Archive for the 'HURIDOCS' Category
September 6, 2016
(Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems, International) has started its search for a new Executive Director as envisaged in my post of 5 August: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/daniel-desposito-huridocs-executive-director-announces-his-departure/.
HURIDOCS expects:
- A willingness to embrace new challenges with HURIDOCS’ partners while ensuring continuity and quality in our work and products.
- Some travelling will be required, but Geneva will be the base for the most part of the working time.
- An open management style, with regular contact and ongoing communication and dialogue with all staff members regardless of their physical location. [HURIDOCS employs 17 staff members with a total of 13 full time positions with many staff members operating remotely]
General Duties include:
- Lead strategic planning and implementation of strategy
- Fundraising
- General management of HURIDOCS resources, including financial and human resource
- Representing HURIDOCS to the human rights community, and to the public at large
- Maintaining knowledge of the needs in relation to information and documentation of organisations in the human rights space, as well as an understanding of technology trends and directions from a management perspective
Specific Duties:
- Overall supervision and guidance of the software development process
- Identifying and understanding the needs of the organisations HURIDOCS serves, and available opportunities
- Cultivating the ground for HURIDOCS‘ powerhouses’ – organisations in different regions to serve as focal points for HURIDOCS’ human rights solutions in different regions of the world
Qualifications:
- University education: Preferably at least a master’s degree in a discipline relating to the work of HURIDOCS, or its equivalent in a relevant field
- A background in the Human Rights environment and knowledge of how legal systems operate is highly desirable
- An ability to communicate about complex topics in engaging ways
Skills include:
- Proven ability to raise funds and to secure strategic relationships with key actors (Required)
- Fluency in both written and spoken English and proficiency in another language (Required)
- Familiarity with different types of technology and their application in a human rights context (Required)
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to manage a diverse international and multicultural workplace (Required)
- Ability to lead negotiations (Required)
Experience:
- Experience in the successful management of a non-profit organisation (Required)
- At least 5 years experience in the human rights field (Strongly desired)
The new Executive Director should be in place in Geneva in January 2017. Visit www.huridocs.org for more information. If you have any specific questions you may contact HURIDOCS Board Member Douglas Arellanes at douglas.arellanes@huridocs.org. Your application and CV should be sent to edrecruitment@huridocs.org no later than 15 October 2016.
Posted in Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | 1 Comment »
Tags: Douglas Arellanes, Executive Director, Geneva, human rights documentation, HURIDOCS, information technology, job opportunity, NGO, recruitment, vacancy
August 31, 2016
Uwazi offers powerful browsing & searching, ability to define your own document properties, create cross references between documents and mobile first development.
Uwazi is an open-source solution for building and sharing document collections, empowering NGOs and networks, universities, foundations, and courts to publish and share their knowledge
Source: Open-source solution for building and sharing document collections – Uwazi
via: @HURIDOCS @UwaziDocs
Posted in HURIDOCS | Leave a Comment »
Tags: databases, documentation tools, human rights documentation, HURIDOCS, information technology, NGOs, non-profit, sharing, universities, UWAZI
August 25, 2016
DatNav, a guide designed to help human rights defenders navigate and integrate digital data into your human rights research, was launched today.
DatNav is the result of a collaboration between Amnesty International, Benetech, and The Engine Room which began in late 2015 culminating in an intense four-day writing sprint facilitated by Chris Michael and Collaborations for Change in May 2016. Based on interviews, community consultations, and surveys the researchers found that in the vast majority of cases, human rights defenders were not using the tools. Why? Mainly, human rights researchers appeared to be overwhelmed by the possibilities.
Still, integrating and using digital data in a responsible way can make a huge and important difference to human rights research. Acquiring, disseminating and storing digital data is also more in reach. DatNav is about navigating these new possibilities.
In May 2016, the 3 NGOs gathered a group of experts to create a guide to help address this problem, and created the foundations of DatNav. Nearly 70 key members of the human rights tech and data community, representing nearly 40 different organisations from around the world, played key roles in the creation of DatNav.
This is just the beginning. If you’re interested in taking the guide forward, whether to inform strategy in your work, to train others, or through translations, or adaptations of the content, the organizers would like to hear from you. The content is all CC-BY-SA licensed and remixes of the content are more than welcome. We’re in initial talks to release an Arabic translation of DatNav, and we’d like to carry out others, too.
