CARE white paper, no. 20, 2024

As witnessed globally with the rise of hate[i], authoritarian populism[ii], racism, fascist movements, and calls to the genocide of minorities, online infrastructures exist at the core
of campaigns threatening democracies and are directly linked to the violence experienced by communities at the intersectional margins. In this white paper, we outline the nature of online warfare, the mechanics underlying it, and its underlying drivers. Building on our analysis of the existing infrastructure that drives online warfare and the existing frameworks for responding to online warfare, we propose a community-led culture-centered approach to responding to online warfare, arguing that the empowerment of communities at the “margins of the margins,”[iii] combined with the development of infrastructures for critical literacy, are critical to addressing the local-national-global threat posed by online warfare.

We argue that a culture-centered framework for data justice that empowers historically marginalised communities to participate in platforms, organise to challenge hate, and drive
policies for regulating hate on platforms is critical to promoting and sustaining sustainable development goal (SDG) 16: peace, justice, and strong institutions. We foreground a culture-centered framework for digital data literacy that is rooted in community voice and ownership of storytelling processes. (From the issues paper). Record #8610