The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) through the Governance and Policy Lab program, organized a three-part webinar series titled "Lebanon’s Digital Transformation", on Monday July 13, Monday July 20, and Tuesday July 28, 2020. The webinars were moderated by IFI's Google Policy Fellow Karim Merhej.
Digital technologies have dramatically altered the way our world functions. Throughout the world, activists and journalists are using the latest digital tools to mobilize, raise awareness and spread information about governmental misdeeds and human rights abuses. Governments are using the latest technological innovations to improve their inner functioning and the way public services are delivered. Businesses have adapted to the digital age, selling their products online and devising new ways to advertise them, while tech startups have mushroomed offering creative and innovative products and solutions. Under the umbrella of 'digital transformation', these tools and technologies have been touted as solutions to many of the political and socioeconomic woes that Lebanon suffers from. Yet, these same tools and technologies have also been used to clamp down on civil liberties and distort public discourse.
This three-part webinar series aimed at shedding light on and tackle three key components of Lebanon’s ‘Digital Transformation’:
- How are digital technologies changing the face of activism and journalism, and what are the risks and dangers involved with the usage of such technologies?
- Why does the Lebanese public sector still lag behind when it comes to the adoption of digital technologies?
- What is the state of Lebanon’s ‘digital economy’, and can it contribute to reducing unemployment?
Check out the summaries and watch the full sessions below:
الانتفاضة اللّبنانية في العصر الرقمي