Shutdown Academy
60 mins
Developing an Action Plan for Internet Shutdowns
- Abstract:
- The course taught by Laura Schwartz-Henderson equips participants with advocacy skills, research techniques, and strategic planning to combat shutdowns.
- About this course:
- This course will teach you how to understand the advocacy needs and challenges your communities face in fighting back against internet shutdowns and how to build a strategic action plan to prepare for, prevent, and resist internet shutdowns. You will be provided a workbook template to brainstorm advocacy activities and strategically prioritize your actions before a potential shutdown occurs.
- What do I learn:
- In this course, you will learn the advocacy skills you need to fight back against shutdowns, how to use research to understand your community’s needs when it comes to shutdown response and prevention, and how to take all of this information and build a strategic internet shutdown action plan. This action planning process will help you organize and prioritize activities, and also give you the information and structure you need to request funding for anti-shutdown activities.
- What do I need to know:
- It is useful if you have some background knowledge on internet shutdowns and have taken some of the other advocacy assembly courses, but it is not a requirement.
Trainers
Laura Schwartz-Henderson
Laura Schwartz-Henderson is the founder of Curious Shapes, a consultancy that focuses on using research and creative campaigns to fight for digital rights. In this work, she collaborates with activists, lawyers, journalists, designers, artists, and technologists from around the world to design actionable research projects and build strategic advocacy campaigns.
- 1.1 Introduction to the course
- 2.1 Know what a shutdown is and how different shutdowns technically occur2.2 Why governments shut down the internet and what triggers a shutdown?2.3 The impact of shutdowns2.4 Know what you need to fight back against shutdowns
- 3.1 Why we need to conduct a risk assessment3.2 Needs Assessment Methodology3.3 How to assess the risks of a shutdown?3.4 How to assess your community needs3.5 Senegal: Preventative and Proactive measures to fight back on shutdowns
- 4.1 The WHO: Assessing stakeholders4.2 THE WHEN: Building a calendar4.3 THE WHAT: Strategizing & prioritizing our activities & tactics4.4 Bangladesh: Using Research to Developed Nuanced Advocacy in a Challenging Context
- 5.1 Conclusion5.2 Course survey
Related courses
60 mins
Shutdown Academy
Documenting Human Rights Violations During Internet Shutdowns
WITNESS60 mins
Shutdown Academy
Documenting Human Rights Violations During Internet Shutdowns
WITNESS
90 mins
Shutdown Academy
Measuring Internet Censorship with OONI tools and Open Data
Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI)90 mins
Shutdown Academy
Measuring Internet Censorship with OONI tools and Open Data
Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI)
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...