MENA Monthly Meetups
The monthly meetups bring together folks from the MENA region to share, connect, seek help, and release stress by celebrating each other. In addition, it's a time for us to find ways to support each other, and help us understand what is happening in our part of the world. If you cannot attend the monthly meetups, we are taking notes of each gathering and linking to them below.
The MENA community is connected during the week in different ways. Either through various MENA-focused channels on the IFF Mattermost or via different events organized on various topics during the year.
Next Event
Date: September 24
What Libyan Social Media as Conflict Zone
Time: 5pm Cairo (CEST/EET/UTC+2) / 6pm Lebanon (UTC+3)
Who: Hosted by Rima and Wafaa, Speaker Khadeja Ramali,
Where: You can either
1) RSVP on the following form and we will send you the link the day before the event: https://internetfreedomfestival.formstack.com/forms/mena_kss
OR
2) We will post the link to the event in the following room on the IFF Mattermost one hour before the start of the meeting: Regional:MENA * Don't have an account to the IFF Mattermost? you can request one following the directions here.
Description:
Join us to hear from Khadeja Ramali who will be talking about the conflict zone in Libyan social media, which has become another weapon in the arsenal of warring groups. Find out how social media platforms are being used to spread disinformation, hate speech, and normalize violence. Ramali will share how they navigated Libya’s information space to track down disinformation and hateful content, and the latest ongoing challenges that come with the task. They also will talk about the impact COVID19 had had on thee country, and the undergoing nationwide civil unrest due to deteriorating living conditions.
Ramali is an independent social media researcher who focuses on online spaces, culture, and political discourse in the MENA region. Khadeja has worked with NGOs, research centers, and companies to look into Arabic language disinformation, social media monitoring in elections, information operations in the MENA region, foreign interference campaigns in North Africa with a specific focus on the Libyan online space." You can learn more about her here: https://twitter.com/k_ramali
