Bengkel Mempelihara Kebebasan Internet

4 Jun 2016, Petaling Jaya

Satu bengkel bertema “Kebebasan Internet di Malaysia” akan dianjurkan pada 4 Jun (Sabtu) bertempat di Awe Gallery, No. 21 Jalan 20/13 Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, pada jam 9 pagi – 5 petang (maklumat lanjut dilampirkan dalam Bahasa Inggeris).

Bengkel ini adalah sebahagian siri aktiviti yang dianjurkan oleh satu gabungan kumpulan masyarakat sivil, dikenali sebagai Gabungan Net Merdeka. Usaha-usaha gabungan ini yang bermula sejak awal tahun ini adalah berpunca daripada tindakan-tindakan kerajaan dan badan kerajaan untuk mengurangkan lagi hak dan ruang masyarakat untuk bersuara, serta hak-hak siber yang lain. Lebih-lebih lagi, pihak kerajaan berkemungkinan besar akan membentangkan pindaan kepada Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998 yang bakal mengekang lagi kebebasan rakyat bersuara. Setakat ini, akta ini telah digunakan untuk menyiasat atau menahan mereka yang mengendalikan portal media, wartawan dan juga aktivis.

Jemputan menghadiri bengkel ini adalah terhad kepada individu-individu terpilih, berdasarkan kerja dan penglibatan dalam mempromosikan demokrasi dan hak asasi manusia di kalangan ahli masyarakat dan menerusi masyarakat sivil. Banyak kumpulan masyarakat dan NGO bergantung kepada Internet untuk menggerakkan ahli mereka, berkomunikasi dan berkongsi maklumat, tapi ruang ini semakin dikekang. Penglibatan Peserta-peserta bengkel diharap akan dapat menyebarkan mesej kepada kesemua ahli masyarakat mengenai betapa pentingnya kebebasan internet dipertahankan.

Peserta-peserta bengkel antara lain akan membincangkan prinsip asas dan perkembangan yang memberi impak kepada kebebasan Internet. Pihak penganjur akan juga mengajak peserta untuk mengguna kandungan yang diraih dari bengkel ini untuk perbincangan dengan kumpulan sasaran anda. Kami berharap proses ini akan mencucuh perbincangan meluas di kalangan masyarakat dan menyumbang kepada usaha membentuk satu Piagam Kebebasan Internet Rakyat. Sesi lanjutan boleh dianjurkan dalam bentuk perbincangan atas talian (online discussion) ataupun  forum dan mesyuarat.

Latar belakang serta program deraf aktiviti ini disertakan di bawah dalam Bahasa Inggeris.

 

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#NetMerdeka Stakeholder Workshop on Internet Freedom

This one-day by-invitation-only workshop is organised for attendees to discuss key issues regarding Internet Freedoms in Malaysia, who are to become focal points to conduct follow up discussions with their constituents. The workshop will be held on 4 June 2016 (Saturday) at the Awe Gallery, No 21 Jalan 20/13 Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya, Selangor between 9am and 5pm (details attached).

This workshop is a series of activities carried out by a coalition of civil society groups, called Net Merdeka, which came about early this year in response to the narrowing spaces for free expression and rights online. It was also prompted by the proposed amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA 1998) and the actions taken against online media, journalists and activists, among others, for their online publication or content.

Those attending this workshop are individuals who work on the promotion of democracy and human rights in the community and civil society. Most groups and individuals use the Internet to mobilise, communicate and share information, and this platform is becoming more and more restricted. Attendees are expected to spread the awareness of the importance of Internet freedoms to their constituents from their participation at the workshop.

During the workshop, key principles and developments related to Internet freedom will be discussed. We will also discuss with participants at this workshop how to conduct similar sessions with your constituents on their feedback and input into a proposed People’s Charter for Internet Freedoms. The follow up sessions can be conducted online or through gatherings and forums.

Background information for Focal Point Stakeholder Groups

Background

As part of the campaign to defend Internet freedoms in Malaysia, the Net Merdeka coalition, comprising nine civil society organisations and media [Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia, Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER), National Human Rights Society (HAKAM), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Sinar Project, Cilisos, Amnesty International, Malaysia, Lawyers for Liberty, Pusat Komas] will conduct a workshop for focal points from among stakeholder groups. Activities to be organised in this second phase of the project are aimed at encouraging public participation in the drafting of the Charter of Internet Freedom. The overall project is in response to the narrowing spaces for free expression and rights online, prompted by the proposed amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA 1998) and the actions taken against online media, journalists and activists, among others, for their online publication or content.

Activity: Drafting a People’s Charter on Internet Freedoms

The coalition members will hold a workshop for focal points of specific stakeholder groups to enable them to lead de-centralised discussions on Internet rights, towards the drafting of the People’s Charter with their own constituents. These focal points will carry out decentralised stakeholder discussions subsequent to the workshop, to get input for the drafting of the People’s Charter. The discussions will be partially funded by the respective stakeholder focal points as an in-kind contribution to the project.

The first workshop will target between 25 and 30 people representing the priority stakeholders. The follow up workshops by the identified focal points will target approximately 30 people each, and these will be supported by the project resources.

 

Methodology

The Charter will be drafted by the coalition in discussion with the stakeholder focal points and based on input from their respective groups. Two Google Hangout sessions will be held with specific stakeholder groups – the tech community and content creators – to heighten the visibility of the campaign for the Charter.

Outputs

1. Documents on the amendments and FAQs will be created in multiple languages (English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil)

2. Workshop documentation and group discussion guidelines will be produced

3. An input template for the Charter to be used during the group discussions.

4. Final document of the Charter to be handed to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

In long-term, these activities will sustain the advocacy on the CMA 1998 amendments and the ideal role of the MCMC, as well as Internet rights generally.

Details of the workshop

Date: 4 June 2016
Venue: Awe Gallery, 21 Jalan 20/13, Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (googlemaps link)
Time: 9am – 5pm

Draft programme

8.30-9am                 Registration of participants

9– 9.30am               Welcome and introduction to the Net Merdeka Campaign

                                           Introductions

Objectives of Stakeholder Workshop

9.30-10.45am          Revisiting civil society concerns about internet freedom from the 2015 ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum Discussion on new/emerging issues

10.45-11.15am          Break

11.15am-12.30pm    Breakout groups: The Internet We Want (1) – Cluster of topics could be access, affordability, technology development

12.30-1.00pm           Report back and discussion

1.00-2.00pm             Lunch

2.00-3.45pm            Breakout groups: The Internet We Want (2) – Cluster of topics could be freedom of expression, safety, offences, promotion

3.45-4.15pm             Break

4.15-5.30pm            Conducting consultations with communities – key messages and suggestions