How to Rally for Digital Rights When Global Forums Are Silenced: A Step-by-Step Guide to Solidarity
Introduction
When governments shut down spaces for dialogue, dissent, and collective organizing, the damage extends far beyond a single event. The abrupt cancellation of RightsCon 2026—the world’s largest annual digital rights conference—illustrates how political pressure can silence critical conversations overnight. For researchers, journalists, technologists, and activists, this is not just a logistical disruption; it is part of a growing pattern of shrinking civic space and hostility toward free expression. This guide shows you how to stand in solidarity with the global digital rights community, turning setbacks into opportunities for stronger, more networked resistance.
What You Need
- A stable internet connection
- Social media accounts (Twitter/X, Mastodon, LinkedIn, Instagram)
- Access to encrypted communication tools (Signal, Telegram, Matrix)
- Basic knowledge of digital rights issues (surveillance, censorship, platform accountability)
- A list of key organizations in the digital rights space (EFF, Access Now, APC, Article 19, etc.)
- A calendar for coordinating events or actions
- Willingness to collaborate across borders
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Educate Yourself and Your Community
Start by understanding exactly what happened. Read official statements from RightsCon organizers and human rights groups. Learn about the political pressures—such as demands to exclude certain participants or moderate discussions—that led to the cancellation. Share these facts with your local network, using plain language to explain why such actions threaten global digital rights. For example, the Chinese government’s demand to exclude Taiwanese participants and limit sensitive topics shows how authoritarian influence can chill open dialogue.
Step 2: Amplify Voices on Social Media
Use your online platforms to spread the word. Share posts from EFF, RightsCon, and other organizations denouncing the cancellation. Use hashtags like #RightsCon, #DigitalRights, and #Solidarity. Create your own content—short videos, infographics, or thread summaries—that highlight the importance of global convenings for marginalized communities. Tag journalists and policymakers to increase visibility. Remember to use secure platforms to avoid algorithmic suppression.
Step 3: Support Affected Organizations Financially
Many grassroots groups rely on conferences like RightsCon to secure funding and partnerships. Donate directly to organizations that support digital rights in the Global South, such as the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) or local Zambian digital rights groups. If funds are tight, offer pro bono skills: translation, design, or legal assistance. Every contribution helps rebuild the community’s capacity.
Step 4: Organize Local Alternative Events
Since the global gathering was canceled, create your own space. Host a small meetup, webinar, or workshop in your city or online. Invite speakers from the region (e.g., southern African activists) to share their experiences. Use this opportunity to discuss topics like internet shutdowns, surveillance, and platform accountability. Ensure your event is inclusive—offer translation, captioning, and a code of conduct. Document and share outcomes widely.
Step 5: Engage with Policymakers
Write to your local representatives, explaining why international digital rights conferences matter. Use the cancellation as a case study to argue for stronger protections for civil society. Coordinate with organizations like EFF to send joint letters or petitions. If you’re in a country with influence over Chinese foreign policy, raise concerns about demands to exclude participants. Frame your message as a defense of universal human rights, not as an attack on any nation.
Step 6: Build Cross-Border Networks
The cancellation shows how fragile global solidarity can be. Strengthen your connections with activists in other countries, especially in the Global South. Join existing networks (e.g., the Digital Rights Fund, the Internet Governance Forum community) or create new ones using encrypted channels. Share resources, early warnings of similar crackdowns, and strategies for resilience. The goal is to make the community less dependent on single events.
Step 7: Prepare for Future Resistance
Learn from this incident to anticipate future attacks on civic space. Document all communications and demands from governments. Develop contingency plans for upcoming conferences—alternative venues, digital back-ups, and rapid response teams. Train your community in digital security tools (VPNs, secure browsing, encrypted backups) so that you can continue working even under pressure. Use the momentum from RightsCon’s cancellation to advocate for decentralized event models.
Tips for Success
- Stay safe first. Some governments monitor digital rights activists. Use pseudonyms where needed and avoid sharing sensitive operational details in public channels.
- Collaborate, don’t compete. Many groups will be doing similar actions. Combine efforts—joint statements, shared fundraising campaigns—to amplify impact.
- Keep the focus on human impact. Emphasize that these attacks hurt real people: journalists facing jail, LGBTQ+ individuals losing community, and rural communities cut off from information.
- Use multilingual outreach. Translate key messages into local languages, especially those spoken in southern Africa (e.g., Bemba, Nyanja, Portuguese for Angola/Mozambique).
- Document everything. Save screenshots, emails, and press releases for future advocacy. This evidence can be used in reports by UN bodies or international courts.
- Celebrate small wins. Even if you can’t reverse the cancellation, every new connection or policy change is a step forward. Share success stories to maintain morale.
Remember: the cancellation of RightsCon is a setback, but not a defeat. By following these steps, you turn a moment of silencing into a louder, more resilient call for digital rights for all.