Sanjana Hattotuwa, Special Advisor at the ICT4Peace Foundation, has since 2014 conducted workshops in Afghanistan anchored to digital security, social media strategy, strategic communications. Workshops have been anchored to the security, socio-political, technical, gender, identity and language context of the country, which is nuanced and complex. Sanjana has also advised some of the largest media platforms in the country operating in English as well as local languages on app, site, platform and social media content development.
Mid-February, working with Internews, Sanjana worked with individuals from across the country, gathered in Kabul, around a training of trainers workshop for 2 days on digital security as well as a 3-day workshop for civil society on social media content and communications strategy development.
The digital security training focussed specifically on Facebook privacy, including the manner in which it is used for personal and professional communication. Content production, promotion and engagement were taught in interactive lessons that also utilised lived experience of participants from various provinces. Digital security in general, and securing Facebook content in particular anchored to personal details, were discussed in the context of systemic violence, terrorism, the lack of data protection or privacy laws and widespread violence against women, manifest in online spaces and platforms.
Sanjana’s experience with country dynamics spanning 6 years, including interactions with members of ministries, provides insights into the development of curricula and lessons, as well as pedagogy. Deep contextual knowledge and sensitivity to gender, culture, political and religious frameworks also inform work around the use of Facebook (inextricably entwined in the communications DNA and socio-political fabric of Afghanistan), including in hands-on, in-depth training on privacy. Training material developed for and used in the training, translated to local languages by Internews, provides opportunities for those who participated in the workshops to go on to teach or impart knowledge to others, creating reservoirs of resilience independent of outside intervention, amongst local communities.
Photo of Hindu Kush by Sanjana Hattotuwa