Ahead of elections: ADISI-Cameroun, partner train stakeholders to counter fake news, hate speech….

This is the focus of a two-day workshop which opened in Yaounde Monday. The training is taking place under the theme: “Electoral disinformation in Cameroun”.

ADISI Cameroun is conducting the training in partnership with the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa, CIPESA.

The training went underway in the presence of the Country Coordinator of CIPESA, Simone Toussi. 

While opening the workshop Monday, the Executive Secretary of ADISI-Cameroun, Paul-Joel Kamtchang, stressed the need to prevent disinformation and hate speech alongside other vices during election periods. 

Kamtchang reiterated that the training “…aims to address several key objectives; raising awareness among participants about the nature and impacts of misinformation on democracy”.

Through the training, Kamtchang said participants will have a better perspective “in detecting and verifying information, exploring tools and strategies to effectively counter misinformation”. 

The Executive Secretary also said the training will result in enhanced collaboration “among government, media, civil society and private sector actors”. 

Such an understanding, he added, will set the foundation for “the development of public awareness campaigns about the dangers of misinformation”. 

Kamtchang said as the workshop ends today, participants would adopt a universal declaration on electoral disinformation.  

The declaration, he said, will serve as a guideline “destined for the targeted population, bloggers, civil society organisations, and competent institutions”. 

He also said the declaration “will be published and disseminated through the internet”.

Resource persons are drilling participants on topics such as; the state of misinformation in Cameroon, legal aspects and factual trends, techniques for detecting and verifying information such as fact-checking and assessing the reliability of information sources.

Participants are also being given a deeper understanding of strategies to combat misinformation.

Media literacy education, promoting access to reliable information and building partnerships is also part of the training. 

In addition, participants will agree on practical approaches to developing effective public awareness campaigns ahead of elections.

About ADISI-Cameroun 

The Association for Integrated Development and Interactive Solidarity, ADISI-Cameroun, is a nonprofit organisation established in 2010. It has its headquarters in Douala. 

The organisation focuses on four priority areas; access to information and open data, freedom of expression and data journalism, digital rights, and studies and research.

ADISI-Cameroun is also interested in promoting good governance and human rights through dynamic networks, influencing public policies with reliable information and new technologies.

ADISI envisions an Africa with open institutions promoting peace and equity. It targets journalists, state authorities, public officials, donors, citizens, activists, and human rights defenders. 

The organisation is part of national and international networks such as the global network defending and promoting free expression, IFEX, Africtivistes, and AFEX. It has successfully implemented numerous projects, contributing to its institutional growth.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3191 of Tuesday August 06, 2024