Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rights concluded its awareness campaign, Seek Proof Then Belief, today, Tuesday, December 10, 2024, coinciding with International Human Rights Day. The campaign aimed to promote digital citizenship and raise awareness among individuals in Egyptian society about the dangers of disinformation and misinformation. It emphasized the importance of verifying the accuracy of information before believing or sharing it on social media platforms, with the goal of reducing the spread of misinformation and its negative effects on society. This initiative aligns with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the individual's right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of borders. This principle enhances respect for individuals' rights to obtain reliable knowledge and information, which is essential to human rights.

The Seek Proof, Then Belief campaign is part of the Road to Inclusive Narratives project, implemented by Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), aimed at combating the spread of misinformation and disinformation across selected countries of the Euro-Mediterranean.

The campaign implemented by Maat included various awareness publications and video clips to promote individuals' digital responsibility across social media platforms. It raised awareness about the types and patterns of misinformation that contribute to hate speech in society, as well as the persuasive appeals and strategies used by promoters of this information on social media. Additionally, it provided citizens with methods for researching multiple sources and utilizing available digital tools to verify information.

At the conclusion of its awareness campaign, Maat recommended that legislative institutions develop laws to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation that incites violence and promotes hate speech, advocating for stricter penalties for websites that disseminate disinformation and manipulate its accuracy. Maat also emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships with social media platforms to combat misinformation and develop tools to detect fake accounts and the spread of misinformation.

Furthermore, Maat called on all stakeholders to engage in community awareness efforts by organizing programs for young people on how to distinguish true news from fake news, as well as raising awareness about methods for verifying information before publication. It also recommended incorporating media literacy into school curricula at various educational levels to foster critical thinking and information evaluation skills from a young age.

This campaign comes at a time when social media has become a major source of information for many individuals. The increase in electronic content has been accompanied by a rise in misinformation and disinformation, coinciding with the Egyptian state's efforts to confront rumors and misinformation that aim to undermine the development process.

It is worth noting that the celebration of Human Rights Day was officially launched in 1950, following the General Assembly's adoption of Resolution No. 423 (V), which called on all countries and international organizations to observe December 10 each year as International Human Rights Day. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines a wide range of fundamental rights and freedoms that we all enjoy. It also guarantees the rights of every individual everywhere, without discrimination based on nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status.