The World Forum of Free Media was born as part of the World Social Forums thanks to the coming together of activists seeking to guarantee freedom of expression and the struggle for other forms of communication. The militants promoting the WFFM were involved in the countless experiences and struggles led by independent media. Aware of the importance of the role of the free media in the face of the rise of conservatism and of reactionary and xenophobic media, as well as the place of Internet and the social networks in our methods of informing and communicating, the WFFM seeks to be a space for shared experiences, converging various struggles and alternative proposals.

In each edition, the WFFM brings together journalists, associations, developers, hackers and both academic and independent researchers. The abundance of initiatives allows for enlightening exchanges on the freedom of expression, the monopolization of knowledge, the challenges posed by Internet, community radios, the re-appropriation of information, the production of free technologies (including free software), and other themes. The previous editions of the WFFM were also very rich in exchanges and points of view that help to continue the fight for the right to communication and information around the world. In 2015, the participants adopted the World Charter of Free Media. This edition will also provide an opportunity to assess the progress made by this instrument of pressure and struggle.

Anja Kovacs will be speaking in a panel on ​‘Free media challenges in the multi-platform & digital environment’, which will take place on Tuesday 9 August, 9−10.30 am, room Leacock. Speakers are as follows:

• ‘Spectrum: Between dispossession and popular resistance’ — Peter Bloom, Rhizomatica
• ‘Zero-rating: What is at stake in the developing world? A case study from India’ — Dr. Anja Kovacs, Internet Democracy Project
• ‘Digital Rights and the Trans‑Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement’ — Vladimir Garay, Derechos Digitales
• ‘Free Media and Internet Governance : Building civil society alignment’ — Mallory Knobel, Association for Progressive Communications

Moderation : Bia Barbosa, Intervozes