In this eventful year 2023, we venture to build new forms of territorial connection – through the Internet and beyond – strengthening our links with various friendly communities by articulating collective actions together with activists from feminist, LGTBIQ+, cultural and artistic sectors. We also continue to discuss regionally and internationally our local strategies for the defence of free knowledge and a collaborative culture on the Internet, that strengthens the exercise of our rights in and beyond digital environments.
February with F for Feminist and March with M for Mujer (Mujer = Woman in Spanish)
In February, we articulated preparations for the International Working Women’s Day (8M). We understand that public space is a place historically denied to women, we encourage to occupy it in a feminist way, claiming our rights and strengthening our collective articulation in order to achieve a transformative change.
This year, in March, we joined two key spaces. The first was the workshop-conversatory ‘Feminist Safety on Internet’, held on Saturday, March 4. In collaboration with other feminist organisations, lawyers, educators and activists, we discussed how to safely navigate the Internet while maintaining our rights and exercising autonomy over our bodies and desires. We provided tips and resources on digital safety for safe sexting and participated in the feminist fair that took place throughout the day at Plaza O’Leary in the city of Asuncion.
In addition, in the run-up to the 8M march, we worked on the first steps of our regional communication campaign, “Dissident Internet”, with our colleagues from Luchadoras in Mexico and Hiperderecho in Peru. We designed and disseminated a series of posters with slogans for a Dissident Internet, which were used both on the Internet and in public spaces during the marches. These posters allowed us to amplify our voices and demands. We also took part in the organisational meetings of the 8M in Paraguay, collaborating with the security committee for which we produced a video with digital security tips specifically oriented to feminist marches.
With the slogan “For our labour rights and against all forms of violence“, we took to the streets on March 8, having a presence in the concentration held hours before the march in the Plaza Uruguaya in the city of Asunción, where we shared all our feminist merchandise and materials on digital security, sexting, tools to combat gender-based digital violence, and security tips for collective actions. We occupied the streets together with urban and rural women, demanding from the Paraguayan State, effective policies against the gender wage gap, exploitation, persecution, harassment, and other forms of violence that women experience in work, education, family and digital environments without losing sight of the collective enjoyment and pleasure.
These activities reinforced our commitment to a more equitable society, with a co-relate in our digital environments, echoing our desires and demands for a world where gender equality is a reality in all areas.
In the last week of March, we collaborated with the Kuña Aty Women’s Committee of Táva Guaraní by travelling to San Pedro for podcasting and digital security workshops for mobile devices and social networks, focusing on topics addressing the challenges of digitalisation, climate change and gender equality, highlighting the experiences of rural communities, especially women, in a fair digital transition.
April with A for Árbol (Arbol = Tree in Spanish)
Bernardino Caballero Park, located in the heart of Asunción, is a site of historical relevance and one of the city’s most vital green spaces. Its revitalisation becomes a crucial task to preserve these common spaces that encourage the meeting and integration of the local community and visitors from different city areas.
In this context, we enthusiastically join ‘Feria al Parque’, an initiative led by the European Union National Institutes of Culture (Eunic). This collaboration includes the active participation of the European Union, the Juan de Salazar Cultural Center of Spain (Ccejs), the Paraguayan-German Cultural Institute (ICPA), the Alliance Française and the Embassy of Italy. This event celebrates culture and art and promotes the importance of preserving public spaces.
The expo was a showcase of rich cultural diversity, offering everything from artistic performances to educational workshops. In addition, we took advantage of this platform to share and disseminate our significant campaign materials such as ‘My Data My Rights’, ‘Mente en Línea’, ‘Libres y Segures’, and ‘Internet Disidente’.
June and July with J for Juntes – International Pride Month and activities in the public space (Juntes = Together in Spanish)
With the seven colours of the rainbow of the Pride flag as a backdrop, we kicked off the International LGTBIQ+ Pride Month. This period commemorates the historic Stonewall Riots of June 28, 1969, in New York; that day marked a milestone in history, when people from the LGTBIQ+ community came together to confront discrimination and abuse by the authorities, laying the groundwork for the struggle for equal rights.
In this spirit of resistance, we launched a campaign that sought to reflect on the achievements, the obstacles faced, and the pending challenges that the LGTBIQ+ community of Paraguay faces in its quest for equality in the digital world.
In addition, we participated in the Pride Parade Fair on June 28th at the Plaza de la Democracia in the city of Asunción. There, we shared a variety of educational tools from our Libres y Segures campaign, designed to inform about community rights, offer assurances of protection and promote digital care practices.
We raffled off our new Libres y Segures t-shirt design to our community!
In July, in collaboration with Tactical Tech, we were honoured to present in Paraguay “The Glass Room: Disinformation Edition”, an innovative exhibition that focused on unravelling the tactics behind the creation and dissemination of misleading information, inviting to reflect on our growing dependence on social networks and the Internet as primary sources of information. What happens when our perception of reality is shaped almost exclusively by these digital media?
In order for the exhibition to be visited by as many people as possible, we decided to take this experience to the streets by entering into collaboration with the vibrant community of La Chispa and occupying one of the emblematic countercultural blocks of Asunción during the reggae day. This action was not just an exhibition, but an affirmation: art, culture, and free knowledge are essential pillars for our community; by taking the streets, we reclaim these spaces as places of expression and learning.
September with S for Sentir – LGTBIQ+ Month of Remembrance in Paraguay (Sentir = To feel in Spanish)
During September, we celebrated the LGTBIQ+ Month of Memory in Paraguay, commemorating the first public manifestation of sexual and gender diversity. We occupied public spaces from rebellion, memory, diversity, and pride to vindicate the right to express ourselves freely. This led us to participate in a series of celebrations where we share values for the construction of a free culture and a society more inclusive and tolerant of differences.
