At the Summit for Democracy I in 2021, Denmark committed, within the framework of the Danish-led Tech for Democracy initiative, to explore opportunities for a civil society funding mechanism, with the aim of promoting and protecting local civil society actors in the Global South through digital technologies. To deliver on this commitment, Denmark is now launching the Digital Democracy Initiative – an ambitious new multi-donor development programme – in partnership with the EU. A panel of experts and activists from CIVICUS, Global Focus, Access Now and Digital Defenders Partnership will tackle the issues that civil society face on the digital front lines in the fight for democracy and human rights.

Panelists

• Dan Jørgensen – Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy
• Jutta Urpilainen – EU Commissioner for International Partnerships
• Mouna Ben Garga – Innovation Lead, CIVICUS
• Marwa Fatafta – MENA Policy Manager, Access Now
• Brian Malika – Founder, One More Percent
• Xeenarh Mohammed – Regional Project Manager, Digital Defenders Partnership