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We are proud to highlight the work of our Senior Fellow Kiza Magendane: the launch of his Digitale Publieke Ruimte Masterclass. The program is part of De Nieuwe Kamer, his Action Project developed within the Democracy Fellowship of Humanity in Action. With this masterclass, Kiza aims to rethink how social media shapes our public debate, and how it might instead strengthen democracy and social cohesion.
For Kiza, this work is both personal and political. Having arrived in the Netherlands as a refugee at the age of fifteen, he has been active in Dutch politics, policy, and writing for over 15 years. In that time, he has witnessed first-hand how social media can polarize public debate, while at the same time offering unique opportunities for connection.
Social media could be a space for pluralism, nuance, and connection—but only if we choose to design them that way.
The Digitale Publieke Ruimte Masterclass brings together a select group of professionals—policy advisors, lawyers, data analysts, NGO staff, and strategists—to tackle precisely that challenge. Through expert-led sessions by figures such as Reijer Passchier, Daan Roovers, and Kees Verhoeven, a study trip to Brussels, and a co-creation hackathon, participants will develop a concrete policy proposal aimed at reshaping social media to serve democratic values. The proposal will be presented to Members of Parliament, who are engaged with the program from the start.
With De Nieuwe Kamer, Kiza has created a platform for growth through dialogue, where participants learn to transform friction into constructive solutions. The masterclass is a natural extension of this mission—bringing professionals together across disciplines to design new “rules of the game” for digital spaces.
Applications for the Digitale Publieke Ruimte Masterclass are open until september 6. Kiza hopes to gather a committed group ready to co-create bold ideas for the future of our democracy.