At the beginning of the month, we joined the “Calle Cultura” initiative, transforming the streets into a vibrant stage of colours, art, and games. From TEDIC, we share our campaigns and tools to promote the safe and healthy use of digital technology.
On September 23, in collaboration with Inclusive Christians, Arcoiris and the LGTBIQ+ community of Asuncion, we celebrated the Month of 108 Memories with a “PICNIC OF DIVERSITY” at the Botanical Garden of Asuncion. We gathered more than 150 people to celebrate love and diversity, and to occupy free and safe spaces. Through our “Free and Safe on the Internet” campaign, with the support of APC, we learned together how to improve the security of our profiles on social networks and the configuration of our mobile devices.
On the 30th of the same month, we took to the streets again to exercise our right to enjoy public spaces in the XX March of the TLGBIQ+ Coalition with the cry “Our existence is a fact, we demand rights” where more than 3000 people joined the joy of claiming that diversities exist, we resist, and that a more communitarian horizon is only possible in a Paraguay without discrimination where we feel truly free and safe to live.
Also, during September, we participated in the prestigious Digital Rights Advocates and Social Festival in Estoril, Portugal. This enriching meeting brought together more than 500 people passionate about the digital world. Our co-director, Maricarmen Sequera, represented TEDIC, sharing experiences and strengthening alliances. This event broadened our horizons, allowing us to learn from other digital rights advocates and build a more secure and equitable digital future.
October with O for Optimist
Our unwavering commitment to the defence of digital rights, the development of civic technology based on open data and the promotion of free software and hardware, drives us to connect with like-minded global communities. This connection allows us to exchange valuable experiences and strategies to foster a culture of collaboration towards a more accessible world. In this spirit, we once again participated in the Creative Commons Global Summit, held this year in Mexico City from October 3-6. During this meeting, we addressed a variety of crucial topics, including digital public policy, the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence, the vital role of civil society organisations, and the creation of a diverse, inclusive, gender-sensitive and people-based culture.
In addition, the third edition of the Sorora Festival, held at the emblematic Ferrocarril Central de Asunción, provided us with a unique opportunity for connection and enjoyment. This event brought together female, non-binary and trans artists from the national and international music scene, offering us artistic performances and recognising the urgent need to address gender inequality in the music scene. From TEDIC, we were present with a volunteer booth where we linked our feminist campaigns with the theme of the festival: celebrating diversity as a driver of change and new approaches in music production.
Through the creation of solidarity networks between women and dissidents, we reinforce our struggle for greater representation and new expressions in the artistic scene.
Additionally, October brought us to the second regional Fairwork in Peru workshop, a crucial space to discuss fair labour conditions in the Latin American platform economy. Our co-director, Eduardo Carrillo, actively participated, sharing data collected in Paraguay, and contributing to formulating strategies for regional impact.
November with N for No más violence!
On November 25, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we once again joined in the streets with urban, rural and indigenous women to demand from the Paraguayan State effective protection measures against gender violence, manifested in all spheres of life, including digital environments. This year, with the unconditional support of volunteers, we carried out a powerful performance to give voice to the different forms of oppression that are experienced in virtual spaces. Through this direct action, we denounced the case of Cristian Kriskovich, a professor at the Catholic University accused of online sexual harassment, who is currently prosecuting Belén Whittingslow, who exposed him as a student. This performance sought to shed light on the general issue of unbalanced power relations between teachers and students, and the lack of adequate procedures to address cases of digital gender violence. At the end of the performance, we marched together to the cry of “Digital Violence is Real”, highlighting the daily threat that women and dissidents face of being victims of digital violence, which often represents an amplification of the various forms of violence we experience in offline environments.
Additionally, we distributed Digital Safety and Self-Care Kits against Hate Speech from our Dissident Internet campaign, developed in collaboration with the organisations Hiperderecho and Luchadoras. These kits include tactics employed by feminist activists to confront hate speech on digital platforms, bringing together a range of voices and sharing experiences of resistance and collective strategies in the virtual realm. These materials are vital resources for empowering and protecting women and dissent in the digital world, contributing to building more inclusive and free environments for all people.
Also, our digital security manager attended the fifth COSIC meeting in Uruguay, a vital space to improve the digital security of our organisation and community. This space provides the opportunity to update knowledge and learn about new tools, platforms, and websites that help improve and increase people’s digital security.
This month, we also participated in the Jotopa event in Itapúa, where Leonardo Gómez, representing TEDIC, facilitated the “Technology and Innovation” table, contributing his expertise in techno-politics and democracy.
December with D for Days of activism
On December 5, Volunteer Day is celebrated in Paraguay and the rest of the world. As part of this commemoration, we held an enriching workshop in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund’s volunteer network in Paraguay (WWF), where we addressed key issues on activism and digital security.
During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to explore the importance of activism in the digital age and how technological tools can enhance the dissemination of messages and social movements. We highlighted strategies to strengthen our online presence and ensure our digital security as activists, highlighting the need to protect our privacy, information integrity, and personal data on the Internet. This event celebrated our commitment to volunteer work and raised awareness of the need to advocate for environmental and social causes in digital environments safely. Through interactive dynamics and thoughtful discussions, participants gained practical skills to safeguard their online identity, avoid cyber threats, and maximise the impact of their activist efforts in an increasingly connected world.
December also found us at the Robusta Fair, a creative meeting of Paraguayan artists, where TEDIC presented its merchandising and an exhibition on “Killer Robots and Digital Dehumanization”.
Additionally, throughout this year, we documented more than 30 #AllMalePanels, highlighting the absence of women in various areas and a continuous effort to promote gender equality.
Antivirus party: this is how we hacked the lockdown