Hack The Promise Festival Basel 2024: Reflections on Truth, Uncertainty, and the Digital Society
The Hack The Promise Festival in Basel has firmly established itself as a pivotal platform where international experts, activists, and engaged communities come together for interdisciplinary discussions on the social, political, and technical challenges of digital transformation. The 2024 festival revolved around the theme “fact/fake/fiction,” exploring how truth, fiction, and manipulation increasingly intertwine in digital spaces and what this means for democratic societies.
At last year’s event, Schoresch Davoodi delivered his lecture in German, titled „Fakten und Fiktionen – Wie die Gesellschaft durch Unsicherheit gestresst wird“ (“Facts and Fictions – How Society is Stressed by Uncertainty”). His presentation moved beyond a mere description of digital phenomena, analyzing how overlapping global crises—such as pandemics, wars, and economic challenges—create a collective societal stress that heightens vulnerability to misinformation and manipulation.
Davoodi critically assessed current political responses as often symptomatic, addressing surface issues rather than the underlying causes like diffuse social anxieties and psychological strain. His approach combines technical perspectives with socio-psychological insights, offering a holistic analysis that remains relatively uncommon in the programmatic discussions of many Pirate Parties.
He also reflected critically on the role of NGOs in political discourse, cautioning against the risk that NGO-affiliated structures might act more as instruments of control than as independent actors, potentially limiting democratic pluralism and open debate. This perspective encourages important discussions regarding the influence of civil society organizations in net politics and democratic participation.
Philosophically, Davoodi’s lecture drew on Immanuel Kant’s Enlightenment theory and critiques of dogmatic thinking, emphasizing the necessity of independent thought and the rejection of authoritarian mentalities. This normative framing adds depth, extending beyond purely technical or political considerations.
The Hack The Promise Festival is widely recognized for fostering critical and interdisciplinary dialogue. Within this context, Davoodi’s lecture provides valuable programmatic impulses for Pirate Parties internationally. It signals a strategic shift away from solely activist-driven approaches towards a more reflective and mature political stance that emphasizes education, resilience, and a pluralistic discourse culture.
By addressing current challenges in digital society and highlighting the necessary evolution in net politics, this contribution holds significant relevance for Pirate Parties worldwide. The festival thus plays an important role in advancing the international debate on democracy and digital freedom, helping to strengthen it for the future.
Looking Ahead: Hack The Promise Festival 2025
The next Hack The Promise Festival is scheduled for October 3–5, 2025, and will take place at the Padelhalle Klybeck in Basel. The upcoming edition will explore hacking as a socio-technical practice. This goes beyond computer specialists, focusing on opening up systems to challenge and change societal structures—be they technological, political, epistemic, or social. The aim is to disrupt power dynamics and envision new futures beyond imposed limitations.
Author: Schoresch Davoodi
