Why the Global Digital Rights Conversation Matters for Sri Lanka: A Sri Lankan in a Global Community of Digital Defenders

The presence of Sri Lankan digital rights practitioners in global forums is not symbolic; it is strategic and essential. Sri Lanka stands at a critical intersection: rapid digital transformation clashing with political sensitivities, misinformation, and a vulnerable civil society. 

Many grassroots organisations struggle with basic digital safety. Some journalists still fear online surveillance and data privacy. Young people do not fully understand their digital rights. Civil society continues to face digital threats without adequate support. This is why participation in a global community of digital defenders matters profoundly.   

Engagement with more than 700 organisations from around the world goes far beyond inspiration; it becomes a responsibility. Sri Lanka cannot afford to be disconnected from global digital rights conversations, especially at a time when technology is shaping politics, power, and daily life.   

I was there, and this is the experience that shapes the story that follows. Here’s what being part of the Global Gathering means for Sri Lanka:   

Bringing Back Global Digital Safety KnowledgeThe knowledge, tools, and practices gained through global digital rights spaces are brought back to Sri Lanka and shared across a wide range of groups. This includes community organisations and nonprofits working at the grassroots level, youth initiatives and educational programmes, media and information practitioners, development and field teams, and communities that directly benefit from stronger digital literacy and safer online practices.   

Access to a Global Support Network

 Relationships built through the Global Gathering connect Sri Lankan organisations with a wider international community that offers practical support during digital challenges. These connections provide access to shared learning resources, guidance from experienced practitioners, opportunities to explore secure and responsible technologies, and ongoing support to strengthen digital capacity across different sectors.   

Understanding Global Digital Dangers Before They Hit Us

One of the most important contributions of the Global Gathering is the way it reveals what the world is collectively concerned about.   

Participants openly discuss the rise of AI-driven misinformation, surveillance-based technologies, shrinking civic space, reduced support for digital rights work, the growing power of Big Tech, Satellite to data centre control and wider global shifts that influence how people connect and communicate.   

These conversations offer an early warning of the challenges that may soon reach countries like Sri Lanka and, in many cases, affect them even more sharply.   

By staying connected to these global insights, communities at home can prepare with greater awareness and respond with more confidence and resilience.   

Learning From Global Majority CommunitiesSome of the world’s most powerful digital safety strategies come from communities that survive with little to no resources. Their innovations help me design programmes that work in Sri Lanka, where budgets are low but risks are rising.This global belonging ensures that Sri Lanka is not left behind, and that our voices, challenges, and realities remain visible in global digital rights work.   

A Meeting Place for Those Who Defend the Digital World

For three consecutive years, I have travelled from Sri Lanka to Portugal to attend Team CommUNITY’s Global Gathering (GG), a space that brings together the world’s digital rights defenders, technologists, activists, researchers, and community builders.   

Each year, as I walk into the festival-like venue filled with Circles, Booths, Villages, and self-organised meetups, I’m reminded of one thing:   

This is not just a conference. It is a community. A lifeline.

 A global ecosystem fighting to keep the internet safe, open, and free for everyone on the planet earth.   

The GG is one of the rare global events where over 1000 people from 120+ countries gather encryption experts, journalists at risk, technologists building secure tools, feminists, climate activists, donors, and human rights defenders.   

People meet under trees, in open-air booths, inside cosy huts, or in small circles to share, challenge, comfort, and learn from one another. You hear stories you cannot hear anywhere else from journalists documenting war crimes to technologists bypassing censorship to communities building solutions without any funding.   

Each year, I return home reminded that the future of digital rights is shaped by people who often work quietly, at great personal risk.   

Key Discussions at the Global Gathering Relevant to Sri Lanka

This year’s GG brought together defenders from 144+ countries for three days of Circles, Booths, security workshops, networking, meet-ups, and even a 5KM run and it was fun.   

But many first-time participants were surprised by what didn’t dominate the discussions: the usual AI hype. Instead, the conversations were grounded in real, human, and urgent issues, the kinds of topics that carry deep relevance for countries like Sri Lanka:   

• What happens if 70% of global digital rights funding disappears next year?   
•  How do we protect essential encryption tools millions rely on?   
•  How do we sustain community work when Global North support declines?   
•  How do we ensure digital freedom is not controlled by Big Tech?   
•  How fiber and satellite infrastructure are becoming globally centralized and controlled   

These conversations matter deeply to Sri Lanka because they shape the global landscape we depend on.   

Why This Community Matters Now More Than Ever

Digital rights work is emotionally heavy. Many participants arrive with burnout, fear, or experiences of repression. That is why the GG also includes healing spaces, psychosocial support, and well-being practices.   

For me, these three years have shaped my knowledge and my purpose. It is rare to find a space where people truly understand the emotional and mental weight of defending human rights in the digital age.   

The Value of Showing Up and Taking It Home

As Sri Lankans, being part of the GG is both a privilege and a shared responsibility. It’s not just one person, several Sri Lankans have participated over the years, each bringing back valuable insights, ideas, and connections. Together, we’ve shared this knowledge widely at home, helping strengthen local projects, supporting learning spaces, and linking many Sri Lankan groups with global digital defenders who can guide and collaborate.   

By showing up year after year, we make sure Sri Lanka stays connected to the wider global community. Our perspectives, challenges, and experiences are part of the conversation. And just as importantly, we carry back methods, tools, networks, and a sense of global solidarity that communities across the country can benefit from.   

In a world where digital threats evolve faster than ever, we simply cannot defend ourselves alone.   

The Global Gathering reminds us - we are part of a much bigger global family fighting for the same freedom.   

The Global Gathering 2026 call is now open and live, tickets are available for purchase. https://www.globalgathering.community/. If you are working in the digital rights space, this is a chance you don’t want to miss. GG brings together defenders from around the world who work at the intersection of technology and human rights, creating a space to learn, share, and collaborate.   

A piece of advice from a fellow digital defender: stay curious, stay connected, and always prioritize your safety and well-being while navigating the digital world.