What is Totem?
Totem is an online platform that helps journalists and activists use digital security and privacy tools and tactics more effectively in their work.
Continuous and interactive learning
Totem helps security trainers extend the learning experience from a few days of face-to-face, offline training into a continuous and on-going, interactive learning experience. For example, trainers can curate courses on basic tools and concepts that learners take in preparation of a face-to-face, classroom training. Totem can also be used after a face-to-face training has concluded, so learners can continue to learn advanced concepts and stay in touch with trainers using secure communication methods provided via the platform.
Increased knowledge retention
Although it can be very effective and extremely useful, face-to-face, offline training is limited in scope. Totem aims to provide a platform where trainers can continue to exchange new knowledge about digital security and privacy with learners they have trained in the past via frequently updated curricula. This enables activists and journalists to retain and improve their knowledge about the topics that they have received previous training on.
Community developed and supported
The Totem team works with a global network of human rights activists, journalists and digital security trainers on an on-going basis to curate courses and curricula. The courses, including the interactive materials, are created and maintained with support from practitioners who have developed some of the most effective training resources for activists.
