A story by Helena Puig Larrauri and Julie Hawke. About this story We wrote this story for the Protopian Prize, a fiction contest inviting you to share your vision of people working toward liberatory futures, meeting obstacles, and making real change. We didn’t win! The winners are awesome, and we are grateful to the prize … Read more
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Somalia’s digital information environment has expanded faster than the institutions, norms, and laws needed to manage it. The country had 10.7 million internet users at the start of 2025, equivalent to 55.2 percent internet penetration, and 3.05 million social media user identities. Public platform figures should be interpreted carefully because advertising reach, registered … Read more
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents the findings of Build Up’s social media monitoring and qualitative analysis of Somalia’s online electoral and democratic dialogue, conducted between 01 September 2025 and 31 March 2026. Drawing on data from Facebook, TikTok, X, and mainstream media, it provides an integrated account of the dominant political narratives circulating online, the … Read more
Introduction & Methodology Note This report provides an overview of conflict-related social media content in Sudan during July 2026. It focuses on narratives of hate speech, incitement to violence, and expressions of solidarity across different geographies. It highlights how these narratives evolve online and reflect the country’s broader conflict dynamics. The analysis draws on content … Read more
Introduction & Methodology Note This report provides an overview of conflict-related social media content in Sudan during June 2026. It focuses on narratives of hate speech, incitement to violence, and expressions of solidarity across different geographies. It highlights how these narratives evolve online and reflect the country’s broader conflict dynamics. The analysis draws on content … Read more
Introduction & Methodology Note This report provides an overview of conflict-related social media content in Sudan during May 2026. It focuses on narratives of hate speech, incitement to violence, and expressions of solidarity across different geographies. It highlights how these narratives evolve online and reflect the country’s broader conflict dynamics. The analysis draws on content … Read more
Exploring the impact of social media user experiences on social cohesion & reconciliation in Puntland and South West State. This short, preliminary report is based on data collected through HeshiisBeeg, a participatory barometer survey conducted in 2025 across 3 districts in each of Somalia’s Puntland and South West State. The survey reached 1800 individuals, proportionally … Read more
Introduction & Methodology Note This report provides an overview of conflict-related social media content in Sudan during April 2026. It focuses on narratives of hate speech, incitement to violence, and expressions of solidarity across different geographies. It highlights how these narratives evolve online and reflect the country’s broader conflict dynamics. The analysis draws on content … Read more
Mersal is a digital platform designed to enable large-scale public consultations among Sudanese communities inside the country and across the diaspora, with over 9,000 subscribers. It operates through a WhatsApp chatbot, allowing participation in a context marked by limited connectivity. For this consultation, the platform used a combination of the chatbot and the Pol.is platform. … Read more
Mersal is a digital platform designed to enable large-scale public consultations among Sudanese communities inside the country and across the diaspora, with over 9,000 subscribers. It operates through a WhatsApp chatbot, allowing participation in a context marked by limited connectivity. For this consultation, the platform used a combination of the chatbot and the Pol.is platform. … Read more