If you were creating a video game character with the goal of making her the most effective human rights defender she could be, what skills would you give her? Maybe she’d have exceptional interviewing skills, or a strong understanding of physical and digital security practices, or she might be well versed in various advocacy strategies. […]
For the activists, lawyers and journalists defending human rights, information is their most powerful tool in seeking justice. The evidence they gather can be used to raise awareness, advocate for protection, and pursue cases in courts, tribunals or international mechanisms. Human rights defenders work under increasingly insecure conditions. They often face detention, office raids, and […]
In new book, Jim Fruchterman explains how accessible ebooks help people with disabilities obtain education, employment, and social inclusion “We want the right to read the same book at the same time, price, and place as everyone else.” This simple statement from the disability community sets forth the challenges of making books accessible. According to […]
Five assumptions that limit your global user base When you have reliable, constant access to running water, it can be difficult to conceive of the daily lives of those who do not. The same is true of access to electricity, the internet, adequate bandwidth, and this year’s smartphone or laptop. And yet, billions of people […]
For the last five years, I’ve traveled around the world training human rights defenders to use technology to more securely collect, store, and share sensitive data. The individuals and groups I work with face serious and complex digital threats that are difficult to detect. Some are aware of such threats and have taken precautions, while others are just gaining awareness and starting their search for solutions. To get a sense of where a specific audience fits on this spectrum, I often introduce the digital threat conversation by asking the room: “Show of hands: who here has a sticker covering their webcam?”
