The Centre for Internet And Society (in association with Meta) is conducting a series of roundtable conferences across the country on the role of digital technologies and online platforms in governance, communication, cultural production and everyday life. These discussions seek to serve as a platform for grassroots organisations, cultural institutions and various regional stakeholders to highlight their interactions, concerns and needs from web-based tools and platforms. These discussions also help facilitate discussion between Meta and these organizations on the role of social media platforms in building safer online communities, facilitating access to information and much more. After a very successful discussion and numerous significant insights gained from the Bengaluru event, CIS organised a roundtable discussion on the theme of ‘Digital Governance’ for non-profit organisations based in and around Pune, Maharashtra. The event was organised in collaboration with Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL) on 3 November 2023 at MKCL, Pune. A total of 18 persons from 15 civil society organisations attended this event. Snehashish Ghosh from Meta also joined the discussion virtually.
Key areas the discussion shed light on:
- The impact of digital governance initiatives
- Barriers to Access for Governance Initiatives: Role CSOs play in bridging this gap
- Recommendations for Inclusive Digital Governance
- The role social media can play supporting CSOs’ campaigns and communications
The discussion was presided over by Subodh Kulkarni from CIS along with Yesha Tshering Paul and Garima Agrawal as facilitators. Sonali Katke, COO at MKCL also actively moderated the discussions. Following is the list of participants who were the representatives of their respective organisations.
- Alok Juneja, Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF)
- Ashok Jani, Foundation For Ecological Security (FES)
- Sudha Kothari, Chaitanya
- Kavita, Chaitanya
- Rashmi Dixit, Action For Agricultural Renewal In Maharashtra (AFARM)
- Karishma Gaikwad, Vigyan Ashram
- Prashant Borkute, Bajaj Foundation
- Sagar Dharia, Vanarai
- Subhash Deshpande, Jnana Prabodhini
- Vishram Dhole, Savitribai Phule Pune University (DMCS)
- Devdutta Tengshe, GeoPune
- Anand Pawar, Samyak
- Anil Ukarande, Yutak Charitable Trust
- Shraddha Chorgi, Pratham
- Sakshi Lavangare, Seva Sahayog
- Smita Kale, Shelter Associates
- Harshita Kansara, Mass Communications
- Divyanshu Chouksey, Mass Communications
The participants had extensive expertise in a variety of fields, including women's economic empowerment, social security, education, agriculture, community development, housing, water and sanitation, sexual and reproductive health, men and masculinities and LGBTQIA+ rights. The diversity of experiences and opinions expressed during the discussion highlighted crucial obstacles in the implementation of digital governance initiatives at the grassroots level, especially in rural areas. Participants shared their experiences with existing grievance redressal mechanisms for a range of social programmes across geographies, pointing to a need for transforming how digital governance is imagined with the citizen’s experience and accessibility of platforms in mind. The approaches these CSOs employ to support citizens in accessing these initiatives can help us understand where gaps lie and how to begin addressing them to promote digital governance in rural India.