Where democracy is fragile, strength is often in numbers - and how those numbers add up. Where democracy is weak, unison and collective action is a crucial tool in fighting undemocratic phenomena, such as widespread and pervasive disinformation. How do we put this into effective practice? This question is examined in this podcast, as Hurford Youth Fellow Annouchka Wijesinghe guides the discussants (Daniel Milo, Rachel Brown and Laura Livingston) through a conversation about effective coalition-building in the fight against disinformation. 

WYMD Talks

Effective Coalition-building in the Fight Against Disinformation

Our commemoration of Africa Day, led by a conversation moderated by WYMD Leadership Board member and founder of Success Capital, Dumiso Gatsha, unpacks variant experiences and layers of complex political discourse in light of our history, civic space and youth dividend. We encourage you to expand conversations that can inspire change and hope amidst the many crises we experience today. Speakers:  Saida Ali is an intersectional feminist and an international policy analyst. Mwinji Nachinga worked with the Commonwealth Youth Human Rights and Democracy Network and holds an LLB. Crash Maphorisa is an Entrepreneur and serves the Botswana chapter of the African Women's Entrepreneurship Program. Alex Kofi Donkor is the Director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana & Programs Manager of Priorities on Rights and Sexual Health.

Africa Day: Layers of Discourse

Is the mainstream media responsible for the rise of disinformation in Nigeria? How can fact-checking be used to counter disinformation? What steps should you follow to fact-check a piece of information, either online or offline? Dive into the second part of our discussion on disinformation, as Hurford Youth Fellow Annouchka Wijesinghe interviews journalist and fact-checking expert Oluwamayowa Tijani.

Combating Disinformation: The Role of Mainstream Media

What disinformation tactics are widespread in the Philippines and Pakistan? How can civil society work to safeguard democracy against malign influences? Where does social media factor into the struggle against disinformation? Join us in this newest WYMD Talks episode as we delve into these burning questions, and follow the discussion as Hurford Youth Fellow Annouchka Wijesinghe interviews civil society activists and experts on populism and democracy Cleve Arguelles and Risham Waseem.  

Combating Disinformation: The Role of Social Media and Civil Society

Irene Ikomu, Hurford Youth Fellows within National Endowment for Democracy's fellowship programs, interviewed Vera Gogokhia, founder of You for Democracy in Georgia. Here's what they had to say about key issues of democratic processes and the youth civic and political activism and participation.

Georgia's White Noise Movement and how youth are shaping their political participation

Irene Ikomu, Hurford Youth Fellows within National Endowment for Democracy's fellowship programs, interviewed Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA-Nigeria. Here's what they had to say about key issues of democratic processes and the youth civic and political activism and participation.

What the Success of the #NotTooYoungtoRun movement means for youth participation in Nigeria

Irene Ikomu, Hurford Youth Fellows within National Endowment for Democracy's fellowship programs, interviewed  Jatzel Roman, General Coordinator of the Latin America Youth Movement for Democracy.  Here's what they had to say about key issues of democratic processes and the youth civic and political activism and participation. 

Reflections on Youth Political Participation in Latin America

 The voting age in Cameroon is 21. In most countries in the world, the lower voting age limit is 18 - and other legal obligations and rights are given to 18 year olds. 18 year olds in Cameroon can get married, serve in the army, have full criminal accountability - but they do not have the freedom to make the most important choice of all - who is going to govern their country, and by extension, how that will affect various aspects of their lives.  NewSeta is a Cameroon based civil society organization that aims to empower youth and get them to engage in political processes. We discuss with Ateki Caxton, the Executive Director, how their new campaign is helping 18 year olds achieve their most important right of all. 

Vote 18 - NewSeta's quest to lower the voting age limit

In this episode of WYMD Talks, we discuss the potential implications of Jair Bolsonaro's win on recent Brazilian elections for the rest of the Latin American region. Will it significantly affect internal policies of neighbouring countries? Will the trend of far-right populist politics spillover onto the rest of the region? Join us as we discuss  - and visit World Youth Movement for Democracy website to find out more about our movement.  Speakers: Abraham Perdaza, Bruno Kazohiro, Margarita Maira, Micaela Hierro, Tania Lisca Lopez

Will Bolsonaro's election victory affect the rest of the region?

Today’s information space for many societies around the world is cluttered with disinformation. State and non-state actors take advantage of increasing growth of social media and online spaces to shape public opinion and disrupt democratic processes. Responding to the threat of disinformation requires insights from various disciplines and practice. While the problem is common, the solutions that have come up are diverse and replicable. In this online discussion, we will examine the various interdisciplinary measures that fight the spread of disinformation and misinformation. Moderating the discussion is Anthony Esguerra, a multimedia journalist from the Philippines and current Hurford Youth Fellow. The insights gleaned from this discussion will inform Esguerra’s research and project on media and information literacy. Panelists: Claudia Flores Savagia (US/Mexico) is a Research Scientist at the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory at West Virginia University (WVU). Vitaliy Moroz (Ukraine) is the head of the New Media Department at Internews Ukraine. Ana Valacco (Argentina) is the Coordinator of Institutional Development at Chequeado, a fact-checking website. *** The World Youth Movement for Democracy is a global network that supports development of sustainable democracy movements by empowering young activists.

Disinformation: Global Threat, Diverse Solutions

Margarita Valdes, a democracy activist from El Salvador and Hurford Youth Fellow at the World Youth Movement for Democracy, moderates an online discussion with other anti-corruption youth activists. This is a second discussion in a three-part series focusing on ways youth activists are fighting corruption. Kamil Gregor (Czech Republic) and Tijana Cvjeticanin (Bosnia and Herzegovina) talk about how they use online tools to create anti-corruption campaigns that create offline change.

Online Mechanisms for Seeking Offline Accountability

In this segment, panelists share different strategies to engage youth in anti-corruption activism.

Youth Standing Up To Corruption "How do you engage young people?"

Where do you start in a battle against corruption? Our panelists answer that question in this brief segment.

Youth Standing Up To Corruption "Where do I start?"

In this segment, David Riveros García from Reacción Juvenil de Cambio (Youth Change Reaction) shares some strategies for staying safe in anti-corruption work.

Youth Standing Up To Corruption "How do you stay safe?"

How can technology and innovative approaches affect and help youth activism?

Technology and innovation in youth-led advocacy

Conversations on democratic practices, activism and social justice, and the dangers democracy faces today.

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WYMD Talks

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