Empowering Data for All: Join Our APrIGF 2025 Session on Open Data Editor

As the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) 2025 transitions to a fully virtual format, we’re excited to invite you to our workshop session: “Empowering Data for All: Unlocking Trust and Transparency using Open Data Editor“.

Mark your calendars: Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 06:30 AM UTC

Why This Session Matters

Across the Asia-Pacific region, civil society organizations, journalists, local governments, and grassroots activists are working tirelessly to advance transparency and accountability. Yet many face significant barriers: limited internet connectivity, gaps in digital literacy, and lack of access to privacy-respecting tools that can help them work with data effectively.

Our session introduces a solution designed specifically for these real-world challenges: the Open Data Editor (ODE), an open-source desktop application developed by the Open Knowledge Foundation. This lightweight, user-friendly tool empowers people without programming skills to detect and correct errors in tabular datasets, whether in Excel, CSV, or Google Sheets, even in offline, low-resource settings.

What We’ll Explore

This interactive 60-minute workshop will dive into:

• Building Trust Through Data Quality: How ODE strengthens confidence in public data and supports rights-based digital transformation
• Breaking Down Barriers: Addressing challenges of open data adoption in low-connectivity and multilingual environments
• Civic Tech in Action: Real-world applications in gender equality, environmental advocacy, public service delivery, and countering misinformation
• Co-Creating Inclusive Infrastructure: How we can collectively build data ecosystems that empower underserved communities

Who Should Attend

This session is designed for civil society organizations working with public data, journalists and fact-checkers, local government officials and policymakers, community activists and grassroots organizers, and anyone interested in accessible civic technology and transparent governance. No technical background required – this tool was built for non-coders!

Aligning with APrIGF’s Vision

Our session directly supports APrIGF 2025’s overarching theme: “The Future of Multistakeholder Digital Governance in Asia Pacific.” By bridging innovation, inclusion, and trust, we’re addressing:

• Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Showcasing civic tech that accommodates real-world constraints
• Access & Inclusion: Centering communities excluded from digital governance due to infrastructure, skills, or language barriers
• Security & Trust: Promoting data transparency and quality to counter misinformation

About APrIGF 2025

While the 16th edition of APrIGF was originally planned as a hybrid event in Kathmandu, Nepal, the forum has moved to a fully virtual format prioritizing the safety and well-being of all participants. This decision allows us to maintain APrIGF’s commitment to providing an open, safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for dialogue.

The virtual format also means greater accessibility – you can join from anywhere in the region to engage with diverse stakeholders including governments, civil society, private sector, academia, and technical communities.

Join the Conversation

This isn’t just a tutorial – it’s a call to reimagine how public-interest data tools can serve those at the margins. Together, we can explore how open-source, privacy-first digital public goods can advance people-centered digital development across the Asia-Pacific.

We look forward to your participation and to co-creating solutions that make data work for everyone.