Across Latin America and Africa, civil society faces information disorders, shrinking civic space, restrictive government policies, and collaboration between Big Tech companies and governments that enables increased surveillance. Upcoming elections in 2026 may take place amid anti-NGO legislation, restrictive cybersecurity laws, and uses of artificial intelligence that put civil society under pressure. To help organizations and collectives prepare for this critical election period across both regions, the Engine Room is launching an open call for support.
At The Engine Room, our Light-Touch Support (LiTS) program is here to help. We provide tailored, rapid support to help civil society organizations navigate these challenges–from digital security planning to responsible data practices.
Key threats mapped out include:
- Misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, bot-driven content and AI-generated content outpacing moderation and fact-checking
- Social media shutdowns, shadow banning and content blocking during election periods
- Restrictive cybersecurity laws that increase surveillance
What LiTS can help you with
Organizational resilience and digital security
- Preparing for authoritarian government practices that may target social justice efforts, through digital safety and organizational resilience planning
- Preventing and responding to hate speech and harassment before, during and after elections
- Choosing technology that balances functionality, security, accessibility, and privacy. For example:
- A feminist collective choosing secure tools, strategies and protocols for collecting community data
- An indigenous organization monitoring hate speech targeting its community before, during and after elections
- A media outlet engaging communities through social media or messaging apps
- A human rights organization preparing for social media shutdowns on election day
Building responsible data practices
- We support election‑related research, from community‑led data collection to analysis and dissemination
- Implementing safer data management practices
- Guidance on responsible data practices, including tactics and resources for safe, consent‑based data use
Strategic and safe adoption of emerging technologies
- Guidance on the responsible and strategic use of AI tools for research, information gathering and analysis
Community-centered support
- Support for marginalized communities to elevate their voices in the electoral process while safely collecting, managing and using participation data through consent-based approaches aligned with their priorities
- For communicators and journalists developing campaigns or reporting that relies on data from potential voters, we provide guidance on doing so in safe, ethical, and community‑centered ways
Mitigating threats within the information ecosystem
- Monitoring and research on how communities are affected by information disorders (misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation)
We offer:
- Rapid, focused research and tailored recommendations that respond to your specific questions, context and language
- Concise, practical advice designed to be acted on quickly
- A space to reflect on risks, ethics and organizational capacity
- Support for developing new strategies in response to changing political landscapes
- Assistance with setting up internal processes and tools to organize and streamline your work
- Guidance to adapt ongoing programs to shifting risks, narratives and regulations
- Resources provided in different formats to make them easier for your team to review, understand and share
- One-on-one sessions focused on specific topics, such as digital security awareness, protocol review or data management
- Support to review and transition to alternative platforms if you are considering moving away from Big Tech platforms
Who this is for
Our support is open to:
- Communicators and storytellers
- Civil society organizations and NGOs
- Community organizers and grassroots collectives
- Activists and advocates
We especially welcome groups from Latin America or Africa working on:
- Gender justice, LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Racial justice and anti-racism
- Climate and environmental justice
- Indigenous rights
- Disability rights
How to reach out
Here’s the workflow of our support process:
Book an introductory call → Fill in our intake survey → Introductory call → Customized support plan → Follow up support calls → Share feedback and evaluation of the support.
Schedule an introductory call with us to discuss your needs and explore how we can support your work.
We offer support in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
We look forward to hearing from you!