Diraya is an online resource that seeks to strengthen media literacy practices by learning with and from media activists in and from the SWANA region. As media activists are at the forefront of the usage of media technologies aimed for advocacy of fundamental rights, we seek to learn from and with them to develop new methods, pedagogies, and tools for media educators, students, and activists, so that they, in turn, may disseminate knowledge and contribute to a greater awareness of media literacy in a larger convergence. 

Our goal is to develop media education practices inspired by SWANA media activism and to strengthen media activism in the SWANA region by supporting young activists to further their causes.

The project began in April 2020 and the website was launched in November the same year. The initiative is funded by Creative Force, a Swedish Institute (SI) funding programme for the development of international collaborations that use art and media to strengthen democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression. 

The team consists of researchers and educators from Södertörn University in Sweden and the Institute for Media Research and Training (IMRT) at Lebanese American University (LAU):