This summer, SMEX is producing, in cooperation with AFMD Grants, a pilot series of short podcasts on digital rights in the Arab region. The series is called “Net-Wasel” or نِت-وَاصِل , which means “to be connected through the Internet”. It will be presented by the blogger, digital media strategist, and trainer Khodor Salameh.
Digital rights are human rights translated for the Internet and other digital environments, such as a computer, an electronic device, or a communications network. The right to privacy and to the protection of your personal data online, the right to access the internet and the right to freedom of expression online are examples of digital rights. As many of these issues that increasingly affect young people in the Arab region are rarely discussed in public forums and are under threat, and since users are not aware of their responsibilities toward protecting these rights, Net-Wasel aims to introduce these issues to Arab young people and encourage them to demand and advocate for their rights.
The series will consist of six, 12 to 15 minute Arabic language podcasts. Each podcast will spotlight a key digital rights issue through interviews with guest experts from different countries and vox-pop-style conversations about Internet usage with young people on the streets.
The podcast will be broadcast every other week starting Monday June 13, 2016 on the SMEX SoundCloud channel. You can get a sneak preview and give feedback on the first episode now! If you have a radio show and would like to host the podcast on your channel, please get in touch. In the meantime, enjoy listening, and please share “Net-Wasel” with your friends!
