PHILIPPINES

FNF Philippines, CHR Caraga Host “Human Rights Go Digital: Regional Digital Advocacy Workshop for Civil Society Organizations”

On July 28 - 29, 2025, FNF Philippines and the Office of the Commission on Human Rights in the Region of Caraga (CHR Caraga) jointly conducted a digital advocacy workshop titled "Human Rights Go Digital." 

Held at the Amarah Hotel in Butuan City, the two-day training gathered about 45 human rights advocates, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Centers for Human Rights Education (CHREs) from across the region. The training served as a step forward in enhancing their ability to reach broader audiences, optimize campaigns, and adapt to the increasingly digital landscape where creative messaging plays a critical role in engaging the public and policy-makers alike. In particular, it refined their skills and knowledge to effectively utilize the technological tools and platforms to mobilize support for their advocacies. 

Throughout the program, participants engaged with expert speakers on foundational and advanced advocacy topics, such as informational talks on the basics of human rights, general campaign planning & management, and digital campaigning for human rights. 

FNF Philippines’s Project Associate, Ms. Grace Vasquez, also led a session on the second day entitled “Advocacy Campaigns in Development.” In her talk, she shared projects that FNF offices have successfully conducted both internationally (such as #Up4Democracy or #ReshapeEurope) and locally (with a special spotlight given on FNF Philippines’ Freedom Mov_E Film Festival, Freedom Vlogs, and Our Rights in Flight Series). The presentation aimed to inspire participants in crafting their own compelling, engaging, and locally resonant campaigns.

The event concluded with an interactive workshop facilitated by the Department of Information and Communications Technology. This hands-on session entitled “Utilizing Digital Media in Empowering Campaigns” focused on teaching the participants about creative conceptualization, branding, and key design principles. They then applied these lessons by designing logos for their respective organizations and presenting sample advocacy materials, receiving real-time feedback from facilitators and peers.

In a world where technology is becoming increasingly central to advocacy and public discourse, human rights advocates and CSOs may risk being left behind due to the digital divide, limited infrastructure, lack of digital literacy, and socio-economic disparities. The “Human Rights Go Digital” workshop thus goes beyond simply building technical skills for these at-risk stakeholders. It contributes to the broader mission of protecting and promoting the rights of the target communities that these organizations respectively serve. By empowering them with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the digital space, these sessions ensure that digital transformation becomes a force for greater inclusion, empowerment, and accountability in the Caraga Region.

Kyra Nicole Abastillas served as an intern at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Philippines during the mid-year of 2025.