Closer than ever
APC understands that we are all dealing with unprecedented circumstances as we face the challenges, fear and uncertainty brought on by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. We know it impacts our work, our personal lives and the lives of those we care about. Each country is tackling the situation differently, so the contexts we find ourselves in are as diverse as the ways we find to navigate shifting conditions.
In these exceptional times, we wish to send our solidarity and appreciation for connecting with us. While we are distancing ourselves physically, we continue to stay closer than ever to each other and share tools and resources as well as support. We also want to examine how we can continue to promote human rights online in the context of a global pandemic. We are all facing this problem together but we know it affects different countries and communities in different ways. Therefore, we would like to channel the strength of our network to share some important resources that we hope will be empowering, enlightening and reassuring.
Below you will find articles and insights shared by our community, which has been working on human rights and technology issues for over 30 years. We will be updating these lists on a regular basis, so please feel free to connect with us if you have some resources to share.
As the second wave of COVID-19 hits Indian cities, rural India is also experiencing a rise in numbers, which could become a catastrophe of unimaginable scale if ignored. In response, DEF has launched an ICT-enabled and community-specific relief programme.
We firmly reject the violent repression in Colombia in response to the massive protests which began on 28 April. The Colombian state has the obligation to adopt the necessary measures to guarantee freedom of assembly and association and freedom of speech, on the internet and on the streets.
APC's participation will focus on highlighting strategies to counter gender-based violence online, discussing the intersections between technology, the environment and the exercise of human rights, debating the impact of COVID-19 on human rights, and promoting meaningful internet access.
In September 2020, our research on the State of Internet Freedom in Africa established that the ultimate effect of the measures instituted in fighting COVID-19 was that they had deepened the democracy deficit in several African countries.
The pandemic’s changed a lot of ways in which societies are working. How far are these changes temporary and how far permanent? Should governments and businesses leverage these changes or seek to rebuild what’s been lost?
Delivery workers in India are generally paid per delivery. Food delivery platforms term the delivery worker “independent contractors’’ or “delivery partners’’. Delivery workers are not considered traditional “employees”. The report follows Anand Kumar, a delivery worker for Swiggy and Zomato.
Daiane Araujo dos Santos discusses the link between popular education and community networks, and argues that class, race and gender should be part of the analysis in the implementation of autonomous infrastructure and technical training dedicated to digitally excluded communities.
The accelerated growth of e-commerce, especially e-shopping, has been one of the themes of COVID-19’s relationship with digital. What’s been happening, what’s the likely impact and, as always, who are likely to be winners and losers in this part of the digital ecosystem?
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a spike in gender-based violence in India. Helplines and digital tools have been used to reach out to survivors, given the absence of physical services. But women who can't use phones, email or social media are most likely to be entirely excluded from these systems.
This publication is a compilation of 19 articles by African researchers, academics, journalists and human and digital rights activists on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital rights in Africa.
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2020
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