Current projects
APC helps people get access to the internet where there is none or it is unaffordable, we help grassroots groups use the technology to develop their communities and further their rights, and we work to make sure that government policies related to information and communication serve the best interests of the general population, especially people living in developing countries. In all of our work we encourage people to network as a means of making other activities more sustainable. If people share their experiences and skills they have greater value over a longer period and often create a ripple effect.
Here are some of our current projects. Note: This is not a complete listing.
EroTICs: An exploratory research project into sexuality and the internet
What is “harmful content” on the internet? The definition is contestable, subjective and open to a range of interpretations, and the majority of interventions to combat it are mostly concerned with obscenity and child pornography. Sexual rights workers are troubled by the growing role of conservative forces – supported by religious extremists – and their attempts to encourage new legislation that would treat all online sexual exchanges as sexual predation and all adult content on the internet as pornography. This protectionist approach overshadows other important aspects of the internet that directly impact on internet users’ lives and their ability to access to vital information on sexuality, sexual health and sexual rights. EroTICs, an exploratory research just starting at APC, aims to narrow the gap between political assumptions and a better understanding of content and “harm” based on women’s real experience of sexuality online.
Rapid Response Network (RRN)
The Rapid Response Network (RRN) is an initiative that is aimed towards ensuring that rights of expression, communication, association and protest on the Internet are protected. More specifically, to enable people and organisations to use information and communications technologies for social justice and equality. APC has long been concerned with trends that show that such rights are being violated. As one response, some APC members and partners, have decided to act as a “Rapid Response Network” (RRN). Members of this network have the ability to rapidly mirror a threatened website throughout the world, and raise awareness about the issues involved.