Kim Smouter: Anti-Racism, Big Tech and Europe’s response to Israel-Palestine

Kim Smouter, the Executive Director of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR). Kim is a policy and advocacy expert with nearly 20 years experience advocating social causes including LGBTQIA+ rights, employment, education and social affairs, civic space and dialogue, and digital rights.

Previously, Kim has held senior and leadership roles in the European Parliament, the European Network of National Civil Society Associations, and ESOMAR, the global trade association for opinion polling businesses. He holds a master’s degree in European Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in European Studies and is a graduate of the University of Maastricht.

In this conversation, Kim shares a story of what brought him to working with social change and justice. We talk about the challenges in Europe as Islamaphobia, anti-semitism, anti-immigrant sentiments and hate speech are on the rise. Kim shares how the European Network Against Racism works and how they work to combat discrimination and racism.

This conversation was recorded at WebSummit, a tech conference gathering more than 70,000 people in Lisbon, Portugal to meet and discuss the future of tech. From AI to startup pitches, talks on climate and democracy, and networking sessions and masterclasses, the conference has an important role in shaping how the industry prioritises human rights, equality and democracy.

I ask Kim about the role of tech in championing human rights and what he sees as the main barriers when big tech seems to be doing the exact opposite.

In light of the Israel-Palestine conflict, Kim addresses the calls to action that ENAR published for European leaders. We talk about the intersection between political conflicts, technology and the discrimination we see.

Learn more about the European Network Against Racism at enar-eu.org.

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