Bread&Net 2026

Bread&Net, the regional convening on digital rights in West Asia and North Africa (WANA), will take place in Beirut from 14 to 16 October under the theme ‘Realities Reimagined.’

The 2026 edition will provide space for participants to explore alternative infrastructures, governance models, technologies, and forms of solidarity that could shape a more just, sovereign, and community-centred digital future in the region.

Organised annually by SMEX, Bread&Net brings together civil society organisations, researchers, journalists, technologists, policymakers, and community leaders. Since its launch in 2018, the event has provided a space for exchange, learning, and coalition-building across borders.

Discussions cover issues including internet governance, surveillance, privacy, artificial intelligence, technology accountability, digital sovereignty, internet freedom, and community-led technologies, with a focus on the intersection of technology and human rights.

The 2026 gathering will run from 09:00 on 14 October to 17:00 on 16 October (GMT+3) in Beirut, Lebanon.