Global Impact: Representing Tanzania at NDI’s Info/tegrity Network in Washington, DC
It is an honor to represent Tanzania and be among those invited by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Global Team. I have been invited as one of the experts from 15 countries globally to be part of the Global Info/tegrity Network in Washington, DC, in the United States. This selection humbles me, for I have been selected on the merit of our work at Tech & Media Convergency (TMC). The participating experts are from Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, Serbia, the Philippines, Moldova, Kosovo, Ukraine, Taiwan, Jordan, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Belarus, & Ecuador.
As experts, we will be part of NDI’s Global Info/tegrity Network, creating regional cross-regional partnerships that build sustainable social impact, share experiences, strategize, share opportunities, and produce solution-oriented approaches on:-
a. Online violence against women and marginalized groups
b. Foreign influence operations
c. The intersection of digital security and information integrity
d. Platform accountability and regulation
e. Strategic communications campaigns and advocacy
f. Democracy narratives on social media
g. Artificial intelligence & large language models
It has been such a wonderful opportunity and a valuable cornerstone at an individual and organizational level. TMC and the team get to benefit a lot from this networking event. The most valuable input of all has been linking up with like-minded individuals from across the globe. It has opened doors for collaborations, and I hope that the cross-regional projects/programs really provide an avenue for showcasing similarities and differences in several case studies.
Among the official visits we had, the highlights for me were:
- The visit at the US State Department in Washington, DC, where we had an excellent meeting with the U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, Labor, and Global Engagement Center Representatives. The meeting was rich in content.
- The visit was at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which is one of TMC’s identified potential partners through their “Strengthen civil society organizations” so as to enable the Digital NGO Accelerator program, which enhances sustainability and technological integration for NGOs.
- The visit to Meta, who are our working partners through the StopNCII.org partnership, and where I also serve as an Advisory Member at Meta-SSA Women’s Rights Working Group. You can read more on this partnership in the article “Tech & Media Convergency (TMC) join forces with the Stop NCII Initiative in Partnership with UK Revenge Porn Helpline and Meta“
Of all topics, the Artificial Intelligence conversations seemed more dominant in general, next to it was the Technology Facilitated Violence (especially on Women and Women leaders in Politics) where we had excellent conversations on both topics through training and meetings as well. The Global Info/Tegrity Network Kickoff Event in Washington DC proved to be an immensely enriching experience for both personal and professional growth. The valuable connections made during the event have opened doors for future partnerships and initiatives. Looking ahead, the intention is to build on these connections and insights to contribute to the global dialogue on pressing issues in the digital realm. TMC is a learning organization that leverages all kinds of networks that add value. This is the first learning experience of its kind that has connected us with 15 countries worldwide, making us more determined about our vision.
You can see our work and currently running programs below:-
- The Women at Web Program – https://linktr.ee/WomenAtWebTZ
- The Digital NGO Accelarator Program – https://linktr.ee/digitalngo
- The Innovation & Tech Forum – https://linktr.ee/InnoTechForum
- The CSA Digital Tool – https://csa.co.tz/
- Promoting Impact Tech Tanzania – https://linktr.ee/ImpactTechTZ
- TMC’s Digital Pages see here – https://linktr.ee/mediaconvergency
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Asha D. Abinallah
Chief Executive Officer
November 19th, Washington DC – US