Local researchers in Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan and Lebanon – Innovation For Change عودة إلى الفرص

The Project:

Under the Innovation for Change MENA Hub’s objectives and provided the multiple restrictions imposed by MENA governments on internet freedom and the threats facing the activists and citizens’ digital rights on online platforms, 7amleh will conduct a regional mapping of digital rights in four countries in the MENA region (Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia). This mapping will serve as a base for joint advocacy to international technology companies and governments to uphold digital rights, in particular, the right to freedom of expression online. This research will build into the findings of the MENA Hub’s mapping on advocacy in the closing of civic spaces, this particular mapping will focus on the closing of civic space in the digital space. The mapping will culminate in the production of quantitative data on digital rights violations in the studied four countries as well as the formulation of policy and advocacy recommendations that 7amleh and the MENA Hub will engage in addressing following the completion of the mapping.

The research will be led by a regional researcher (referred to as lead researcher) and local researchers in each target country (Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia). It will include a review of digital rights in the Middle East and North Africa as well as a report of findings on governmental and technology companies’ policies and practices that impact digital rights in the targeted countries. The local researchers will be responsible for holding four online focus group events with 15 journalists and human rights defenders related to digital rights in each of the studied countries as well as data collection on the country level.

The lead researcher will be in charge of compiling the collected data and providing the mapping methodology and structure.

The research will include recommendations to social media companies and civil society organizations, government and the general public on how to address digital rights violations.

The research report will be published in English and Arabic and distributed among partners and online.

Expected Output from the local researchers :

• Data collection on digital rights in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia.
• Organizing four online focus groups with 15 participants each in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia for a total of 60 participants.
• Developing the focus groups reports

Expected Outcomes:

• Engaging the MENA Hub in advocating for digital rights and raising awareness on the civic space restrictions happening on the internet.

Timeline:

Mapping on Digital Rights in the MENA region