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Session Eight | Sep 29

SESSION TITLE

Language is political
Hacking the language of intimidation



About the Mentors

Kim Mallalieu

Kim Mallalieu is senior lecturer and Leader of the Communication Systems Group in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of the West Indies. She previously held the position of Head of Department and led the development of the Master’s in Telecommunications Regulation and Policy, MRP (Telecommunications), coordinating its delivery to participants from over thirty developing countries around the world. As Principal Investigator of the Caribbean ICT Research Programme (CIRP), she leads and conducts multidisciplinary action research on context appropriate strategies for the purposeful application of information and communications technologies (ICT) for human good; with an emphasis on building the resilience of underserved populations.

Kim is Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT). She otherwise has a rich service portfolio, having sat on several commissions, committees and panels at institutional, national, regional and international levels in operational as well as advisory roles. She is a Fulbright Fellow and the recipient of local, regional and international teaching and research awards, and other awards of distinction. In other capacities she has led national, regional and international initiatives variously designed to build capacity in ICT policy, regulation, development, application and use.

As a keen advocate for gender equality for development, Kim’s works include the ITU/ETC report on Women, ICT and emergency telecommunications; and she is Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for the Network of Women (NOW) in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s Development Sector.

Among other credentials, Dr. Mallalieu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT and a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from University College London. She is a licensed amateur radio and GMDSS short range operator, and member of Radio Emergency Associated Communication Teams (REACT). For fun, she is the Schutzhund handler for Jax Vom Haus Compton.

Karla Velasco Ramos

Karla holds a BA in International Relations from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM). She was one of the 15 people selected for the programme "Innovation for Equality" organised by Berkeley University and Prospera. Karla coordinates the International Area of Redes por la Diversidad, Equidad y Sustentabilidad (REDES A.C.). She regularly participates in international telecommunication forums, as she advocates for the development of a regulatory framework for community networks in Latin America. Through her participation in Permanent Consultative Committee 1 of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission of the OAS, she coordinated a questionnaire for the report Community Networks in Latin America: Challenges, Regulations and Solutions, which offers an analysis of the existing regulations on community networks in Latin America. Karla is the regional coordinator nominated by REDES A.C., the project implementing partner in Latin America in the LocNet project.


ABOUT THE SESSION

This session introduces strategies and tools to suppress language that impedes policy development and advocacy efforts. It frames the language of power across multiple dimensions of expression (verbal, non-verbal etc.), vocabulary (patronizing, chauvinistic, technical, etc); context (workplace, home etc.) and target (race, gender, age, disability etc). Examples of the language of intimidation are shared and the power of language to derail advocacy efforts explored. Sample strategies and tools are introduced to suppress the language of intimidation that are barriers to advocacy for, and implementation of, diversity-sensitive community network policy and regulatory frameworks.

Participants demonstrate the use of language and appropriate reactions to it, in sample verbal and non-verbal channels. They reflect on the expected impact in the policy and regulatory space in settings internal and external to their communities of interest.  This interactive session draws on a mix of authoritative guidelines and authentic experience from facilitators and participants to hack the language of intimidation.

In this session you can expect to leave the room with the below takeaways:

  • How to handle difficult conversations and spaces
  • How one can dilute language and stay away from technical jargon
  • The importance of taking back language

Session structure

Time Allotted

Recommended Activity

5 minutes 

Introductions

7 minutes 

Poll 1 (entries in Zoom chat)

3 minutes

Can you relate? (Video)

15 minutes 

Presentation: Language is Political 

Poll 2 (entries in Zoom chat)

15 minutes 

Mentors share intimidatory experiences, drawing on ITU’s Plenipotentiary (PP) Conference (2022) currently underway in Bucharest:

Karla - negotiating for non-mainstream provisions within a traditional policy-making ecosystem:

1.         WTDC Resolution 37 (Rev. Kigali, 2022) Bridging the digital divide

2.         IAP 76 Proposal to modify PP Resolution 139 Bridging the digital divide

 

Kim – negotiating controversial topics such as gender plurality that strike to the heart of fundamental beliefs:

1.         WTDC Resolution 55 (Rev. Kigali, 2022) Mainstreaming a gender perspective in ITU to enhance women's empowerment through telecommunications/ICTs

2.         IAP 21 Proposal to modify PP Resolution 70: Mainstreaming a gender perspective in ITU and promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women through telecommunications/information and communication technologies

Participants invited to share their experiences. 

15 minutes 

Presentation: Hacking the Language of Intimidation

20 minutes

Activity

The scenario of a stakeholder consultation on a framework document is posed. Mentors overtake the session with very technical language and hostile postures. Participants are invited to pull back the session to focus on key objectives.

8 minutes

Closure



Resources

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