Digital Disruptors in the Philippines

Digital Disruptors is Amnesty International’s youth-led digital campaigning project. It aims to train young activists to promote human rights by creating their own online campaigns. 

Tech-savvy, bold, and creative, young Filipinos have been in the front line of social change for generations, claiming their space and defending others’ rights in public and online spaces. 

What the Digital Disruptors Campaign will be all about 

Amnesty International is looking for 8 talented young activists to create the first Digital Disruptors campaign in the Philippines.  

As part of the Digital Disruptors Youth Team, you will create a digital campaign focusing on the role that technology plays in young people’s lives and the impact it has on your rights and well-being. The direction, shape, and key issue of the campaign will be decided entirely by you (and the rest of your team)! You will be supported by a team of experts from Amnesty who will provide you with training and guidance as you go through the entire campaign process.  

Some questions you might be interested in exploring might include: What role does technology play in young people’s social and political engagement? How are young activists impacted by their use of technology? How does the reliance on major platforms such as Google and Facebook impact young people’s digital rights?  

It isn’t required to have a fully formed plan when you apply (in fact – you will need to be open to hearing the suggestions of your teammates) but we encourage you to share any ideas you may have of what you’d like to work on in your application.  

What Amnesty will provide for you 

The selected candidates will undergo several training sessions both online and offline, including a 2-week in-person workshop run by experts from Amnesty International.  The training program is designed to provide you with additional insight into human rights and digital rights. It will also equip you with the technical skills needed to execute an engaging campaign and the soft skills that will help you work successfully together as a unit. 

The Youth Team will also have the support and focused mentorship of Amnesty staff and members–from the Philippines and our international office–throughout every phase of the project.  

Furthermore, sufficient funding will be given to the team to manage and use in making the campaign they designed a reality. Reminder that this is a volunteer post. No monetary compensation will be provided, although all expenses incurred while working on the campaign will be covered by Amnesty. 

What Amnesty will require of you 

You need to be prepared to commit around 25 hours per month on a voluntary basis from May 2022 to April 2023. We will also be giving priority to those who wish to grow their project into an independent campaign beyond 2023. While we understand that circumstances may change throughout such a long time period, we would expect that selected candidates will make time for this project and their campaign.  

We also require that you be able to physically attend the 2-week in-person workshop in June 2022. Expenses will be covered but we will require you to be physically present for the entire duration of the training. 

Since this is an in-person activity, we will further require that you be fully vaccinated in time for the training for the health and safety of your teammates and the trainers. 

What’s in store for you

⚡ March 2022: Application Period. ⚡

This is your chance to tell us about your previous experience as well as your interests and motivations for applying for the project – make sure to complete the application form to give you the best chance of being asked to interview! To apply: Hit the Apply Now button at the end of the page. 

🔬 April 2022: Screening. 🔬

During this period, our team will be screening applications and conducting interviews. (Make sure the contact information you submitted is updated so that we can reach you in case you are shortlisted). At the end of the entire screening process, 8 applicants will be invited to join the Digital Disruptors Youth Team. 

👋 May 2022: Project Kickoff and Orientation. 👋

We’ll be doing some introductions and bonding exercises to help you mesh as a team. We’ll also do some skill mapping, so we know what you want to work on throughout the year. During this period, we will also be drafting our MOU which will outline our working relationship for the duration of the project. You’ll also spend time with your teammates exploring the campaign thematic.  

🧳 June 2022: 2-week workshop. 🧳

In the workshop with Amnesty experts you’ll begin to develop your ideas into a campaign. You’ll also spend time getting to know your teammates and developing a healthy group dynamic. 

🐾 July – December 2022: Campaign Development. 🐾

During these months you will have monthly thematic workshops, regular campaign meetings, and personal mentoring sessions to help you fully build your campaign.  

🚀 January – March 2023: Campaign Launch and Roll-out! 🚀

In January 2023 you will launch your campaign and then spend the following months monitoring your campaign analytics to see how your campaign is doing.  

💅 April 2023: Campaign Evaluation, Exit, and Graduation. 💅

How did your project go? What do you want to do next? This is the time to evaluate your experience with the project and see where you want to take your campaign in the future. 

Youth Team Applications

Other Reminders 

Application deadline is on 17 April 2022. We will be processing applications on a rolling basis and begin with interviews on 28 March, 2022.  

Late applications will not be entertained.  

If you have any questions about the Digital Disruptors Project, you may read the FAQs or e-mail us at [email protected].  

After you apply, whether you are selected, you may choose to get involved in some of Amnesty Philippines’ other work. You can find out more about that and how to become a member here.