Internews Call for Applications: Internet Shutdown Measurements for Advocates in Sub-Saharan Africa

Application Deadline: September 21st 2020

A 6-Week Training on Open Source Network Measurement Tools and How to Use Them, for Advocates in Sub-Saharan Africa

Internews is excited to announce an open call for participants for our Internet Shutdown Measurements for Advocates training. Through this 6-week hands-on training, participants from Sub-Saharan Africa, will learn how to collect and analyze internet measurements using a variety of open source tools and apply these skills to strengthen advocacy efforts against internet shutdowns.

About the Training

This course is intended to provide an introduction on how to use open source internet measurement tools and datasets for human rights advocates in Sub-Saharan Africa who are working on initiatives to end or prevent internet shutdowns in their countries. Through the training, participants will practice using several open source measurement tools and datasets, learn how to collect and analyze their own data, reflect on examples of how advocates have used measurement data to document shutdowns, and get one-on-one time with trainers to build research plans and incorporate measurement and documentation into their advocacy.

Applicants will be asked to propose a research question about internet shutdowns/disruptions that they believe can be answered using network measurement tools and methods. Throughout the course, as they are introduced to different open source measurement tools and techniques, they will work with the trainers to build their projects.

Training sessions will include:

• Introduction to Network Measurement 
• Documenting Blackouts
• Detecting Blocking of Websites and Applications
• Measuring Internet Performance using open data
• Contextualizing Your Data: Using Local Insight and Qualitative Research
• Using Measurements in Advocacy 

This training is made possible through partnerships between Internews and the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), Measurement Lab, the Internet Outage and Detection Analysis Project (CAIDA), Access Now and others.

Requirements

• Internews is seeking applications from individuals or groups from Sub-Saharan Africa who are currently working on advocacy or research initiatives focused on internet shutdowns, throttling, or blocking, and who want to learn more about open source tools that they can use to measure internet disruptions.
• Groups of two individuals may apply together, proposing a collaborative research or advocacy project. Participants do not need to have a technical background nor a research background to apply, but some experience with network measurement, data analysis, or other research skills is a plus. Those working on projects examining how internet disruptions impact women or marginalized populations are especially encouraged to apply. 
• If offered a position within the training, individuals are expected to be able to devote at least 5 hours a week throughout the program to reading/watching materials, participating in a weekly hour-long webinar, collaborating with mentors and other participants, and building out their research project. Participants must have reasonably reliable access to the internet (barring network disruptions) and will be eligible to receive a small stipend to help cover associated internet costs.

Application Requirements

• Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until Monday, September 21. We encourage applicants to apply early, as space is limited. 
• To apply, please fill out the application at https://forms.gle/HYgxUFqtrGZk654Y6. Applicants who wish to work with another person as part of a partnership on one research project should apply separately. 
• If you are interested in this training, but you are not based in Sub-Saharan Africa, please note that the materials for this training will be made publicly available and the program may be replicated at a later date for other regions.
• If you would like to be put on the outreach list, fill out this brief form (https://forms.gle/8zf869iaGtHDpH6B8). Please contact bwhitehead@internews.org if you any other questions on the application or program.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Internews Call for Applications: Internet Shutdown Measurements for Advocates