CADE at Bread&Net 2025 

29–31 October 2025, Beirut, Lebanon

As part of Bread&Net 2025 – SMEX’s annual unconference on digital rights in West Asia and North Africa – the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) will host a series of sessions focusing on inclusive participation in internet governance and regional legal frameworks. The three-day in-person event will take place in Beirut from 29 to 31 October 2025, featuring workshops, discussions, and training sessions held in Arabic or English.

The first CADE session, من يحكم الانترنت؟ حوكمة الانترنت 101 (Who governs the Internet? Internet Governance 101), will be led by Amged Shwehdy on Wednesday, 29 October (12:30–1:30 p.m.). The interactive workshop, to be held in Arabic, will introduce key internet governance concepts and institutions, with Abdulghani Kataya joining as a speaker to discuss regional dynamics and the practical aspects of governance mechanisms in the Arab context.

On Thursday, 30 October (9:00–10:00 a.m.), Abdulghani Kataya will moderate the panel Civil Society Engagement in Internet Governance Legal Frameworks: Lessons from WANA Cybercrime Laws. The discussion will examine SMEX’s MENA case study developed for CADE, with researcher Afnan Abou Yahya presenting key findings and challenges on how civil society engages with evolving cybercrime legislations and internet governance frameworks across the region.

The final day, Friday, 31 October (12:00–4:00 p.m.), will feature a training session titled WANA CSOs’ Voice in Internet Governance, facilitated by Abdulghani Kataya and supported by the Internet Society. The training aims to strengthen the participation of civil society organisations in multistakeholder internet governance processes by enhancing understanding of policy frameworks, negotiation skills, and advocacy strategies.

The full program is available here.