
STEPS WE WENT THROUGH
Description of the context and what was our task
In November 2019, 30 participants from Europe gathered in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina for a four-day seminar “Digitising Youth Ar(c)tivism” organised by CDN (Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe).
The task of one group of participants was the creation of a dissemination strategy for the manifesto that was developed by the participants of three international seminars (including the one in Tuzla) within the scope of project “Digital Technology For Democracy: Youth Turns Threat Into Opportunity”.
The manifesto deals with the Internet, digital accessibility and security, protection of Internet users, especially women and minorities, protection of whistleblowers, solutions for freedom of speech and democracy on the Internet, fairness and equality in terms of internet use, automatic filtering as well as other relevant digital issues.
The goals set by the creators of this manifesto are the following:
For action to be taken by the governments
Raising awareness about issues related to the digital sphere among young people
Spreading information and knowledge
Reduction of digital crimes
Equal future for young people
Lobbying for the implementation of this manifesto on both national levels and the international level
Creation of an organizational stance of Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe on the issue
Goals
The participants of the seminar also set goals for the dissemination strategy of this manifesto. They can be divided into two categories: internal goals for CDN and external goals.
The main goal within the organizational (internal) level is to mobilize the individual MOs (Member Organizations) of CDN to develop an elaborate political stance on the issues this manifesto tackles.
The main external goal is to bring attention to and raise awareness about the issues that the manifesto tackles among the general public all around Europe.
Target audience
Two separate target audiences were derived from the two different goals: Member Organisations (MOs) of CDN and the general public.
The message will be delivered in different ways to these separate groups.
Key message
Digitalisation has enabled us to flourish as human beings and push the boundaries of the ways of communication, distance, time and convenience. However, there is an ever-increasing space and need to tap the potential of digital sphere for the benefit of people, especially youth, who are the most active stakeholders in internet use. To that end, democratising internet through making it more accessible, affordable, equal, inclusive and safe can bring our societies to the next level of development that is sustainable and long-term.
The manifesto was developed by participants during the project “Digital Technology For Democracy: Youth Turns Threat Into Opportunity” to be implemented by member organizations on a local level to achieve a Europe-wide goal of digital protection, equality and justice and to serve as a guideline for bringing digital equality and justice to all people in Europe, as well as protecting them from digital threats and crime.
Our campaign’s slogan
This is the text that usually follows the title of the campaign and which further describes what the campaign is trying to achieve. To that end, the group has brainstormed in a group of the slogans we could derive from the Manifesto and that could make catchy phrases and visuals for attracting the attention of the general public.
In that regard, we have identified the key issues that the Manifesto tackles upon, and had a round of thoughts and ideas of the slogans. As a result, we came up with 28 slogans, which are given below:
- Fairer internet, fairer usability
- Fair internet, fair visibility
- United cable of youth
- We stand for a more connected, accessible, free and democratic digital world
- No digital borders
- Youth against digital borders
- Digital justice
- Make digital accessible, equal
- Equal access for all
- We want internet free and accessible
- Secure internet, accessible for everyone
- Protection not surveillance
- Big brother cares about you
- Freedom of expression and equality
- Our cybersecurity is hacked
- You deserve safe cyberspace
- Make equality default
- Automatic equality
- By default in digital: equality, accessibility, inclusivity
- Access over algorithm
- Cyberspace safe space
- Digital network safety network
- Commonize me
- Bigger is not always better
- Unconditional digitality, universal equality
- Reduce digital pollution
- Links for humanity
- Not commodify, but commonify
Because of limited time and resources, we have decided to run two rounds of voting on the slogans we could work on further. Accordingly, the following slogans that received the highest number of votes have been identified for output material:
- United cable of youth – Sticker
- We stand for a more connected, accessible, free and democratic digital world – Poster
- By default in digital: equality, accessibility, inclusivity – Sticker, Tote bag
- Commonize me – Sticker
- Bigger is not always better – Sticker
- Unconditional digitality, universal equality – Poster
Creation of materials
As we have identified the final number of slogans we could work on and also the type of outputs we wanted to have, we have divided into 2 groups of equal size. The group #1 worked on the first goal of the Manifesto Dissemination Strategy, that is: “The main goal within the organizational level is to mobilize the individual MOs (Member Organizations) of CDN to develop an elaborate political stance on the issues this manifesto tackles”. Accordingly, the Group #1 have come up with the mini-strategy for achieving the first goal.
The second group was working on the design aspect of the dissemination campaign and therefore, dealing with the main external goal that is to bring attention to and raise awareness about the issues that the manifesto tackles among the general public all around Europe.
The second group has split into groups of two people to produce the visuals for stickers, posters and tote bag.
Conclusion:
All the outputs were presented to the other two groups. The CDN EC and Digital [x] WG continue to work on the manifesto and it’s implementation into CDN’s political work.
Stickers/posters