RightsCon

We’re excited to announce our home in Lusaka! RightsCon 2026 will take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC), the largest conference center in Zambia and one of the leading venues in the region. With its state-of-the-art infrastructure and flexible layout, the MICC is the perfect fit for RightsCon’s dynamic program, giving us the space to host a wide range of sessions and meet the needs of our global community. Centrally located in Lusaka, the MICC is surrounded by major international hotels and just a 30-minute drive from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN). Stay tuned for next week as we’ll launch our Plan Your Travel page with more information about the venue, along with tips and recommendations for joining us in Zambia, including preliminary visa information, flights, accommodations, and more.

Dirk Slater, a long-time RightsCon community member and consultant supporting our session facilitation work, will lead a session on Managing Multi-Stakeholder Tensions, on October 21. Don’t miss your chance to join! Register using the link below.

We received over 1,600 submissions for RightsCon 2026! This impressive number underscores both the urgency of today’s digital rights challenges and the community’s commitment to ensuring that RightsCon remains the space for the crucial conversations shaping our present and future digital lives. We are truly grateful for the time and effort you put into submitting your proposals. What’s next? Your proposal will go through a 3-step review process with the Program Committee, and results are expected in late December! In the meantime, there are plenty of other ways to engage with the RightsCon program. In the coming months, you’ll be able to: • Nominate an organization for the Privacy and Human Rights Award (open until Dec 10!): https://lnkd.in/dnFsGpWd • Add your name to the Speaker and Facilitator List (applications open late October) • Apply for a booth in the Community Village • Partner with us through RightsCon side events and our Expanded Programming

We’re proud to once again host the Privacy and Human Rights Award at RightsCon 2026 (May 5-8, Zambia and online). This award shines a light on organizations doing outstanding work at the intersection of privacy, data protection, and human rights. The call for nominations is now open! Submit your nomination through our partners at the Global Privacy Assembly 👇

Have you submitted your RightsCon 2026 proposal yet? There’s still time to help shape the agenda on digital rights and to engage with our global community at our next  summit in Zambia and online (May 5-8). Check out our Guide to a Successful Proposal for tips and steps. https://lnkd.in/e7pSEfF Ready to go? Submit through the Proposal Portal. https://lnkd.in/dgnKmthp Remember, the deadline to submit is September 19! 

Good news! You have one more week to submit your proposal for RightsCon 2026 (May 5-8, Zambia and online). The deadline has been extended to September 19. To support you in this final stretch, we’re adding an extra office hour on September 16. Join our program team to ask questions, get tips, and strengthen your proposal. Visit our training series and sign up: https://lnkd.in/dV6zvifF If you need extra guidance, visit our Guide to a Successful Proposal page for instructions, resources, and examples. To submit your RightsCon 2026 proposal go to https://lnkd.in/dgnKmthp

Call to all #humanitarian and #aid actors! This is a reminder that the submission deadline for RightsCon 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia and online, is this Friday, September 12. You can find in the homepage all the resources needed to share your concept, but just FYI it's a very light form! https://www.rightscon.org/ I strongly invite humanitarian actors, and especially local ones, to consider submitting their ideas as our sector is often under-represented when compared to human rights entities. Extra special shoutout to NGOs in conflict affected countries in Western Africa (VERY underrepresented in digital rights discussions) and those which are minority-led! There is also the possibility for funding support for local experts, within the funding capacity (full disclaimer: I'm not in charge of that). In case it's your first time hearing about RightsCon or pitching your session and want to know more, or you might be looking for partners, feel free to reach out to me or to my rightsCon colleagues (rightscon@accessnow.org), hopefully we can answer your questions!

Just one week left to submit your RightsCon 2026 proposal! Here’s a snapshot of how things are shaping up so far: For our return to Africa, 44% of proposals are coming from the region, a clear sign that local communities are ready to bring digital rights conversations to Zambia. The top three categories leading the way: • Online Hate and Violence • Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies • Digital Security for Communities Civil society continues to lead submissions, but Academia is making waves in second place with 19% of proposals, highlighting the expanding diversity of voices shaping the digital rights ecosystem. There’s still time to get your session idea to be part of RightsCon 2026! Submit your proposal before Friday, September 12! A quick note: If you still need support with your proposal, join our social hour on September 10 and chat with the program team directly! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/dV6zvifF

How’s your RightsCon 2026 proposal going? Need some support? Join our Proposal Training session this Tuesday, September 2! Our team will be there to: ✅ Share best practices and tips for a strong proposal ✅ Offer insights to sharpen your session idea ✅ Answer your questions before you submit Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/dV6zvifF Don’t forget: the Call for Proposals closes September 12.

Help us bring digital rights to the SXSW stage! We’ve submitted two proposals for SXSW 2026, and your vote can make them happen: Tackling the “snakes” undermining digital rights Exploring the existential threats civil society is facing, from funding cuts, the increasing power of Big Tech, the rise of war crimes, to energy-demanding technologies, and how we can strengthen the sector together. 👉 Vote here: https://lnkd.in/df_fC-UP Digital rights from an Indigenous and “glocal” perspective Centering Indigenous voices in digital rights, from data colonialism and spectrum sovereignty to bridging the digital divide. 👉 Vote here: https://lnkd.in/dWqrkzNZ