[IRPCoalition] Power Shifts. Media Freedom and the Internet - Registration open!

[ljp at irights.info]

Dear colleagues,

please distribute the invitation for this year's FoME Symposium  
widely. Apologies for cross-posting.

***Power Shifts. Media Freedom and the Internet***
register here: <http://fome.info/events/symposium-2017/registration>

November 16-17, 2017
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Berlin
Hosted by iRights
<http://fome.info/events/symposium-2017>

In many countries, not only in the developing world, governments are  
pushing for more control over the Internet. Censoring content is a  
growth industry, and Internet and social network shutdowns in response  
to civil protest and unrest are on the rise. Online surveillance is  
exploding and people are being increasingly intimidated or detained  
because of their online activities.

Therefore it is vital for civil society and the media to work together  
in order to shape the Internet of the future and ensure it remains in  
the service of democracy. And the role of international media  
assistance needs to be reconsidered in this context.

At the 2017 Symposium of the Forum Media and Development (FoME) in  
Berlin (Nov. 16th & 17th), we will discuss recent developments,  
strategies and next steps with a range of international experts in the  
fields of media development and Internet governance:

- Chinmayi Arun, Centre for Communication Governance
- William Bird, Media Monitoring Africa
- Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
- Helani Galpaya, LIRNEasia
- Jeanette Hofmann, Berlin Social Science Center
- Mark Nelson, CIMA
- Nanjira Sambuli, World Wide Web Foundation
- Leo Van Audenhove, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
and many more
(see programme for details: <http://fome.info/events/symposium-2017>)

The FoME symposium will bring together journalists, media managers,  
media development specialists, activists, academics and  
representatives from government and private companies from around the  
world to exchange views and foster ideas to keep the Internet free and  
open – for media and citizens around the globe.

At the core of the symposium will be the following questions:

-How to address Internet filtering and blocking in authoritarian regimes?
- How to counter "fake news" without stifling freedom of expression?
- How to minimize risks emerging from cyber security initiatives?
- Should the media development community engage more in the Internet  
Governance Forum (IGF) processes?
- Should media development focus its attention more to international  
digital media enterprises?
- How to regulate or control the expansion of digital surveillance programs?
- Should digital information literacy be more prominent on the media  
development agenda?

The symposium is organised and hosted by iRights
(<http://irights.international/>) in cooperation with Konrad Adenauer
Stiftung.

FoME is an initiative of 20 organisations from German-speaking  
countries active in international media development, including  
iRights, Reporters without Borders, CAMECO, Deutsche Welle Akademie,  
ECPMF, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, IDEM,  
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and others.