The fund aims to finance activities that strengthen the work of NGOs in the Global South on issues of datafication and democracy.
Applications are open until February 29, 2024, for the “Datafication and Democracy Fund,” an initiative by Data Privacy Brasil, Paradigm Initiative, and Aapti Institute. The US$ 32,000.00 fund aims to support non-profit and non-governmental organizations in the Global South with active involvement in activities related to politics and the defense of digital rights. The selection process will be based on regional representation. We will prioritize proposals from organizations that work with or are run by minority groups.
Datafication is a complex and profound process of social transformation that has affected and transformed public services mediated by information technologies, the emergence of digital public infrastructures, the way elections are driven by data, change of markets and platforms, and many other areas of civic life. In addition to deliberative processes and elections, datafication accentuates democratic problems, such as transparency, due process, and respect for citizens’ autonomy.
Many datafication projects occur more intensely in the Global South, such as the implementation of digital civil identities, the emergence of new financial data interoperability (ability of computer systems or softwares to exchange and make use of information) arrangements, the provision of public services through ICTs and the use of software and platforms that allow focusing and segmenting the population in the execution of public policies through large databases and machine learning techniques.
Despite the Global South being strongly impacted by datafication in democratic terms, there are few resources channeled so that civil organizations from the Global South can organize their work and influence institutional spaces responsible for formulating principles and standards for these new areas.
Applications to the fund will be made via an online form, and civil and non-governmental organizations registered in countries in the Global South (Global Majority) and capable of receiving international donations through private contracts will be able to apply.
To register, a cover letter detailing the organization’s experience and interest in the research program is required. And a proposal (maximum five pages) including the project theme and scope, project overview, methodology, objectives and desired results. You can check for more details on the fund’s website.
Service: Data Privacy Brasil, Paradigm Initiative and Aapti Institute announce the launch of the “Datafication and Democracy Fund”
Registration: from November 28, 2023, to February 29, 2024.
More information: imprensa@dataprivacybr.org
About the organizations
We are a non-profit, non-partisan civil society organization that promotes the protection of personal data and other fundamental rights from a perspective of social justice and power asymmetries. We believe that guaranteeing digital rights for everyone is one of the foundations of democracy. Through the development and dissemination of knowledge and information of public interest, we seek to promote a culture of data protection, guided by a strong social commitment and ethical financing.
Paradigm Initiative works to connect under-served young Africans with digital opportunities, and ensures protection of their rights. Across our regional offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe and beyond, we work to connect under-served African youth with improved livelihoods through our digital inclusion and digital rights programs. Our programs include the Life Skills. ICT. Financial Readiness. Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Training program, a digital readiness workshop for girls, and a Life at Schools Club Program. PIN has also built online platforms that educate and serve as safe spaces for reporting digital rights violations. These mediums are in the form of reports, short films, and educational online resources, including Ayeta, Londa, and Ripoti.
An organization that wants an equitable and fair digital world where people have the power to negotiate with technology. We work at the intersection of technology and society to build solutions that improve social impact, justice, and equity. Our work spans many aspects of our digital lives – we conduct research, develop solutions, and embed them in policies and within organizations to achieve scale.