News
How can 'internet rights' violations be fought back?
Behind cryptic titles, you can sometimes discover the best stories. Conceptualising accountability and recourse is of that breed. The report goes all the way back to 1945, when human rights originated. It tells the story of new spaces where human rights are exercised and those in which they are violated. For the latter, “accountability mechanisms” exist…
The big snoop: The UK's temptation to become a big brother and what it means for the rest of us
There are petitions everywhere. Tech-savvy people are outraged. The Telegraph, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Daily Mail and the Sunday Times publish one story after another about it. What is it? The Big Snoop, or at least, we’ll call it that.
New research on ICTs for climate change adaptation in the water sector
In this new publication by APC and IDRC, researchers look at how ICTs are, and can be, applied to help communities experiencing water-related stress, adapt to climate change. It gathers reports from Africa, Asia and Latin America; and provides conceptual tools for practitioners.
Getting ready for the internet's backstreets
While the internet is a powerful campaigning space, it’s got its obscure backstreets too. What are the specific threats and concerns to women human rights defenders in that space? This 5-minute survey tries to get a feel of your digital security readiness with a tour of 17 questions. Take the tour and learn about your privacy options.
Women's human rights online & the Universal Periodic Review
From May 21 to June 4 2012, the second cycle of the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will begin at the UN in Geneva. The UPR is a mechanism for states to tell other countries what they have achieved in promoting human rights – but also for non-state actors to raise issues of concern. Read this special edition of GenderIT.org to learn more about the current discussions about women’s human rights on the internet.
Why the internet is feminist issue
The internet allows women to access critical information, enables them to make decisions about their selves, lives and bodies, and to exercise autonomy and self-determination. Follow the APC WNSP and @genderITorg at the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) forum in Istanbul: #ftxawid to learn more about how the internet is a feminist issue.
Opportunities for Ecuadorian women to connect their rights online
Valeria Betancourt, manager of APC’s Communications and Information Policy Programme, explains a report submitted by APC and partners to the government of Ecuador, which aims to contribute to the Universal Periodic Review process by making recommendations about the relationship between freedom of expression online and access to the internet for Ecuadorian women´s lives.
APC at the 12th international AWID Forum
APC members and staff will be participating in the 12th international forum by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) in Istanbul, Turkey from 19-22 April 2012. The theme is “Transforming Economic Power to Advance Women’s Rights and Justice”, and APC Women’s Networking Support Programme will be hosting a number of workshops and pre-events on the feminist practices and politics of the internet.
Online Advocacy Summer University
Follow this intensive summer course designed to help both researchers and activists gain new insights into the role which civil society can play in advocating for free expression online and communication policy change.
Pakistan internet censorship - citizens must remain vigilent
When the Government of Pakistan announced that it would be filtering the internet, Bytes for All initiated a major campaign against what it called an unconstitutional decision. Supported by multiple national and international human rights organisations, news has been released that the plans to filter Pakistani internet have been cancelled.
Call for proposals to host the fifth regional IGF in Latin America and the Caribbean
Together with its partners, APC is pleased to announce the fifth regional preparatory meeting in LAC for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), to be held in late 2012. As with the four previous IGF events, the purpose of the meeting is to provide a space for multi-stakeholder political dialogue.
Voices from digital spaces: Technology-related violence against women - executive summary
Drawing on findings from APC’s MDG3: Take Back the Tech! project with women’s rights organisations in twelve countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, this paper explores the links between the internet, cell phones and violence against women and illustrates that technology-related violence impacts women as seriously as other forms of violence.
APC member awarded UNESCO prize for rural communication
APC member Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) in Kenya was one of two winners of the 2012 UNESCO-IPDC prize for rural communication, along with the Nepal Forum of environmental journalists, for its innovative effots to improve communication for rural communities in developing countries.
No Pain No Gain, for SANGONeT's David Barnard
SANGONeT turns 25 in 2012. To celebrate this achievement, SANGONeT’s CEO, David Barnard, will run 750km across three deserts on three continents as part of the annual SANGONeT “No Pain No Gain” campaign. Now in its third year, the 2012 campaign will be bigger and more challenging than ever before.
Baluchistan: Bytes for All condemns communications siege
This year, Pakistan Day, held on 23 March 2012, was marred with oppression against the people of Baluchistan in the South of the country through province-wide communications blockages. All cellular phone networks were shut down throughout the day of celebration in the name of national security. Bytes for All strongly condemns the ban.
ICTs, climate change and water: Need for local adaptation strategies
Climate change is increasingly affecting the availabily and quality of water world wide, and the poorest are, as usual, the hardest hit. In April APC and the IDRC will release a series of research reports that explore how ICTs can help individuals and communities adapt to water issues related to climate change.
Feminist tech exchange teaches Afghani women more than skills
While some women were being showered with flowers to celebrate international women’s day, Afghani women activists were diligently learning new tech skills at a four-day Feminist Tech Exchange held in Kabul by the APC women’s programme. The experience has left them with much more than just technology skills.
Mapping internet rights and freedom of expression
The intersection between the internet and human rights is increasingly important as the internet starts to affect more aspects of society, economy, politics and culture. This report maps this intersection and raises a number of questions to be considered by those concerned with internet, rights and wider public policy.
Debate over spectrum in Argentina: “A defining push is needed to get past the debate stage”
Although in Argentina a debate does exist on the spectrum, it prioritises aspects related to broadcasting and obscures those related to telecommunications. Florencia Roveri and Flavia Fascendini of Nodo Tau clarify this issue in this interview conducted as part of the “Open spectrum for development” project.
Open spectrum in Peru: Capitalising on an opportunity to democratise access to the internet
In an interview with APC, Maicu Alvarado and Gabriela Perona of CEPES share experiences of using the spectrum with a positive social impact and offer guidelines for thinking collectively about policies for managing the spectrum that aim for more than simply economic growth.
