When Silence Becomes a Digital Rights Question A social-media account going silent can appear to be an ordinary digital event. In a country where social platforms have become an important space for political discussion, activism, and public participation, however, the sudden disappearance of a voice can raise a much larger question: what does freedom of […]
Author: NetMission Ambassador
Bayanihan in Practice: Reflections on DRAPAC 2026 and Collective Capacity in South Asia
Under the warm glow of the afternoon sun streaming through the window at the University of the Philippines BGC Campus in Manila, I found myself immersed in a vibrant scene. Around me, participants were busy crafting Wayang figures from discarded plastic packaging. Laughter and the sounds of creativity filled the air, creating an inspiring atmosphere […]
Civic Space Under Pressure: The Mazari-Chattha Case and Pakistan’s Digital Rights Standoff
A previous piece in this series examined the prosecution of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha. It argued that cybercrime laws can be used against political speech. Since then, the case has grown into a long back-and-forth between civil society and the state. That exchange is worth reading […]
Brokering Trust in Tumultuous Tech Tides
Insularity. The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer has, for the first time in over a quarter of a century, coined trust worldwide has retreated to this psychological state that is shaped by fears and crises. 70% of 33,938 individuals across 28 countries expressed hesitancy and unwillingness to trust persons with a different way of life at […]
Building Inclusive Digital Futures: Reflections from My DRAPAC26 Fellowship Journey
When I first started working in technology as a developer, I was mostly focused on building things. Writing code. Solving problems. Launching features. I spent most of my time thinking about functionality, performance, and solving technical problems. Like many developers early in their careers, I was focused on building things. That perspective started to change […]