7 November 2023 - 14.30-16.30  / Room 10 Palais de l'Europe

Interpretation FR/EN

We live in an increasingly connected world, in which information and misinformation can reach millions in an instant. We also grew accustomed to getting the information we want quickly and without spending much time on research.

As our pace of life is becoming faster, the way we live democracy has to adapt as well. Rapid access to information is a double-edged sword. It can facilitate our decisions, but it can also spread panic and amplify conflicts. Can IT technology help democracy adapt to the faster pace of life in real time? Which approaches best serve planning better strategies and communicating efficiently and counter misinformation? Which innovative approaches can be used to translate the language of bureaucracy to the ordinary citizens, thus increasing government’s accountability?

Lab 10: Transparency and accountability

Full screen: ENFR / ORIGINAL

Palais de l'Europe, room 10 7 November 2023 (14.30-16.30 )
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Interview with Yevhen POPOV, Co-founder of PolitScanner, Ukraine

initiative 1

PolitScanner - NGO Institute of Political Information

UKRAINE

The organization's mission is to promote the transformation of state, public, and political institutions, as well as the information space, in accordance with democratic values and human rights. In Ukraine, people have a proven ability to change situation for better through elections. The infrastructure for elections in Ukraine appears to be well-developed, with one of its key elements being the tools and projects created by civil society. The project Politscanner.app, is a mobile application designed to provide users with quick and easy access to information about politicians' activities, biographies, electoral programs, and tax statements. By simply pointing their camera at an image of a politician they are interested in, users can swiftly receive a comprehensive profile. Politscanner gained rapid popularity, achieving the 3rd position in the Ukrainian segment of the AppStore within its first week of launch. The Ukrainian Parliament and major media outlets recognized the project as an innovative tool that assists voters in gaining a better understanding of their candidates for future elections. The primary target audience for Politscanner is the youth, who benefit from receiving complex and potentially dull information in a fast and comprehensible manner. In addition to its user-friendly features, Politscanner also plays a crucial role in making the electoral ecosystem more visible. The application integrates information from other trustful non-governmental organizations, contributing to the dynamic democratization of society by providing a wider range of data and perspectives.

Presenter(s)

POPOV

Yevhen POPOV

Co-founder of PolitScanner

Ukraine

Yevhen has co-founded Politscanner and the Institute of Political Information. Through the Politscanner.app mobile application, individuals can effortlessly access comprehensive information regarding politicians' activities, biographies, electoral programs, and tax statements. By utilizing cutting-edge face recognition technology, they deliver in-depth insights into politicians and their stances, empowering citizens to make informed decisions. Yevhen's academic background includes a master's degree in public policy from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Political Science. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he focused on countering disinformation. He became integral to the Osavul.inc team, assuming leadership roles within the civil partnerships and research departments.

initiative 2

Génération Politique

FRANCE

The mission of the organisation is to help politicians find solutions to the most pressing political problems of our time, using political strategy, community organizing and new technologies. Its vision is to develop innovative solutions to help fix and transform politics. The project aims to contribute to the necessary reconstruction of modern democracies: with political strategy, they develop projects and ideas that fit in the political cycle, while offering a vision and a direction that people can resonate with; with community organizing and citizen engagement methods, the goal is to build a national and international web of connected and informed citizens; with new technologies, by spreading their actions and promote a more citizen-oriented vision of democracy. Since 2018, they have been working on several elections, with local townhalls, non-profits and individuals to engage more people in democracy. They are currently developing a digital tool that will help elected officials explain their political program and achievements, have a better understanding of their district, and communicate with their constituents on a factual basis.

Presenter(s)

ZIANE 2023

Hind ZIANE

Founder and CEO, Génération Politique

France

Hind Ziane is the founder and CEO of Génération Politique, a political strategy and CivicTech company based in Paris, France. It was created in 2018, in a tense political and social context in France, to help politicians find solutions to the most pressing political problems of our time. Using political strategy, community organizing and new technologies, the company aims to help fix and transform politics internationally. Before founding Génération Politique, Hind Ziane worked with American and French politicians on projects related to citizen engagement, political strategy, and campaigning. She is convinced that politics needs a massive overhaul internationally, and that a better future can only be built if we fix our political systems.

initiative 3

Una Hakika: Countering Harmful Misinformation to Support Democracy - The Sentinel Project

