Several important initiatives are in the works and people who frequent Street Epistemology communities will be needed to help make those a success.

22 December 2022

Here’s a summary of updates for Street Epistemology International:

A Seat at the Table
For the past several months I’ve engaged online and in-person with individuals from a wide variety of fields from around the world to share the findings we’ve discovered from practicing Street Epistemology for nearly a decade and how we might be able to help address the rampant misinformation and disinformation that’s tearing us apart.

One of the teams is the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative’s (CIRCE) Blue Ribbon Panel on Mental Immunity, which has developed a framework and toolset to address misinformation and disinformation on a global scale. Just as the body has an immune system to spot and neutralize infectious microbes, mental immune systems work to spot and neutralize infectious information. Each of us possesses a sophisticated capacity to filter information well, but mental immune health is not a given. In our digital age, mental immune disorders are common, and proper care of the mind’s immune system is essential. Doubts, we conjecture, are cognitive antibodies. You can learn more about this critical project and sign your name to our declaration here.

Content Creator Gathering
If you are interested in recording Street Epistemology talks and sharing them on social media like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or YouTube, consider joining one of our regularly-scheduled gatherings with others interested in doing the same. Our previous meeting was this past Saturday and we expect to continue to hold these regularly throughout the next year if there is continued interest. Email [email protected] or fill out this form for more information. This might be just what you need to start bringing fresh examples of SE to others around the world.

More Street Epistemology Training Modules Ready for Testing
Writing sessions and revisions are ongoing to develop a self-directed Street Epistemology course and we are now looking for testers on two of the modules (Module 2: Why Use SE? and Module 5: Preparing for SE). Volunteers must be willing to read these two modules (about 40 pages total), give us feedback on a short survey, and be willing to attend an optional video chat focus group session. We’re particularly looking for those unfamiliar with Street Epistemology, so please share this request with others. This feedback is crucial to ensuring that the material we produce will meet the needs of learners. More details about the Street Epistemology course and how to indicate your interest can be found here.

French Fluent SE Course Testers Needed
Street Epistemology International is working closely with representatives from a French non-profit organization called Opinions Sur Rue (https://www.opinions-sur-rue.fr/) to develop a training course for a large multinational corporation and is seeking 15 French-speaking volunteers who are willing and able to help us test the material by participating in an interactive two-day course on Street Epistemology over Zoom video on January 7 and 14, 2023. Slides will be in English but the instruction will be in French. The video will be recorded for internal purposes only. Please complete the following form at your earliest convenience to indicate interest as we expect these spots to fill up very quickly.

Social Media Manager
Now that we have a better idea of our values, vision, and mission, the time has come for us to hire an individual to help us be more proactive with our social media. After identifying all of the platforms and tasks we’d like to have a more active presence on, we’ll be reaching out to a couple of folks whom we are aware have strong experience and expertise in this area in helping us with this task. If you have any suggestions as to what you’d like to see SEI doing on social media, please let us know. This will be a paid role and should really help introduce Street Epistemology into new territories and generate more interest.

Donor Appreciation
Earlier this month we held four 2-3 hour long video chats with people who have donated to Street Epistemology International and the sessions were incredibly insightful and enjoyable. We learned a great deal about our donor’s stories, needs, and expectations, which will be useful going forward. It might even result in a new email mailing list option for those who want to better manage their SEI updates. If you have never made a donation to Street Epistemology International now would be a good time. Thank you to all our donors and those who attended these sessions with us. We’ll be sure to schedule more in 2023.

On a personal note, my two children have returned from university to be with us during the holidays and we’re busy getting the house decorated. It’s nice having more activity around the house again. On behalf of the Street Epistemology International board and myself I wish you a very happy and safe 2023.

Best regards,

Anthony Magnabosco
Executive Director, Street Epistemology International

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