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The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) asserts that the right to freedom of expression is insufficient to protect democratic debate because it does not address the power imbalances created by Big Tech. The statement claims that major tech companies—including Amazon, Meta, X, and Alphabet—have aligned themselves with the U.S. far-right, prioritizing profit over the public good and supporting agendas that deny climate change. WACC calls for a rights-based communication framework, the involvement of more movements in the fight for democratic tech, and the support of state blocs like the EU or African Union to create non-profit-driven technology and media ecosystems.

The authors call for a shift from a market-driven digital ecosystem to one based on Communication Rights, which treats media and AI as public utilities rather than commodities. They trace the history of communication struggles from the MacBride Commission to the current era of 'data colonialism,' where Big Tech extracts personal data as a resource. The document proposes a set of 'non-negotiables' for the WSIS+20 summit, including data sovereignty, public ownership of AI, and the creation of a new UN institution dedicated to Communication Rights.

The author analyzes 405 articles from The Economist published between January 2022 and July 2023, concluding that the publication's reporting aligns with a 'NATO Narrative' that portrays Russia as the sole aggressor. The analysis finds a heavy reliance on Western official sources and a systematic omission of 'Dissident Discourse' regarding NATO's eastward expansion and U.S. involvement in Ukraine. The document further argues that The Economist functions as part of the Anglo-American ruling elite, historically advocating for military intervention and 'war journalism' over 'peace journalism'.

The author discusses the tension between skepticism of generative AI—citing concerns over data collection, misinformation, and stereotypes—and the necessity of digital literacy. Using the challenges faced by journalists in Gaza as an example of the difficulty in verifying truth in a digital age, the text advocates for critical engagement with technology. The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) provides online courses, such as "AI, You and Your Organization" and "Just Digital," to help users work ethically with AI and protect personal data.

The document highlights the role of Radio Stereo Ideal in Napo province, Ecuador, as a critical communication hub for Indigenous Kichwa communities and environmental activists. By providing a platform for marginalized voices and holding officials accountable, the station has helped secure the suspension of mining licenses and the removal of corrupt officials, arguing that democratic local media are essential for implementing effective climate solutions.

The document outlines eleven reasons why the media should report on disaster risk reduction (DRR), framing it as a multifaceted issue spanning politics, economics, human rights, environment, culture, gender, and health. It emphasizes that media coverage can save lives by disseminating early warnings, holding governments accountable for bad governance or corruption, and highlighting the role of traditional knowledge in survival. The guide notes that disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity due to factors like climate change and environmental degradation, with 2022 damages totaling approximately $270bn.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) praises players of the French men's national football team, including Kylian Mbappé and Jules Koundé, for speaking out against the Rassemblement National during the July 2024 elections. The statement argues that such actions are essential for protecting democracy and advancing social and climate justice, contrasting this activism with the efforts of governing bodies like FIFA, UEFA, and CONMEBOL to 'depoliticize' the sport.

The statement emphasizes that while countering hate speech is essential, addressing 'micro-aggressions'—such as misogyny and racism—is equally critical because their cumulative effect can silence voices and erode democratic institutions. It highlights the limitations of current online platform moderation and promotes WACC's social media monitoring tool to combat online misogyny.

The statement emphasizes the necessity of accurate environmental reporting to address the 'triple planetary crisis' of pollution, climate, and biodiversity loss. It notes that environmental journalism is among the most dangerous beats, second only to war reporting, particularly for citizen journalists from Indigenous communities.

The document assesses the socio-environmental crises in the Amazon basin across Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador, highlighting how extractive industries, deforestation, and poor governance impact indigenous and marginalized communities. It argues that these communities are often excluded from environmental policy-making due to a lack of local media, linguistic barriers, and safety risks for journalists. The report identifies community radio as the most effective tool for amplifying local voices, preserving traditional ecological knowledge, and promoting climate justice, while noting significant challenges such as financial instability, political interference, and the need for native-language broadcasting.

The paper examines various theoretical frameworks for 'alternative media,' ranging from participatory and identity-focused approaches to 'critical' and 'radical' media that challenge corporate monopolies. It highlights the role of these media in empowering marginalized groups—including Indigenous peoples, women, and social movements—and discusses the transition from grassroots practice to formal policy reforms, particularly in Latin America, under the framework of communication rights.

The briefing outlines a framework for democratic public communication spaces that prioritize excluded voices and user sovereignty over data. It provides a set of recommendations across four domains—ethical, political, educational, and technical—to counter neoliberal ideologies and ensure affordable, open-source access to communication technology and literacy training.

The document advocates for a shift from a market-driven digital ecosystem to one governed by 'Communication Rights,' which emphasize collective access, data sovereignty, and public interest regulation. It critiques the 'Global Digital Compact' for lacking substantive mechanisms for gender and social justice and analyzes how Western media outlets like The Economist exhibit geopolitical biases in conflict reporting, contrasting this with the perceived credibility of Al Jazeera's coverage of Gaza.

The document asserts that international development funding for media is critically insufficient, stagnating at approximately 0.3% of annual expenditure. It links this lack of investment to the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, citing examples in the UK, Colombia, Kenya, and Indonesia. WACC calls for an urgent increase in media development spending based on principles of transparency, social cohesion, and inclusivity of marginalized voices.

ARTICLE 19 urges the High-Level Advisory Body on AI to establish a human rights-centred governance pillar to protect freedom of expression and privacy. The submission outlines a ten-point plan addressing risks such as automated content moderation, biometric surveillance, and threats to journalists, while calling for transparency, mandatory impact assessments, and a total ban on 'unacceptable' AI systems like emotion recognition.

The paper critiques the current AI landscape, highlighting the dominance of 'Big Tech' and the 'bipolar geo-economic context' of the US and China. It argues that 'Responsible AI' frameworks often serve as a means for powerful actors to 'diffuse accountability'. The author proposes a 'supra-liberal framework' for governance, the creation of an 'AI commons' to democratize resources, and the integration of sustainability considerations to mitigate AI's 'massive carbon footprint'.

The paper examines how a network of 11 community radio stations from the Colombian Amazon participated in the Belém Summit (August 8-9, 2023) to provide a grassroots perspective on the protection of the Amazon biome. It argues that community media offer a more truthful and critical treatment of information than mass media because reporters live the territorial realities, such as lack of basic services and state neglect. The author highlights that these community-led reports reached over 5 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean. The document further critiques the resulting 'Belém Declaration,' arguing that it lacks a strong position against fossil fuel extraction and fails to fully integrate the ancestral vision of indigenous peoples or the critical discourse of popular sectors.

The document argues for a rights-based approach to communication, distinguishing between the 'right to communicate' (the ability to speak) and the 'right to communication' (equitable access to infrastructure). It examines how alternative and community media serve as tools for resistance and identity formation for marginalized groups, including indigenous peoples in Colombia and Mexico and Palestinians facing communication blackouts. The text also analyzes the impact of digital platforms, algorithmic censorship, and state control on freedom of expression, while advocating for 'communicative justice' and structural media reforms to dismantle corporate and state monopolies.

The document serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding and monitoring tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). It defines various forms of digital abuse, analyzes the current media landscape, and provides a detailed manual for manual social media monitoring to identify misogyny and sexist hate speech. The toolkit aims to generate evidence for the Ecumenical Gender and Media Observatory to support advocacy with policymakers and digital platforms.

The document is a toolkit designed to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). It defines various forms of digital abuse, analyzes the current media landscape, and provides a detailed manual for the manual monitoring of misogyny on social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok to generate data for the Ecumenical Gender and Media Observatory.