimed at cultivating the skills needed for creating a healthy and safe online experience for all social media users, making a safe place void of toxic ideas, hate speech, misinformation, disinformation and fake news which fan flames of violence. In the  past years, we have Civic Watch and defyhatenow had trained fellows from different parts of Cameroon, that is; North West, South West hit by the Anglophone conflict, West, Center, Littoral hosting most internally displaced persons from Cameroon. 

This year, we went to the Northern region of Cameroon. The Far North has been facing violent attacks from Boko Haram in the past years and is equally faced with inter-tribal conflicts. Thus we saw the need to create awareness in this part of the country. We saw the need to make those of that region involved and part of #Cameroon that is not forgotten. That is why AFFCameroon in this part was termed “Special Grand Nord”, this is because we needed people who know and master the realities of this region. 

#AFFCameroon ‘Special Grand Nord’ Session , foreground is the trainer Mr. Paul Joel Kamtchang

Garoua hosted AFFCameroon for its first time and the training ran for two days, 28th and 29th of April 2022. 15 fellows were selected and they answered present to discover the new world they were about to embark on. These fellows were; 8 from Garoua, 5 from Ngaoundere and 2 Maroua. The trainer was Paul Joel Kamtchang who took them through; the world internet world, introduction to fact checking, methodology for writing Social Media Health Report (SMHR), working group on SMHR and meet up, fact checking reporting and fact checking topics. The first session was all about introduction, making them discover the fact checking world, identify fact checking topics, how to write fact checking reports and SMHR.
`After the first session, the fellows showed their delight and were more eager to discover the techniques and mechanisms of fact checking. Their training will run for three sessions, April, May and June. The next session will be in May 2022. 

Youths in Yaounde Share Perspectives on Civic Participation & Nation Building

/in ,

“YOUTH AND VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION IN THE MAJOR CHALLENGES OF CAMEROON” 

Civic Watch on February 10, 2022 had a talk with 20 youth based in Yaounde on the occasion of the Youth Day celebration in Cameroon. This year’s theme: “Youth & Voluntary Participation in the Major Challenges of Cameroon”, highlights youth’s involvement in development. Thus some youths drawn  from different works of life; journalists, teachers, bloggers, students, and civil society organisations were invited for the session. The aim was for them to talk about the difficulties the Cameroonian Youth is facing, the impact of their actions in their lives and society, and how to participate in the development and maintenance of peace…the peace of their community.  

The meeting started with a welcome speech from the president of the organisation Mr. Ngala Desmond who explained the mandate of Civic Watch; mobilisation of civic action, fighting online hate speech, violence, and violent extremism online and offline.  

The session, moderated by Kinang Derick,  started with a round of self introduction, as well as expectations by the participants. Delving into the first part of the programme, the topics; Youth Day celebration (Past and Present), expectations from Head of State’s speech, and 2022 youth day  theme: (Youth and voluntary participation) a way forward? 

The exchange went with the agreement that the youth day celebration of today is different from that of the past, the value has been lost because in the past people tried to understand what youth day was all about, but now, youths have different reasons for partaking. It was recognized that most Cameroonians do not know why youth day is celebrated. The Cameroon government did lay down the foundation of youth day. The idea of this day was a day of celebrating Cameroon’s history and handing it over to the younger generation. It was equally realised that the Anglophone crisis and CoronaVirus had contributed to the fall of the youth day celebration in Cameroon. As per the head of state’s message to the Youth, it was expected that president Paul Biya would create more job openings for youths, he would promote education by creating universities and Pavel-Aldo member of the Academic Campus Forum said he expected that the president made funds available for youth who have projects pending funding so that they could realise their dreams. Talking about the youth day theme, it was discussed that youths have become money-minded rather than wanting to gain knowledge and skills.  

 The second part of the discussion was about; Youth and civic participation, Youth and Peacebuilding/Peace process, and countering hate speech, violence in schools and communities. The youths recognized that they need to be an example in their immediate community to counter hate speech and violence. Participants agreed that there is a need for them to be self-disciplined, tolerant towards others, and sensitise other youth on ways and means they can contribute to nation building, in their own little way. Regarding ways to harness our differences to bring positive impact in the society, an example was the just ended  Africa Nations Cup #AFCON2021  hosted by Cameroon.  The football fiesta brought all Cameroonians together as one people, one nation and speaking with one voice;,  Participants stressed on excesses mostly displayed by social media users on different platforms, with the potential of spurring violence.. A typical example shared was the recurrent rise in [usually drug-induced] violence, witnessed in most secondary schools, believed to have been influenced by social media.Much work needed to be done to discipline students in school, which responsibility lies in the hands of . 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

 As for recommendations, the youths recommended that parents need to be sensitised to teach their kids at home moral education because the morals of the younger generation are degrading by the day. 

The youths need to work closely with kids, denounce some of the things happening in their environment, pen down the difficulties they face, and surmount courage to explain their problems in a peaceful way to government authorities.