Mapping the Electoral Information Environment in Paraguay

This amplification effect not only jeopardizes the accuracy of information but also facilitates the swift spread of false narratives and speculation. Another concerning shift is the deliberate dissemination of distorted narratives by ‘malign’ actors, introducing intentional destabilization into the electoral arena.  

Between 13 and 14 December 2023, International IDEA organized a mapping workshop on the topic of protecting electoral processes in the information environment. The event, which was attended by 20 participants in Asunción, provided an opportunity for the election management body, political parties, journalists, academia and civil society organizations to exchange ideas and perspectives among different stakeholders. 

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                                            _{^{Source: International IDEA, ‘Framework on Protecting Electoral Processes in the Information Environment’, 2023}}

The mapping workshop represents the first of a series of three workshops that will take place in Paraguay in 2023-2024. The methodology builds on an activity-based, ‘inquiry learning’ approach similar to the methods used in the BRIDGE curriculum and the International IDEA context overview workshops on electoral risk management.  The next workshop is envisioned for March 2024 and will focus on the development of a roadmap that will include project-related advocacy plans and strategies. 

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This workshop is part of a project that aims to improve the protection of electoral processes by countering malign influencing practices and learning from evolving discourse and engagement in six different focus countries. Informed by global best practices and exchanges between partner countries, the project will enable national actors in focus countries to identify suggestions for the way forward, work towards implementing suggestions, and share lessons learned with global audiences. The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by International IDEA.