Mapping digital safety [tactical activity]

This activity is designed to introduce participants to respond to different forms of online GBV.

About this learning activity

This activity is designed to introduce participants to respond to different forms of online GBV. The activity is carried out in three teams, and each team takes on one specific form of online GBV from among:

• Blackmail
• Cyberstalking
• Hate Speech

Each team consists of a facilitator who has a set of Scenario cards and team members who have a set of Rights cards each.

The game begins with the facilitator helping participants reflect on the specific form of online GBV and how it manifests.

After a basic understanding has been established, the facilitator then plays a scenario card, and facilitating a discussion among team members about the scenario. Team members then respond to the scenario collectively by playing one Rights card each to safeguard themselves in the scenario. Members then discuss how the Rights they have selected would be violated in that scenario. The facilitator then moves on to the next Scenario card. Two scenarios can be played out by each team.

If time is available at the end of the activity, teams can gather together to discuss their reflections about their specific forms of online GBV and the related rights that protect them.

Learning objectives this activity responds to

• an understanding of the forms of online gender-based violence (online GBV) and its impacts on the survivors and their communities
• an understanding of the continuum of violence between the offline and the online spheres, and the power structures that allow it
• ideas, strategies and actions about the ways in which online GBV, especially in their contexts, can be addressed

Who is this activity for?

This activity can be used with participants with different levels of understanding about online GBV and the rights stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Time required

This activity will require about 2-3 hours.

Resources needed for this activity

• Printed Scenario cards (2 Scenario cards per team)
• Printed Rights cards (6 Rights cards per team member of all teams)
• Space big enough for 3 teams to be able to have discussions
• A table big enough to accommodate the Rights Cards that each team will be presenting per round

Mechanics

Players

The participants will be split into three teams:

• Team A – Discussing Blackmail
• Team B – Discussing Cyber Stalking
• Team C – Discussing Hate Speech

Each team also has a Facilitator. It is suggested that each team be comprised of 6 members and 1 facilitator.

Cards

The members of all three teams have the same deck of printed Rights cards. Each card has the Right printed on the side facing up, and a brief description of the Right facing down. Please refer to the section on Rights for examples of Rights that can be included.

Each facilitator is given 3 sets of Scenario cards specific to the team’s form of online-GBV. Please refer to the section on Scenarios for sample scenarios per team.

Rights

Some of the Rights that can be added to the deck of Rights cards are as follows:

• Right to Freedom of Expression (Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers."

• Right to Privacy and Freedom from Defamation (Article 12, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

"No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."

• Right to Freedom from Violence (United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women)

"States should condemn violence against women and should not invoke any custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligations with respect to its elimination. States should pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating violence against women... [This includes] any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

• Right to Protect your Artistic Work (Article 27, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

"Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author."

• Right to Work (Article 23, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment... (2) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection...

• Right to Public Participation (Article 27(1), Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

"Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits."

Other Rights from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights may also be added to the deck if deemed necessary.

Scenarios

Please refer to the cartoon strip and section on “How People Experience Blackmail” here for sample scenarios on Blackmail.

Please refer to the cartoon strip and section on “How People Experience Cyberstalking” here for sample scenarios on Cyberstalking.

Please refer to the cartoon strip and section on “How People Experience Hate Speech” here for sample scenarios on Hate Speech.

Game play

Three teams are formed, one to discuss each form of online GBV from among Blackmail, Cyberstalking, and Hate Speech. Each team chooses one facilitator or a facilitator is assigned to them, and the teams with their respective facilitator move to different parts of the room. Each Facilitator is given a deck of Scenario cards specific to their team, and each team member is given a deck of Rights cards. The game is now played in 3 stages, with an optional 4th stage that can be incorporated depending on the availability of time.

Stage I: Brief reflection

The facilitator of each team can use resources from the following links to start a brief reflection session.

• Blackmail
• Cyberstalking
• Hate Speech

This is to establish a brief understanding of the specific form of online GBV before moving on to the next stage of the game involving scenarios. This reflection can be localized for the group, keeping in mind the different identities of members involved. This stage can be shortened or extended based on the experience level of the participants in the group.

Stage II: Scenarios

Once, the group is fairly comfortable with what entails the specific form of online GBV being discussed in the team, the scenario-playing can begin. The facilitator plays a Scenario card which describes a Scenario relating to the form of online-GBV being discussed in the team. The section on Scenarios links to possible sample scenarios for this purpose. The facilitator then asks some questions about this scenario.

For instance, suggested questions for Cyberstalking are:

• Do you think the situation faced by X in the scenario is a case of Cyberstalking?
• What could X have done to avoid this situation? (Please note that this question should NOT be posed in a manner that may assign any blame to the victim of cyberstalking, but in a healthy manner that highlight safe online practices)
• How would you have dealt with the situation if it were you?

The discussion around these questions can be localized to the group.

Stage III: Rights

Once a discussion of the scenarios is completed, the next stage of the game involves the Rights cards held by team members. Team members now collectively decide amongst themselves which Rights cards they want to play to safeguard themselves in the Scenario that has been played out. Each team member plays one Rights card. All the Rights cards played are placed on the table before the facilitator.(As mentioned earlier, it is suggested that this game be played with 6 members per team. However, depending on the actual number of members in the team, either the same card can be repeated by members or each member can play more than one card).

The facilitator now asks the team members details about how the Rights cards played by them would help safeguard themselves in the specific scenario.

This is a good time for the facilitator to ask team members about whether or not there are any local laws that relate to these rights and how they can be (or have been) used in similar scenarios. This discussion can also broaden into pros and cons of using the court system or law enforcement.

Some details of how the Rights relate to these specific forms of online-GBV can be found in the “Related Rights” section of the following links:

• Blackmail
• Cyberstalking
• Hate Speech

The facilitator then moves on to the next scenario card and the process is repeated. It is suggested that two scenarios be played out per team, but more can be added based on the availability of time.

Stage IV (Optional)

This stage is optional, and can be played if there is an availability of time. Once each team has played out Scenarios and Rights in their own groups, the teams can come together to discuss insights from each of their activities.

Some discussion points can include:

• What did we learn about the specific form of online-GBV discussed by our team?
• What are the scenarios we discussed that can arise relating to it?
• What are the rights we discussed can be used to safeguard ourselves in such scenarios?

Facilitator preparation notes

Some guidelines to follow, if you do choose to use this learning activity:

• During the discussion on Scenarios, allow each participant to respond to the scenario in their own way. Don't rush them. Don´t correct their grammar. Don't interrupt them.
• Do not force everyone to respond. Maybe, for some people, being able to write down their responses is preferable. Not everyone needs to respond, but encourage everyone to do so.
• If a participant is triggered, take a break. Don't force them to continue with the activity.

Please read the notes on Holding up a Healthy Conversational Space and Intersectionality and Inclusivity to know more about creating safe, inclusive spaces of discussion.

Here are resources that can help you better prepare for this activity:

Take Back the Tech! has compiled a comprehensive set of resources on each of the forms of online-GBV discussed in this activity. These resources have been cited throughout the activity, and can be referenced here for further details:

• Blackmail: https://www.takebackthetech.net/know-more/blackmail
• Cyberstalking: https://www.takebackthetech.net/know-more/cyberstalking
• Hate Speech: https://www.takebackthetech.net/know-more/hate-speech

Suggested tweaks

This activity is recommended to be carried out as a Tactical Activity. It can also be split into two activities – Stage I can be played separately as a Starter Activity, and Stage II and III together can be played as a Deepening Activity following the Starter Activity.