RightsCon Tunis Call for Proposals now open!
We’ve officially launched the RightsCon Tunis (June 11-14, 2019) Call for Proposals!
Each year, the RightsCon Program is built from the sessions submitted by a diverse community of civil society organizations, technologists, academics, tech companies, startups, public servants, and lawyers. It’s the guiding pillar of the annual RightsCon summit and helps shape the agenda for human rights in the digital age.
Our annual call for proposals is the best opportunity to showcase your work, connect with other leading experts from around the world, gather stakeholders to develop best practices, hone strategies, solve problems, learn new skills, and move forward real-world change. Sessions hosted at RightsCon have led to some pretty amazing outcomes.
The program for RightsCon Tunis will build off the historic success of Toronto — our community’s most ambitious program to date with over 450 unique sessions — by continuing to provide an engaging and interactive space for tackling current pressing issues and those emerging on the horizon.
Ready to get started on your proposal? Great!
First things first, read through our submission guide.
This has all the information you need about the CFP process, including tips on how to set your proposal up for success. We receive a lot of proposals (last year, there were over 800 submissions!) and unfortunately, we can’t accept all of them, so be sure to put your best foot forward.
Second, whether you’re new to RightsCon or a veteran session organizer, we ask that you read on below to learn about some important updates:
A brand new program platform
Things might look a little different around the submission form this year. We’re excited to be launching the official RightsCon Program Platform — a new consolidated system for drafting, submitting, reviewing, updating, and communicating about the RightsCon Tunis program and other important opportunities to engage with the event. You can sign in and submit your session proposal on the platform here.
Welcoming submissions in additional languages
We’re committed to inclusion and diversity in all aspects of RightsCon programming — from start to finish. A part of this commitment is ensuring local representation in the program. This year, we’re piloting accepting additional languages in our session proposal form. When submitting, you can choose to submit four key questions in Arabic or French: the session title, goal, description, and post-conference outcome.
Furthering our commitment to outcomes
We are strong believers in the power of talking, convening, and meeting, but RightsCon has always prided itself on translating multi-stakeholder dialogue into post-conference outcomes. This year’s program process features a re-commitment to high-quality, action-oriented sessions. A successful submission for RightsCon Tunis will be one that drives forward an agenda, tackles a difficult issue head on, or launches and consolidates a coalition.
Let’s Solve a Problem together
Before submitting your session, we’ll ask whether or not you want your proposal to be considered for our new Solve a Problem initiative. Our Program Committee will be selecting certain issue areas that will benefit from greater time and investment in strategy development. We’ll work with selected session organizers whose proposals do a great job of addressing one of these key problems, including actively linking you with other stakeholders. Checking the box will let us know you’re interested in being considered for this initiative. Stay tuned, more information coming soon!
An emphasis on learning and skill building
If you have a new tool to demonstrate, a training you can deliver, an advocacy tactic to workshop, or strategies for strengthening the health of organizations and staff, we want you at RightsCon. Submit your session into one of our three skill-building program categories: Tools, Demos, and Trainings; Advocacy and Campaigning; or Organizational and Individual Wellness.
Join us at office hours
Have a question about submitting a session? Not sure how to blend your work with the RightsCon style? No problem. We’ll be hosting a series of public Office Hour sessions, where you can chat with the RightsCon team about your ideas and receive tips and suggestions. More info to come soon about where and when to connect with us.
Next, check out this year’s official program categories:
To facilitate the session proposal process, we categorize the many issue areas our community works on. As the final program begins to take shape, the below categories will evolve into program tracks that help guide the RightsCon experience and encourage collaboration:
- Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Algorithmic Accountability
- Freedom of Expression and Censorship
- Misinformation, Journalism, and the Future of Online Media
- Civic Tech and e-Governance
- Corporate Social Responsibility, Transparency, and Remedy
- Data Trust, Protection, and User Control Locally, Regionally, and Globally
- Privacy, Surveillance, and Individual Security
- Countering Online Harassment, Hate Speech, and Violent Extremism
- The Impact of Technology on the Sustainable Development Goals
- Internet Shutdowns, Net Discrimination, and Connectivity
- The Impact of the Convergence of New Technologies
- Innovation, Trade, and Intellectual Property
- Democracy, Conflict, and Shrinking Civic Spaces
- Cybersecurity and Encryption
- Jurisdiction and the Rule of Law
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Philanthropy, Funding, and Operational Development
- Skill-building: Tools, Demos, and Trainings
- Skill-building: Advocacy and Campaigning
- Skill-building: Organizational and Individual Wellness
Finally, start your session proposal!
You can always save it as a draft and return to it later, but make sure you submit before the deadline: December 14, 2018 at 11:59 Pacific Time.
And don’t forget to check the RightsCon Submission Guide for submission tips — from ensuring your proposal is outcome-oriented to considering session excellence, diversity, and inclusiveness.
We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Keep an eye on our website and blog for more programmatic and event details and updates. If you haven’t already, we suggest signing up for our newsletter, the RightsCon Rundown — the best way to stay informed on all things RightsCon.