Bridging Digital and Democratic Spaces: Social Media’s Role in Electoral Engagement and Peacebuilding in Uganda
On Wednesday, December 11, the Wilson Center Africa Program hosted an event exploring social media's role in peacebuilding, governance, and democracy in Uganda.
Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding scholar Latifah Namutebi presented her research on social media's role in Ugandan politics, observing how social media is democratizing access to political spaces but requires faith in electoral systems and efforts to combat misinformation.
Jared Ford, Director for Technology and Democracy at the International Republican Institute stressed that tansparency from tech companies and political figures is essential to address digital governance challenges.
Maria Kisumbi, Director of Policy and Government Relations at Humanity United, observed how digital platforms are expanding political dialogue and participation, but risk providing spaces for misinformation and surveillance to flourish.
Discussion was followed by a Q and A fielding questions from the audience.
Speakers
Strategic Partnership and Advocacy Officer, Women's International Peace Centre
Hosted By
Africa Program
The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations. Read more