InfoLisango
Presentation
Over the last ten years or so, technological advances have greatly facilitated access to information in the Congo. People, especially young people, have more and more access to the Internet, opening up new opportunities for communication, access to information, expression and civic participation. Nowadays, information is no longer channelled solely through the traditional media, but also through social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, used extensively by the young generations to find out about issues and share content. However, this information is often disseminated indiscriminately, due to a lack of vigilance or knowledge, exposing young people to cyberbullying and often turning them into vectors of disinformation and exclusionary speech by relaying false information.
The main aim of InfoLisango is to build the capacity of the Congolese media, civil society and young people to produce and disseminate balanced information, and to advocate for human rights and an end to impunity, particularly with regard to violence against women and girls. This project focuses on media and information literacy (MIL) to combat the manipulation of information and hate speech. It forms part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the National Strategy against Gender-Based Violence in the Republic of the Congo.
Project beneficiaries
- Congolese journalists from 10 private media outlets, 2 public media outlets and 4 community radio stations
- Members of civil society organisations (CSOs) actively defending freedom of expression and human rights in the Republic of the Congo
- Members of civil society organisations actively promoting youth education in the Republic of the Congo
- Young leaders/ambassadors/influencers/bloggers
- Members of civil society organisations actively combatting impunity for violence against women and girls
- End beneficiaries: traditional and social media audiences and, by extension, the entire Congolese population (around 5.7 million people exposed to the messages)
Actions
Training for Congolese media and journalists in fact-checking, public debate coverage and the handling of sensitive information
- For the editorial managers of 10 selected private media outlets in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire: organisation of a seminar to raise awareness of the fundamentals of journalism, the specific features of online information and journalism in a sensitive context for the 2026 presidential elections.
- For journalists: organisation of three training courses on the fundamentals of journalism, the specific features of online information and journalism in a sensitive context for the 2026 presidential elections, replicated in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.
- Individual remote coaching for the 20 journalists trained.
- Workplace-based coaching for the editorial teams of private media outlets on topics chosen by each media outlet according to its specific operating needs and challenges.
Cybersecurity training for CSOs specialising in human rights
Cybersecurity training for trainers within a CSO specialising in human rights, followed by training of 16 other CSOs by the trainers.
Training CSOs and young leaders/influencers/bloggers in media and information literacy (MIL), disinformation and hate speech
- Training trainers in MIL within two civil society organisations working in the field of human rights.
- Training young leaders/ambassadors/influencers/bloggers in MIL and combatting disinformation and hate speech.
- Workshops to produce modules on MIL and disinformation for young leaders/ambassadors/influencers, run by trained trainers.
- Organisation of an end-of-project conference designed to raise awareness among public authorities, civil society and media players of the importance of integrating MIL into the school curriculum.
Support for a national radio station to help it broadcast throughout the country, in the three national languages, and produce content to raise awareness of the cyberbullying of women and girls
Translation into local languages and broadcast by community radio stations of content raising awareness of the cyberbullying of women and girls produced by Radio Congo.
Production of content and talk shows by radio stations about the impunity for violence against women and girls
- Personal development and media training workshops for female members of CSOs actively combatting violence against women and girls.
- Consultation workshops between community radio stations and CSOs to develop programmes about ending impunity for violence against women and girls.
- Training community radio stations to produce talk shows about ending impunity for violence against women and girls.
- Workshops to produce talk shows about ending impunity for violence against women and girls.