01.09.2026 | Author: Soledad Magnone
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We are sharing some updates from our Jaaklac actions for your inspiration and future collaborations towards the digital societies that we want. In 2026, we focus our collective efforts on issues of Critical Digital Education, intersecting with gender, wellbeing, migration and academic freedom. We explore these topics with our thriving Council, Committee, Community and Collaborations in workshops, podcasts, blogs, and social media publications. In this article, we advance some notes, insights and reflections from around the world that have been exchanged in our activities so far:
GENDER: “Digital activism amplifies voices, but it also exposes gender inequalities.
Harassment and threats, sexist comments, the disclosure of personal information (doxxing), discredit and hate campaigns, are just some of the tactics used”, emphasised Anita Arias (Jaaklac Committee) during our Spanish language workshop. Women and LGBTQI+ people have historically faced greater abuses, much of which (especially digital ones) lack a language to name it. Much of the problem is that digital technologies are being designed by and for men and people from privileged backgrounds.
For example, in the European Union rankings: “the lowest representation of female scientists and engineers was in Finland (30.7%), followed by Hungary (31.7%), Luxembourg (32.4%), Slovakia (33.6%) and Germany (34.6%).” These gender constraints affect everyone’s opportunities to advance into more democratic, free and plural societies.
- In which ways a Critical Digital Education contributes to closing knowledge gaps with women, gender diverse groups and new masculinities?
WELLBEING: “Activist Fatigue is the physical, mental and emotional exhaustion resulting from constant exposure to conflicts, complaints and social pressure.
Some of its causes are: information overload, a constant sense of responsibility, attacks on social media, and a lack of rest and (digital) boundaries. Its consequences for our wellbeing include: stress and anxiety, demotivation, burnout, and isolation” explained Anita, along with recommendations for self and collective care.
Violence is increasingly shifting from the physical to the psychological realm. In the digital age, these attacks are intensifying and taking on new dimensions. For instance, Finland’s most significant cybercrime has involved the theft of data from 36,000 patients at the Vastaamo psychotherapy clinic. Between 2018 and 2019, this data was used to extort patients, including adolescents. Health data was also extracted in 2025 from online sales of medications from a University of Helsinki pharmacy. This was illegally exploited to identify users with IP addresses.
- What Critical Digital Education promotes our resistance through physical and psychological well-being?
MIGRATION: “relates to Critical Digital Education due to issues such as language accessibility, digital inclusion, cultural diversity, educational access, and cross-border learning.
Are digital education platforms empowering migrant learners — or reproducing existing power structures?” reflected Betty (Hung-Chun) Liu (Jaaklac Committee) in our English language Community workshop.
Demographic changes have sparked debates on global competition for migrant workers and ‘talent’. According to the World Bank (2023) migration is necessary for all countries, especially high-income ones due to fast demographic changes. 200 million individuals live in countries without a local citizenship and 37 million are refugees.
- How is migration being attracted and managed using Artificial Intelligence?
ACADEMIC FREEDOM: “is the right of educators, teachers and students to teach, learn, research and express ideas; without censorship, political pressure, or institutional control.
In the digital era, academic freedom is also affected by a Critical Digital Education: platform governance, algorithms, surveillance, commercialisation of education, and access to online knowledge” expressed Betty (Hung-Chun) Liu.
International students have been referred to as the “Ideal Migrant”: 17% of the UK universities' income came from non-EU international students between 2020 - 2021. Nevertheless, “Choice” and “Humanity” are increasingly constrained, in a system that ever more manages migrants as economic units amidst austerity measures and a capitalist crisis. Issues of ‘consent’, ‘attribution’ and ‘compensation’ within the politics of knowledge production need to be problematised.
- How are migrants’ contributions to academia and society being (in)visibilised with digital technologies?
Critical Digital Education for all
Digital Education is teaching and learning with and about digital technologies. However, these strategies so far have been minimal, favouring learning to use digital technologies and a knowledge to work for the technological labour market. This has influenced that those who benefit the most from digital technologies have been a narrow group of people, represented by privileged companies and governments.
A Critical Digital Education is a fundamental alternative to forward social and environmental justice. To change this reality, at Jaaklac we act globally with different collaborators and connect activities in research, education, community building and policy advocacy. Jaaklac’s practices create spaces for dialogue and for the co-creation of solutions to build more democratic and pluralistic societies.
This year we launched a Community divided by languages of preference, starting with Spanish and English. The activities for each Community group have been coordinated by our Committee, which has also been organised around these 2 languages. We have found that this strategy facilitates connections across regions and encourages members to practice different languages.
Our projects encompass a wide range of perspectives and include those of the Global Majority. Beyond geographical binaries, the Global Majority represents groups that have historically been excluded or invisibilised from decision-making. For example, women, LGBTQI+, children, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, people with disabilities, and the poor. Through these collective efforts we shed light and foreground pressing conversations over issues of Critical Digital Education intersecting with gender, wellbeing, migration and academic freedom.
Let’s Do It Together
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Share your ideas and experiences on #CriticalDigitalEducation in relation to issues of gender, wellbeing, migration and academic freedom
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Learn more with insights from our upcoming podcasts, blogs and social media campaigns. Get to know past Communities (2025/2024)
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Do! Catch up with our collaboration with CIVICUS to discusses the design of digital platforms, international policies and children’s rights. Read the interview: https://web.civicus.org/Soledad-MagnoneEN
(*) This blog was adapted from Jaaklac’s newsletter. Subscribe!
(**) Photos by Unsplash: Jakob Trost, Emily Legein, Amanda Swanepoe