In this #BreadandNet 2020 session Dima Jweihan from The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), Nahla Hamdani from WeYouth, and Lina Jarrous from Seeds discuss the online presence of civil society organizations and cyberlaw, moderated by Lisa Vermeer. 

Today, almost all civil society organizations (CSOs) have an online presence. This presence takes different shapes: through online campaigning on civic space, organizing e-gatherings or even sending out newsletters, and using email and messengers.

Many CSOs – although they work online – are not necessarily aware that they are exercising their human rights online and that laws can infringe these rights and their ability to engage and advocate online. Moreover, civil society leaders sometimes say they do not know anything about tech and do not expect cyberlaw to impact them. 

This session shows how ICNL in Jordan, Seeds in Lebanon, and We Youth in Tunisia developed their online presence, digital protection tactics, and digital legal literacy without prior knowledge about computers.

The talk discusses  inspiring narratives to motivate civil society groups that work on a wide range of issues – such as NGO laws, environmental issues, climate change or women’s rights – to increase learning about and engaging with digital issues.