Shutdown Academy
60 mins
Advocating and Campaigning Against Internet Shutdowns
- Abstract:
- This course focuses on internet shutdowns and how to mobilise and fight against them. Aimed at civil society organisations and grassroots activists, the course provides practical advice, tactics, and strategies that individuals or organisations with limited resources can enact.
- About this course:
- Internet shutdowns may affect us as individuals or as activists in almost all aspects of our lives, including how students can participate in exams, how journalists cover events, how we participate in elections, how small businesses can survive, and how we access healthcare. In this course, we’ll look at advocacy and campaigning strategies and tactics for advocating against “kill switches”. We’ll look at some key regions around the world: Africa, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
- What do I learn:
- This course is intended to provide individuals and groups with practical tips for public advocacy campaigns against internet shutdowns. In each chapter, the course looks at how states, rulers, militaries, and other actors around the world enable and enforce internet shutdowns, highlighting lessons from those who are fighting back.
- What do I need to know:
- This course does not require any specialised knowledge. As it focuses on internet shutdowns and outlines ways to work around shutdowns, some knowledge of social media, mobile networks, and internet platforms is useful, while basic IT knowledge is beneficial but not essential.
Trainers
Felicia Anthonio
Felicia Anthonio works with Access Now as #KeepItOn Campaign Manager – leading a global campaign that unites over 280 organizations around the world working to fight against internet shutdowns. Before joining Access Now, she was a Programme Associate at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) where she coordinated the African Freedom of Expression Exchange.
- 1.1 Introduction to the course1.2 The impacts of shutdowns1.3 Fighting shutdowns – strategies and tactics for campaigners1.4 Fighting against shutdowns – lessons from the #KeepItOn campaign
- 2.1 The global deterioration of democracy and shrinking space for civil society2.2 Shutdowns in Africa: who is perpetrating them? Who is fighting back?2.3 Shutdowns in Asia Pacific: who is perpetrating them? Who is fighting back?2.4 Shutdowns in the Middle East & North Africa:who is perpetrating them?Who is fighting?2.5 Shutdown in Latin America & the Caribbean:who is perpetrating them?Who is fighting?2.6 Shutdowns in Eastern Europe & Central Asia:who is perpetrating them? Who is fighting?
- 3.1 Elections watch and shutdown advocacy toolkit3.2 Shutdowns during civil unrest and protests3.3 Shutdowns during exam periods3.4 Staying safe during a shutdown3.5 Can you challenge an election shutdown perpetrator?3.6 Fighting shutdowns via international institutions, community & courts3.7 How companies can fight shutdowns - UN guidance
- 4.1 Case study: shutdowns and gender4.2 Case study: shutdowns and humanitarian aid4.3 Case study: shutdowns and disability4.4 Case study: shutdowns and healthcare
- 5.1 Wrap up video5.2 Course survey
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Suggested reading
Blog
Evaluating the Efficacy of State-Imposed Telecom Shutdowns in Northwest Nigeria
This article casts doubt on the shutdowns' effectiveness in curbing banditry, exposing alternative explanations for any temporary decrease in attacks. It questions the legitimacy of justifying these shutdowns as effective counter-terrorism measures, advocating for alternative approaches that prioritize community engagement, human rights, and development initiatives to address the root causes of insecurity and foster lasting peace in Northwestern Nigeria and Nigeria at large.
Blog
Impact of the Twitter Ban in Nigeria
This post is a research study on the impact of the Twitter ban in Nigeria on Human Rights Monitoring, Advocacy and Creativity. Read more.
Blog
Four Free Toolkits to Fight Internet Shutdowns
Let’s tell you a little bit more about each toolkit!
Blog
The Impact of Internet Disruptions on Farmers in Nigeria
In Nigeria’s Northwestern Sokoto State, farm workers grapple with geopolitical challenges, shifting climate realities, and economic turbulence. However, they now face a new, growing threat: a troubling rise in internet disruptions, which threatens their ability to work in an increasingly digitally connected world. Read more.
Blog
Central Asian Network of Internet Activists
Central Asian Network of Internet Activists (CANIA) is a network of dedicated researchers and activists with a passion for digital rights, security, and development. Originating from Central Asia, they understand the challenges of internet accessibility and the pivotal role of the internet in economic advancement. CANIA’s efforts centre around increasing awareness of pressing issues like data privacy, internet accessibility, digital literacy... read more.
Blog
Investing in the Fight Against Digital Authoritarianism in Senegal
On February 3, Senegal’s President Macky Sall announced a delay of the much-anticipated presidential elections, originally planned for February 25, in what some are calling a “constitutional coup.” Protests erupted, and the government imposed a mobile internet shutdown. Read more...