CANADA/KENYA

The Sentinel Project (SP) is a Canadian non-profit organization that assists communities threatened by mass atrocities worldwide through direct cooperation with the people in harm’s way and the innovative use of technology. SP’s mission was inspired by the lessons of the Rwandan genocide and the frustration of seeing mass murder unfold once again less than a decade later in Darfur. The goal of Una Hakika is to prevent violence by increasing citizens' access to accurate information. Una Hakika is a mobile phone-based information service that monitors and counters the spread of incendiary rumours and misinformation across 13 counties in Kenya. The team crowdsources reports from citizens through SMS, voice calls, and social media. Reports are then verified so that accurate, neutral information can be provided back to the community through the same channels and through a network of volunteers (community ambassadors) who help to dispel misinformation before it can create hostility and lead to violence. Participants engage with this information system that operates according to a three-stage process: rumour reporting – verification – countermessaging.

Presenter(s)

OTUNGA

John OTUNGA

Programme Manager, Sentinel Project

Canada/Kenya

John is the EA programme manager for the Sentinel Project. In his role, he leads project teams in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, overseeing the planning and implementation of peacebuilding initiatives in these countries. In 2018, John received recognition for his work when he won the Commonwealth Digital Challenge Award. His expertise in utilizing information and communication technology (ICT)for promoting peace has garnered attention on international platforms, where he has been invited to speak and write about this subject. He is currently a member of the National Coalition on Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation Kenya.

initiative 4

Gender Budget Watchdog Network (GBWN) - Center for Research and Policy Making

NORTH MACEDONIA

The organisation engages in policy analysis, seeking to open the policy making process to citizens, improve laws., assess institutional capacities for their implementation as well as monitor and evaluate how much these policies are creating public value or are directed towards the “Europeanisation” of Macedonia. The GBWN program aims at strengthening the role of civil-society organizations as stakeholders who contribute to increasing accountability and transparency and improving public money management by monitoring and assessing the impact of gender policies and budgets on gender equality. The goals are to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to use GRB tools to evaluate the correspondence of policies and budgets with the needs of men and women; to develop a network for effective policy advocacy, knowledge and information sharing and strengthened government accountability; to engage citizens and contribute to policy change leading to gendered reform of public finances.

Presenter(s)

RISTESKA 2023

Marija RISTESKA

Founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Research and Policy Making

North Macedonia

Marija Risteska holds a PhD in political science. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Research and Policy Making, number one think tank in Macedonia (Think Thank Index University of Pennsylvania, Japanese Medal for Outstanding Research 2016, PASOS Think tank award 2010, 2013). Marija is Regional Director of Gender Budget Watchdog Network (GBWN), consisting of 88 CSOs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova and Serbia. The network aims at strengthening the role of Civil Society Organisations as stakeholders in accountability, transparency and improving public money management by monitoring and assessing the impact of gender policies.

Discussants

Discussants are invited to take part in the Labs in order to share their experience with the presented democratic initiatives and try to bring broader perspectives to the following discussions.

BENAHMED

Marwa BENAHMED

Youth delegate

Algeria

Marwa is a international relations graduate and currently she is a master’s student in security and strategic studies at University of Constantine 3 . She’s been a volunteer for more than 2 years in programs related to education. Furthermore, she is a passionate youth activist who facilitates dialogues and collaborations on global challenges such as climate change, peace-building, migration and sustainable development. She aims to amplify the voice and interests of young people from North Africa and Middle East region in the global policy discussions.

SCHULKE

Angelina SCHULKE

Youth delegate

Germany

Since joining the international youth organization Civics Unplugged in 2021, I have had the privilege of interacting with many incredibly inspiring young people from around the world who all share a commitment to building more inclusive and resilient societies. These conversations encouraged me to combine my passion for art and storytelling with my advocacy for youth participation and led me to the co-organization of the first democracy festival in my local community. In my social engagement, I strive to increase and diversify access to political participation for young people and help cultivate safe environments for intercultural and intergenerational dialogues about democracy. After studying a year abroad in Rotterdam, I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in governance and international relations at University College Freiburg.  

moderator
GELEVA 2023

Svetlana GELEVA

Ambassador, Permanente Representative of North Macedonia to the Council of Europe

North Macedonia

Rapporteur

Joshua HERTZ