Dear newsletter subscriber,
I volunteer on a project for disadvantaged children and youth near Nairobi. In April, D+C author Alba Nakuwa and I led workshops for around 70 young people on the topic of media literacy and disinformation. The reactions and thoughts of these 14 to 20-year-olds overlapped with much of what media researchers from other parts of the world have reported.
When fake news dealt with subjects that were close to home, the young people could almost always identify them. However, they were overly mistrustful of information about the Kenyan government – which lines up with what Kenyan legal expert Irene Mwendwa describes: Particularly in countries of the Global South, there’s a deep mistrust of institutions, rooted in historical exploitation.
At the same time, it became clear how far the virtual clutches of Russia’s propaganda army reach: Burkina Faso’s young head of state, Ibrahim Traoré, is often presented to the young people as an anti-Western hero. Memes and reels celebrate him for his hatred of France and the entire West.
Autocratic regimes all over the world can attribute their rise in part to the deliberate application of all kinds of false information. They have an interest in distorting the truth or keeping it from being recognised. In our new magazine, we take a look at the dangers of disinformation – and introduce people who are fighting for the truth.
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. Please feel free to share your opinions, criticisms and suggestions by emailing us at euz.editor@dandc.eu.
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Kind regards,
Katharina Otieno
editor at D+C |
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Focus:
Defending the truth |
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| © picture alliance/newscom/Maya Vidon-White |
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Fighting the weaponisation of anti-fake news laws |
A worrying trend is emerging in South and Southeast Asia: Governments are passing laws to combat fake news – and then use them to suppress critical voices. Three researchers from the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) present the results of a study on this development. |
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© picture alliance/Hans Lucas/Martin Bertrand |
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“Data literacy is about building informed, active citizens” |
Data literacy is crucial to prevent people from simply clicking “share”, says Irene Mwendwa, a Kenyan lawyer and executive director of Pollicy, a feminist collective working at the intersection of data, design and technology. In an interview with Milena Kaplan she describes her vision of ethical use of technology. |
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| The cover image for this issue was created by Khalid Albaih. He is a Sudanese political cartoonist, civil rights activist and freelance journalist. Attentive readers will already be familiar with him: In our April issue focusing on political satire, we published some of his cartoons and an interview with him. He told us that his cartoons function as a kind of diary – they capture his immediate response to events. “At the same time, my cartoons also serve as a mirror for those who share my perspective or experience,” he said. “It’s about asking questions – challenging our own views in a simple way.” Khalid Albaih’s family left Sudan for political reasons; he currently lives in Norway. |
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Researchers have developed a chatbot that, according to a study, reduces belief in conspiracy theories even after relatively brief interactions. May we introduce DebunkBot?
According to the research team, the approach is based on an AI system that can draw on a wide range of information to generate conversations that encourage critical thinking and provide tailored, fact-based counterarguments. The trick: The conversation with DebunkBot begins with the bot asking a few questions about what the user believes and why. This allows the AI to tailor its persuasion precisely to the individual’s worldview. Give it a try here. |
| What has also caught our interest |
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Rwanda must be held accountable, wrote Denise Zaneza in April for D+C, referring to the country’s role in the resource conflict in the DRC. The Rwandan human rights activist, who lives in Belgium, regularly talks to various figures from the media, civil society and development politics on her YouTube channel about political and social developments in her home country. Some episodes are also available on Spotify. |
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During the Covid-19 pandemic, Petro Terblanche received an email stating that the WHO wanted to set up a “technology transfer” hub for the new mRNA vaccines against the coronavirus. At the time, her young vaccine company Afrigen in Cape Town was on the brink of collapse. The WHO wanted to start manufacturing mRNA vaccines in developing countries that had been left empty-handed after the rich countries – where the vaccines were manufactured – had bought up all the doses. However, the road was anything but easy, and the hub was sidelined by the mRNA pharmaceutical giants. But Afrigen did not give up and has since developed into an independent project. Although no Covid-19 vaccines were ultimately produced in mass production, the members now hope to use their experience to develop new mRNA vaccines against diseases such as Rift Valley fever, leishmaniasis and H5N1 influenza. |
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The autumn semester 2025 courses offered by the NADEL Centre for Global Cooperation and Sustainable Development at ETH Zurich provide knowledge and practical skills for aspiring and experienced professionals pursuing a career in international development. The courses cover a wide range of topics such as “AI for Global Development Organizations”, “Social Entrepeneurship”, “Biodiversity” and – in line with our current Digital Monthly – “(Mis)information and International Cooperation Projects”.
Admission requirements are a Master’s degree recognised by the ETH (possible without Master if exceptionally qualified and experienced) and two years of professional experience in international cooperation. PhDs conducting empirical work in low- and middle-income countries for their dissertation are also eligible. Courses lasting 2-3 days cost CHF 570 (around 690 Dollar), while 4-5-day courses are priced at CHF 950 (around 1155 Dollar).
Registration started 2 June |
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The Impactpool Virtual Fair for Careers in Climate on 12 June connects participants with HR professionals from leading organisations driving climate action, environmental protection and sustainable development. Participiation requires 4+ years of relevant international work experience, a post-graduate degree (Bachelors considered with more experience), profund foreign language skills as well as a proven interest in environmental issues. |
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Imprint
Publisher information: ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen
Publisher: Fazit Communication GmbH, Pariser Strasse 1, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0)69 7591-3110 | Email: euz.editor@dandc.eu
Website: www.fazit.de | Managing Directors: Jonas Grashey, Hannes Ludwig |
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