Virtual platforms for transnational dialogue: Lesson learned Supporting Connections Unfortunately, Zoom is a platform that privileges some voices over others. Notably, individuals without access to technology or reliable internet connections and with lower levels of technology literacy are often left out of events and discussions taking place on zoom. In order to make the event as accessible as possible, we worked with each site to figure out how to best support them getting on zoom for the event. For some of the sites in South Africa, data plans were purchased for the participants, so that they could join the zoom without it costing them money and without concerns of internet blackouts impacting individuals' ability to participate. For Break the Silence Be The Change in Eskasoni and Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia in Treaty 6, the groups wanted to get together and join the Zoom calls as groups. Seeing the groups together on Zoom was so exciting during a virtual event and a time of physical distancing. In order to best support groups joining together, we opted not to use breakout rooms for the discussion period. With groups joining on single Zoom accounts, it did not make sense to use breakout rooms, where the numbers of participants would be unequal. Finally, during the event, the girls from Rankin Inlet were unable to attend. At the time of the event, they were out on the land with their families, where they did not have internet access. In order to make the event accessible to everyone involved in the project who was unable to attend we have also created an asynchronous event, sharing the showcases, videos and presentations.
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