As a Section 18a NPC, we act in the public interest.
The Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC) is a non-profit company. It was established to track and counter mis and disinformation, fake news, and divisive rhetoric that is promulgated online to undermine social cohesion, democratic integrity, and the stability of nation-states.
Our Purpose
1 To harness factual, and evidence-based social media information that form the foundation of our work.
2 To combat online misinformation used to distort narratives, undermine democracies, and threaten elections.
3 To generate healthy and respectful debate and dialogue, to stimulate much-needed conversations around serious issues affecting our society.
4 To enlighten people, so they can make their own decisions.
5 To encourage and grow active citizenry.
6 To help facilitate positive social and environmental change.
7 To attempt to effect narrative and behavioural change around issues of key social concern.
Our Values
Integrity
Everything we do is guided by honesty and a moral compass to always do good. We are not driven by profit or power. We are faithful to our values and always act in the public interest. We work with donors, clients, partners and suppliers who align with our values.
Respect
We respect each other and the diversity of opinions, even if we may disagree. We believe in the inherent dignity of all people. We are guided by the South African Constitution and the rule of law, and we respect human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, the right to protest and take political action.
Transparency
We are open and transparent about our work. There are no ulterior motives. Whatever we develop is open source and available for free use. We protect and respect personal privacy and only work with information that is public. We are motivated by our mission to do good.
Courage
We have the courage of our convictions to stand up against wrongdoing. We are brave, but humble, in our quest for a better world. We will challenge what’s wrong and support what’s right. We know change is possible through our work.
Collaboration
The success of our work depends on partnerships and collaboration with those who share our values. Through collaboration we learn, share expertise and grow together. We find strength in the sum of our knowledge, practices and diverse experiences.
Equality
We are politically non-partisan. We subscribe to an egalitarian society where all are equally respected and accepted, irrespective of religion, race, creed, sexual orientation, gender, age or political affiliation.
Sustainability
In everything we do, we strive to engender environmental, resource-based, social and economic sustainability. Our end goal is to effect positive change, but this does not mean change at any cost.
Why we exist
The internet revolutionised our society and social media transformed human relationships beyond our wildest dreams. Sadly, with the good came the bad and the ugly. The alarming increase in fake news, hate speech, mis-and-disinformation campaigns, trolling and all other negative influences designed to confuse, distract, and divide us led to the founding of the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC).
Exceptionally quick advances in online technology means these negative influences cannot be regulated away. Rather, they require dedicated capabilities that can track, monitor and analyse online narratives and most importantly, respond to them in real-time. This is what differentiates the CABC – we are not silent observers, we track and actively counter negative online narratives. We are primarily impact-focused, so we are committed to creating meaningful change in (offline) society through our work (online) on social media.
Our Team
Our innovation is in our collaboration. We have a diverse, highly experienced multidisciplinary team that possesses deep expertise in all the key focus areas we work in and covers a wide range of skills, including academia, technology, research and analytics, dialogue facilitation, conflict mediation, psychology, communication, and marketing and advertising.
We have also established an internship and fellowship programme that draws in students from the Graduate School of Business’s MBA and MPhil programmes who gain invaluable work experience and skills while contributing to the organisation’s projects at the same time. We are also ideally positioned to draw on a wide range of subject matter expertise from across the University, strengthening our projects and methodologies.
If you’d like to find out more or support our programmes, please contact us for more details: info@cabc.org.za