Dear Forus members, partners and Digital Governance Working Group Members, 

We are happy to share this month's Digital Governance bulletin, featuring  member spotlights, funding and advocacy opportunities, new resources and upcoming events. There's something here for you! 

🌟 Forus Members Spotlight 

🌍 CANGO (China) - Call for Proposals – “Technology for Good: Driving Social Impact 2025” 

CANGO (China Association for NGO Cooperation) in partnership with Tencent and the National University of Singapore, has launched a call for research proposals on responsible and inclusive technology.  This is especially relevant for those working on digital governance, AI inclusion, or ethical innovation!

🔍 Themes include: 

• AI inclusiveness and technology equity 

• Enterprise-led approaches to “Technology for Good” 

💡 Who can apply? Researchers or practitioners interested in submitting a paper, commentary, or short video. 

🎯 Key benefits: 

• Cash prizes up to S$30,000 

• Funded research trips to China 

• Presentation at an international conference in Singapore (Nov 2025) 

📅 Deadline to submit proposals: 31 May 2025 

More info. Please share this opportunity widely across your networks! Warm thanks to CANGO for sharing this with us. 

🎧  REPONGAC (Central Africa) - 🎧 New Podcast Episode : The Impact of AI on Civil Society in Central Africa (French) 

In this new episode of Avenirs numériques (Digital Futures) for #ParlonsDigital (#Let’s Talk Digital), we’re joined by Alain Serge MIFOUNDOU, of Forus regional coalition REPONGAC—the network of civil society organizations in Central Africa.Together we explore what AI means for civic space, community mobilization, and advocacy. 

📌 This episode is in French. 

🎧 Produced as part of the CADE project co-funded by the EU. 

🌍 Fingo (Finland) - AI and Civil Society: Who gets to shape the future? 

A recent webinar co-hosted by Fingo, Forus, CARE International, and Accenture tackled tough questions around AI and the Global South, including digital colonialism and civil society’s role in shaping governance. 

📄 Explore the key takeaways and read the report: 

AI and the Global South: Exploring the Role of Civil Society in AI Decision-Making

📣 Opportunities to Engage 

📢Join the #LetsTalkDigital Campaign 

Have a digital project, campaign, or story to share about how tech impacts civil society? 

We’d love to feature it in the #LetsTalkDigital global campaign! 

📩 Share your ideas with [email protected] 

Since 2021, the Let’s Talk Digital multimedia and multilingual campaign is amplifying voices from around the globe on how digital transformation is affecting civil society—and how we're responding. 

🥇 CADE AI artivism for digital rights - Winners coming soon! 

Forus, as part of the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE), a project co-funded by the European Union, launched a call for proposals aimed at civil society organisations, activists, artists, and digital rights defenders. We received inspiring submissions from across the globe. The winning artists will co-create with the #LetsTalkDigital campaign to promote digital rights through art. 

🖌️ Stay tuned—we’ll be announcing the winners shortly! Learn more.

📄 Resources

🛡️ Stay Informed with EU SEE Alerts – Monitoring Digital Threats to Civil Society 

Launched in January 2025, the EU SEE (System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society) is a new initiative designed to track and respond to threats against civil society around the world, with real-time alerts from 86 countries. 

📡 Through a powerful Early Warning and Monitoring Mechanism, EU SEE sheds light on critical trends in the enabling environment for civil society—including digital surveillance, cybercrime laws, censorship, and attacks on journalists. 

📍 Recent digita-related alerts include: 

- Pakistan: Cybercrime charges against journalist Ahmad Noorani (April 11) 

- Zambia: New cybercrime bills raise concerns (April 3) 

- Pakistan: Amendments to cybercrime law curbing online speech (April 2) 

- Sierra Leone: Journalist’s arrest sparks press freedom concerns (March 31) 

🔍 Learn more and explore the alerts 
📬 Interested in contributing or receiving tailored updates? Reach out to us! 

New  Report – “Analysis of the Digital Democracy Ecosystem”  

Published by CIVICUS and DDI partners, this new report maps the digital democracy landscape across six global regions  nd outlines how CSOs are navigating the digital transition. 

Read the full report.

📘 New Resource – Practical Guide for CSOs Engaging in Global Digital Governance 

The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), in collaboration with the CADE project, has just released a new explainer guide: “Navigating Key Digital Governance Processes: A Practical Handbook for Civil Society Organisations.” 

This handbook breaks down eight key global processes shaping our digital future—including the UNGA, IGF, HLPF, WSIS+20, and more—and offers actionable tips for civil society participation, with a special focus on Global South inclusion. 

💡 Whether you're new to digital governance or looking to deepen your strategic advocacy, this guide is packed with insight. 
🔗Read the guide 

✅ Funding Opportunities 

 Digital Resiliency Grants  

• Through the CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund and Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), new rapid-response resiliency grants are available (up to $10,000 for solo CSOs or $20,000 for joint applications). Eligible activities include: 
  Digital security training & assessments 

• Safe online mobilization & infrastructure 

• Psychosocial and legal support 

• Responses to regulatory threats 

• Equipment & digital access tools 

Applications are open year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis. More information is available here.

🌍 Africa Engage 2025 Hackathon – Win $7,500 grants to build digital right tools! 

Applications are now open for the Africa Engage 2025 Virtual Hackathon, taking place online on May 9–10, 2025. Organized by Magamba Network and partners, this is a two-day innovation sprint bringing together young changemakers across Sub-Saharan Africa to create digital tools that strengthen access to African human rights systems. 

👉 Apply now.

📅 Upcoming Events: 

Internet Governance Forum 2025 

📍 Nova Spektrum, Lillestrøm (near Oslo, Norway) 
📅 June 23–27, 2025 
🔗 IGF 2025 Registration 
🌐 Logistics info 

At IGF 2025, Forus will work with CADE partners to facilitate discussions on digital rights, inclusion, and governance, ensuring civil society actively contributes to decision-making.  

How to Engage 

• Attend Online or In-Person (hybrid format, 23–27 June 2025) 

• Join the #CADE sessions there and ✨ meet us at the CADE booth in the IGF Village! 

• Join a Dynamic Coalition or Best Practice Forum (e.g. on AI, Gender, Cybersecurity) 

• Shape global agendas ahead of WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact 

Read this article on ways your civil society network can participate to #IGF2025! Find more info here. 

💌 Questions? Ideas? Want to be featured in the next bulletin? 
Reach out to us at [email protected]  

In solidarity, 

The Forus Digital Governance Team