Civil society partnerships as those as part of the Dialogue & Dissent Program already had a practice of online cooperation, but the COVID-19 crisis has forced us to organise all our contacts and cooperation online. At the same time we hear of growing risks because of the negative effects of actions taken by states in response to COVID-19: growing state surveillance, violation of human rights, restricted space for civil society organisations to maneuver, in addition to the already existing digital security and privacy issues of digital tools to communicate and cooperate. What are good policies to prevent digital risks and privacy violations? How do you know what tools to use in what contexts? What are safe working methods? What can we learn from experts and what do we know from our own learning? This online session aims to seek answers to these questions and to identify and exchange best practices for online international civil society cooperation in a (post) COVID-19 era.

On the 16th of September, 9.30-11.30am, The Spindle, Partos Innovation Platform, in cooperation with ECNL, Oxfam Novib, Digital Defenders Partnership and Free Press Unlimited will host an interactive online session exploring digital security for civil society partnerships.

The program will include presentations on:

• Digital rights and changes in the landscape since COVID-19 by ECNL
• Oxfam Novib’s experience on the path to secure online cooperation: lessons learned and remaining challenges
• Alternative and secure digital services, by Digital Defenders Partnership
• Free and multilingual online courses on the use of digital security and privacy tools provided by Totem, a platform managed by Free Press Unlimited.

Practical details:
When: 16th of September 9.30-11.30am
Target group: Dutch development organisations and their partner organisations (Partos members and their Southern partner organisations and all members of the Civic Space Platform, hosted by Partos)
Platform to be used: Big Blue Button
Registration: Sign up via info@thespindle.org (indicate date and name of the meeting. Southern partner organisations are to be registered by the Partos member organisation)

For more information, contact Anne-Marie Heemskerk (amh@partos.nl)