WARSP // SHARE Element : Speak Out!

Figure 4: Share Component Prototype

OVERVIEW

The Share portion of the platform would allow for registered users to be able to upload and consume the following content:

• Vlogs^[1]
• Stories told (audio files) while looking at a photograph
• Artwork, with or without stories being told
• Short amateur films taken with a mobile device
• Images and text

The content would appear on a map-based interface (see Figure 4), with a content feed on the side that users could zoom in and out of to better explore stories and knowledge coming from a particular country or province. 

Co-designers have identified that the knowledge could support sharing information on particular issues to achieve community objectives (to support transparency, accountability) – but this all depends on the community and their needs. 

The co-design process identified the need for digital literacy, particularly in relation to privacy and security issues. Co-designers clearly articulated the need for both privacy and security, and many also suggested that existing social media be used as a principal means for sharing stories and connecting, many of which offer compromised privacy and security to users. However, other co-design participants have noted that evidence shows Environmental Defenders having recently been targeted on social media platforms and their privacy and security has been compromised. 

BENEFICIARIES AND PROVIDERS

The ‘share’ element is unique in that the primary beneficiaries and providers are the community women, with NGOs and other project partners serving a facilitation role in the development and provision of this element. As discussed below, it will need to be decided what the specific criteria are for being able to join and engage with the platform, and a meaningful and relevant Code of Conduct (not just a click-through process) will need to be developed and communicated to everyone interacting with the platform. 

ALIGNMENT WITH CORE REQUIREMENTS

Objectives, aligned with underlying principles:

Principle	Alignment	Consideration
Inclusivity	The platform aims to gather the stories and perspectives of women whose voices have been marginalized. The ‘share’ element of the platform is for and about women’s stories and knowledge.	How will the approvals process work for women to be allowed on the platform? Will they need to submit an ID or will there be some kind of verification process? Can a 3rd party (for example an NGO or researcher) post on the behalf of others? These questions will need to be addressed in privacy, security, and/or editorial policies.
Legitimacy	The platform aims to build legitimacy for women’s knowledge through allowing for sharing in a ‘safe space’.	The development of the policies that define the ‘safe space’ architecture will need to be developed. Legitimacy can be built through the alignment of campaigns in conjunction with the ‘learn’ element of the platform.
Access	The platform will use simple, intuitive symbols instead of complicated text explanations to support navigation by women who have limited language skills. The local language functionality must be incorporated at the earliest stages of development (5 Mekong languages + English).	Prototypes and pilot projects will need to test symbols. Language capabilities will need to be built in and tested through secure AI translation systems.
Innovation	Many of the women who will be engaged in using this platform will have limited experience with digital technology, and this mechanism for sharing stories and knowledge is being designed specifically to include and support them. Where they may not have yet been influenced by more available technologies, this provides women with a way to connect in a safe and ethical manner. This, in and of itself, is innovation.	The reason that other platforms are as large and successful as they are is because they are operating with monetary gains to support their development through advertising, etc. The challenge is that this approach does not rely on these means for financial sustainability and is intentionally being set up as a scalable, lightweight, ideally low-cost solution to support inclusion. The long-term financing of this initiative needs to be developed (impact investing?) as the potential positive impacts to social and environmental systems are noteworthy.
Transparency / Integrity	Some information will need to developed and provided up front as to how the knowledge may or may not be used. A community Code of Conduct will need to be developed and communicated as a part of the on-boarding process for women joining the platform.	Will there be public and private facing versions of the ‘share’ part of the portal?
Fun & Engagement	The images and stories collected would be linked with campaigns that are of relevance and interest for women – and themes will need to be developed by the implementing team to reflect these interests.	The ‘colloquilaisation’ of knowledge, and the use of metaphors and myths will support the development of fun and engaging themes.

PILOT PROJECTS AND POTENTIAL PARTNERS

The pilot project approaches have identified Cambodia, Thailand, and Regional as three separate audiences. Each of these three communities represents a different segments of the target audience. 

1) Cambodia: 

Partner organisations are engaged at the community level with women to support their voices being heard, and empowerment through projects currently underway, detailed in the chart below. 

2) Thailand: 

Thailand, in particular, has higher data literacy and a long history of Thai Baan research, and women are already very engaged as leaders in their communities around water governance. This project would provide an opportunity to collect and showcase some of those stories, to explore what issues and information they are most interested in engaging with.

3) Regional: 

A Mekong-wide regional pilot project would be open to others not targeted by the above two pilots to be able to register for the platform and be able to share and view content. This will be ‘launched’ through the Women and Rivers Congress / Women and Rivers Fellowship. 

Community Partners:

Pilot Project	Partner Contact & Organisation	Comments
NE Thailand	International Rivers	Staff working in NE Thailand will get a sense of the relevance and value of the platform through local partners with local partners.
3S Cambodia	Oxfam	Strong community partners in Lower Sesan Dam II area
3S Cambodia	AIPP	Building upon their Framework to address Digital Rights / Human Rights for Environmental Defenders
3S Cambodia	IR	Staff in Cambodia
3S Cambodia	Open Development Initiative	The project will leverage existing work underway, particularly ODI’s work with community partners that supports Indigenous, community women who have limited technology literacy around empowerment in Cambodia.
Mekong Region	International Rivers	Targeted at NGOs and civil society – provides an opportunity to test out language access. The future Women and Rivers Congress (date TBD) will be an opportunity to engage active regional actors as a captive market.

In addition to the key partners listed above, there has been a suggestion that the project team fundraise a set amount (e.g., US$5,000) and open up a process whereby community leaders and/or local NGOs apply for a mini-grant ($100-500) to do the following: (1) participate in on-line training about the platform ; (2) work with members of their community to solicit women’s stories and upload them into the portal (collecting a minimum number of pieces of content as a part of the mini-grant). Stories and content would be tagged in accordance with developed protocols and campaigns, and security restrictions may be required. 

The platform itself will be designed for the community but be available for the regional actors to engage with as well. The idea is to develop something that allows for organic scaling, made to serve the beneficiary community. 

NEXT STEPS & TIMELINE

In order to move forward with the development of a pilot project for this element of the platform, the following steps will need to be taken:

September – February 2021:

1. Consolidation and commitment of project partners, with additional details specifying roles, financial requirements, and the development of a timeline;
2. The development of a budget and securing funds;
3. The development of governing structures and protocols – in consultation with Lower Mekong Network, building upon their experience.

January – June 2022: 

• The development of a prototype, technology selection and development of the ‘share’ element;
• Development of Privacy, Security, Editorial policies and the Code of Conduct;

July – December 2022:

• Tech development, testing, and roll-out
• Implementation of mini-grants approach, with monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of this approach;
• Evaluation and identification of scaling possibilities. 

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^[1] A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog, is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take or cut into multiple parts (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlog).

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