Since its inception in 2023, the Bootcamp, a collaboration between TEDIC and Semillas para la Democracia, aimed to play a significant role in fostering transparency and integrity in the electoral processes witnessed in Paraguay during the year. Through a series of training sessions and mentoring to support the development and subsequent publication of articles, we addressed critical issues such as political financing, the influence of organized crime, and the use of technology in elections.
In this blog, we share a summary of our main activities and the resources developed throughout the project:
Development of two Bootcamps in Asunción and Ciudad del Este: These events provided intensive training to journalists, academics, and civil society members on political financing, data, and electoral technologies. Participants acquired practical and theoretical tools to research and report on these essential issues. More details about the sessions are available on our website.
Launch of the Compendium “El Poder bajo la Lupa”: This publication compiles 10 investigations and articles generated during the bootcamps, offering in-depth analyses on the influence of organized crime and corruption in elections.
Launch of the Policy Brief “The Industry of Influence in Paraguay”: This document addresses the situation of companies linked to digital electoral campaigns between 2021 and 2023. This work was carried out with the support of the CREER project and the organization Tactical Tech, based in Germany. The policy brief highlights the growing concern regarding the manipulation of elections through social media, the opacity in campaign financing, and the lack of adequate regulations for handling personal data for political purposes.
Launch of a New Website: This new release allows access to all our research, publications, and includes past online classes and a section of courses. Articles on the new website can be searched by edition, format, and highlighting the participating media. Moreover, it documents in an organized manner all the achievements of each edition.
Project closure Event at our office
On Friday, April 12, we concluded the project with a significant event held at our offices. This event was attended by over 50 guests, including journalists, academics, and members of civil society. This meeting marked the official launch of the resources mentioned above, developed throughout the project: the compendium “El Poder bajo la Lupa” and the Policy Brief “Industry of Influence,” in addition to our renewed website. The day featured the participation of Marta Ferrara, director of Semillas para la Democracia, and Sarah Cerna, coordinator of the CREER project, who shared valuable reflections on the challenges and achievements of the project. Additionally, during the event, we gifted attendees copies of the publications along with other materials such as notebooks and pencils, symbolizing our gratitude and the desire to continue collaboration. It was an excellent opportunity to celebrate the successes achieved and strengthen alliances for future initiatives.
As we close this chapter, we reiterate our commitment to continue working to strengthen democracy in our country. We invite everyone to participate in our future bootcamps and to visit our new website for more information and resources.
