Seizing Opportunities for Advocacy on a Global Stage
The Brazilian government’s decision to bring the issue of information integrity to the G20’s digital economy working group opened a critical opportunity. Ajor saw this as a moment to advocate for the protection of digital rights and journalism within Brazil and beyond. Recognising the importance of this opening, Ajor developed a strategic approach that linked international action with national objectives, advocating for an ongoing agenda focused on digital rights and information integrity, with journalism as a core element.
“With the introduction of the issue of information integrity by the Brazilian government in the working group on the digital economy at the G20, we understood that there was an opportunity not only to discuss the issue, but also to support and pressure the Brazilian government to build a permanent agenda on digital rights that includes journalism as part of the issue,” said Carla Egydio.
Ajor tailored its strategy to bridge local priorities with international advocacy. This included building alliances and working collaboratively with stakeholders, which allowed Ajor to create a powerful collective approach, enhancing its reach and impact. “It was essential to build an advocacy strategy capable of linking international action with national goals,” Egydio continued, emphasising that a collaborative strategy was key to maximizing Ajor’s results.
A Unique Voice for Journalism in the G20 Dialogue
Ajor’s involvement in the G20 Digital Economy Working Group, a civil society engagement group within the G20, provided an important platform to address information integrity from a journalism perspective.
This was extremely important because, despite the presence of organisations of great relevance in the digital rights debate, there were few organizations focused on journalism, and the participation of an organization like Ajor was essential to guide the topics of information integrity and journalism”.
Through its contributions and partnerships, Ajor successfully brought journalism to the forefront of this international agenda. By participating in events organised by the Brazilian government and UNESCO, Ajor underscored the necessity of including diverse organisational perspectives in the digital rights debate to strengthen democratic societies.
“The debate on the challenges facing today’s information ecosystem must include the perspective of smaller organizations. The broader and more inclusive the debate, the better it will be for strengthening democratic societies,” Egydio emphasized.
From left to right: Mira Milosevic (Executive Director, GFMD), Tom Law (Deputy Director, GFMD), Carla Egydio (Director of Institutional Relations, Ajor) and Maia Gonçalves Fortes (Executive Director, Ajor) at the Trust Conference, London, October 2024. Source: ajor.org.br
Elevating the Role of Smaller Organisations in Global Policy
For smaller organisations like Ajor, participating in global policy discussions is an opportunity to share perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked. Smaller groups are essential for fostering a diverse range of insights that connect local, national, and global challenges. However, Ajor emphasises that these organisations must adopt advocacy strategies that work on multiple levels to maximize their influence.
“Smaller organizations are essential to ensure a greater plurality of perspectives and an articulation between what is happening locally, nationally, and globally”.
This approach allows them to highlight the unique aspects of the Brazilian context while also pushing for domestic progress, showing how global initiatives can support local advocacy.
Ajor’s international work has introduced the organisation to other key actors in the digital rights arena, while also allowing them to use these connections to press for progress within Brazil. This dual focus ensures that Ajor’s international engagement serves as both a platform for broader advocacy and as leverage for advancing digital rights on a national level.
Navigating Challenges and Finding Opportunities in Global Advocacy
Working on the global stage has introduced Ajor to both opportunities and challenges. For smaller organisations, understanding the complexities of international advocacy and identifying effective strategies requires agility and collaboration. Ajor has learned the value of concise, focused documentation to communicate its agenda and has seen how collective action amplifies impact.
“One of the main challenges is to know how these international dynamics work, what are the opportunities of advocacy, how to engage, and what possible strategies can be developed in each scenario. We understand that it is fundamental to produce short documents on our agenda, but also that it is important to act collaboratively and collectively in order to achieve effective results.”
Balancing national and international engagement remains a central challenge. Ajor strives to maintain an active presence in international conversations without neglecting the national advocacy work that is at the core of its mission. Despite the challenges, Ajor recognizes that this dual focus strengthens its impact, yielding meaningful results both domestically and globally.
“There is the great challenge of being able to maintain these two fronts of work, in other words, being active at the international level while maintaining our strategies and efforts on the national agenda—achieving this balance is fundamental,” Carla Egydio noted, adding that while it is challenging, it also produces positive outcomes.
Looking to the Future: Sustaining Momentum and Expanding Focus
Ajor plans to maintain its active role in the G20 discussions and ensure that information integrity remains on the G20 agenda in 2025 when South Africa will hold the presidency. Additionally, with Brazil set to host COP30, Ajor is exploring ways to integrate environmental and journalism-related issues, particularly in addressing climate change disinformation.
Brazil is strategically involved in global agendas and this is always interesting in terms of advocacy opportunities. Journalism has shown itself to be increasingly fundamental in the construction of transnational debates, especially with regard to the guarantee of freedom and rights”.
By advocating for digital rights and information integrity, Ajor aims to ensure that journalism is not only protected but also empowered to support informed, democratic discourse worldwide. Through this approach, Ajor exemplifies how smaller organizations can make a significant impact on the global policy landscape by staying true to their mission and values.
To learn more about how to support journalism and media, sign up for MediaDev Insider, your guide on supporting journalism and media from the Global Forum for Media Development and GFMD IMPACT. Join our growing community!