Adopt MiLLi model for civic education on media, elections

As Namibia prepares to conduct its fifth national and presidential election on 27 November, little has been done to provide civic education on the use of social media to curb issues like fake news, propaganda and misinformation. As a result, there is a lack of skills among the youth on the usage of social media before, during and after elections.

Little to no effort has been made by the government - particularly the information ministry and the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) - to implement civic education programmes or awareness campaigns advocating for the youth to be responsible citizens and capacitating them on media, elections and voter education.

The government and stakeholders, particularly the ECN, should adopt the Media and Information Learning Initiative’s (MiLLi) model as a civic education initiative mechanism to educate the youth and the public at large on media and the elections.

The MiLLi Trust is a non-profit initiative that aims to foster media and information literacy in the youth of Namibia. It aims to build capacity among youth through its innovative and expert educational products in the area of media information literacy (MIL), i.e. youth projects, summer school and a certificate course in MIL. To ensure the implementation and sustainability of all programmes, MiLLi relies on support partners for institutional and project funding for its activities.



Make informed choices

MIL relates to the ability to interpret and make informed judgments as users of information sources, as well as become producers of information. MiLLi trains the principles of AACRA - access, analyse, create, reflect and act - across eight mediums.

In addition, the following five dimensions of media serve as the foundational principles used by MiLLi when training on MIL: The ability to access media, analyse and create media content as well as reflect about media and act with media. MIL is defined as a set of competencies that empower citizens to access, retrieve, understand, evaluate and use, create and share information as well as media content in all formats using various tools. Therefore, the key competencies that young people are capacitated with and acquire through the MiLLi programme are knowledge, skills and attitude.



Knowledge

If the MiLLi model is adopted to promote civic education on the media and elections, the participants will gain significant knowledge about traditional and new media, the Namibian media landscape, how political parties are formed and their role in a democracy, why voting is important and how to decipher between what is propaganda, disinformation or real news. They will also learn about the use of social media by political actors to frame sociopolitical issues during an elections, the major media actors during an election year, political micro-targeting in the news media, below-the-radar disinformation, and polar aiding messages and their potential to cause election-related tensions.

MiLLi acts as a significant axis for participants to gain knowledge on analytical tools to analyse information, their sources and their application in the production and consumption of knowledge within the campaigning process.



Skills

At this level, participants will improve their individual skills on accessing and using media by building their self-confidence as they go through practical group work, during presentations and when giving and receiving constructive criticism and feedback. The practical nature of the workshop will also enable participants to develop specific research skills and send key messages to demand accountability from political actors and representatives. The participants will further learn to identify authentic sources of information, analyse media content and cross-check with other credible sources on digital platforms.

On a personal level, participants will learn to engage in peaceful dialogue by crafting media messages that challenge negative attitudes before, during and after elections. Participants will also be able to reflect on the origin, value, purpose and limitations of multimedia channels and the messages they portray.



Attitude

Participants will recognise that they are important players in democracy with diverging views. They will also be empowered to develop the attitude of triangulating to authenticate any piece of information put on social media. Thus, as receivers of electoral news, participants will be able to distinguish between propaganda or ‘planted’ publicity stories and pure electoral issues. They will be shown how to reflect on electoral news items that have the potential to cause violence or irregularities, or news stories that propagate rumours, cause public disorder or adversely influence public opinion. In doing so, they will become aware of how to act responsibly when it comes to political communication. Finally, participants will learn to adapt to change after careful reflection on what they believe in and what they are served by the political parties.



In conclusion, MiLLi is a trendsetter for young people as ‘digital natives’ who are at the forefront of adopting and innovating with new technologies, making them a crucial demographic in leveraging digital transformation on media and elections. This includes playing a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and empowering youth in underserved communities on media and elections in Namibia. By providing access to digital resources and information, training programmes and mentorship opportunities, this initiative is unlocking the potential of young people and paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable digital society.



**Petrus Shoopala is an education officer in the ministry of education, arts and culture and a former assistant voter education officer. A certified facilitator and a graduate of MiLLi summer school, he holds a master’s degree in adult education and community development. The views expressed are his own.