You can sign up for The Engine Room’s newsletter to be notified of new updates and releases.
To find out more about the project or give feedback, you can send an email. You can also reach out on Twitter @zararah and The Engine Room @EngnRoom.
Source: DatNav: New Guide to Navigate and Integrate Digital Data in Human Rights Research | The Engine Room
Posted in Amnesty international, books, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | 1 Comment »
Tags: Amnesty International, Benetech, data, DatNav, digital security, guidelines, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS, Information security, information technology, internet, research, the Engine Room, Zara Rahman
March 23, 2016
In an era of rapid technological innovation and increasing access to new data sets, the possibilities for reconceptualizing and revolutionizing our ability to document human rights violations are vast. These new and emerging tools, resources and data streams provide exciting opportunities for human rights defenders.
The upcoming Responsible Data forum (RDF) looks to build upon the ethical, privacy and security challenges posed by the use of new & emerging data sets and new technologies in human rights documentation. This event will build off of the discussions started the 2015 RDF on Human Rights Documentation in Manila, in particular building on the tools & resources started there. This RDF will be a hands-on and collaborative event, focused on developing concrete resources and strategies to ensure that human rights documentation efforts are bettered by technology and data without causing undue or unforeseen harm.
New challenges and questions. Are we taking advantage of these new technologies and data streams to actually enhance our work? Do we sometimes use new kinds of data simply because it seems to enhance our credibility but doesn’t actually change our documentation? Are our project planning systems changing as a result of these new tools and resources? Should they? What can we learn from each other about how to helpfully engage with new and emerging technology and data? How can we tell the difference between innovation and tech & data exuberance? How should we weigh the potential benefits of experimenting with new technology and data versus the potential risks and harms that could occur?
VENUE: Thoughtworks, San Francisco, United States
APPLY HERE by March 24th, 2016!
[The Responsible Data Forum is a collaborative effort to develop useful tools and strategies for dealing with the ethical, security and privacy challenges facing data-driven advocacy. This is not a talk-shop. This RDF will bring together a small group of experts, practitioners and policy specialists to have a frank and open discussion about challenges with responsible data in data visualization. It is not about ‘naming and shaming’ but about being open about past experiences and building from them to better support the broader community. This event will employ a participatory methodology that enables participant collaboration on the development of actual tools and resources such as guidelines, checklists, frameworks and hopefully creative tools we haven’t yet thought of! A key outcome of this event will be the sharing of the developed tools with others outside of this event to promote and test the content, and develop further iterations.]
see also: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/category/organisations/huridocs/
Source: Human Rights Documentation — Responsible Data Forum
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | 1 Comment »
Tags: AI, Benetech, data, human rights documentation, HURIDOCS, images, information technology, networking, Responsible Data Forum, ThoughtWorks, visualisation
March 7, 2016
has now launched RightDocs [see announcement https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/huridocs-launches-rightdoc-to-improve-access-to-un-human-rights-documents/] You can try it out yourself: #RightDocs. This tool is a work in progress, so in addition to adding new features, the website and experience will improve over time. Your feedback is welcome: feedback@right-docs.org.
Source: RightDocs – Where human rights resolutions count
Posted in books, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: documentation tools, human rights documentation, HURIDOCS, information technology, internet, retrieve, RightDocs, UN Resolution
February 25, 2016
launches its new RightDocs tool with a Demo on 29 February 2016, from 18:00-19:30 in the Palais des Nations, Delegates Restaurant, Geneva.
RightDocs is a new tool to search, sort, filter, and discover resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council online and public.
The RightDocs tool is supported by the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the UN in Geneva. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: access, Denmark, documentation tools, Geneva, human rights documentation, HURIDOCS, launch, on-line, RightDoc, UN Human Rights Council
December 11, 2015
Last weekend, HURIDOCS office in Geneva and the office of an ally organization were burglarized; two of its desktop computers were stolen. Computers were the only stolen items at both offices, but it’s not possible to say whether the theft was specifically for information stored on the hard drives or just for the computers themselves. Either way, it states confidently in a message that they have not experienced a data breach, because both computers were encrypted and locked with strong passwords. They also didn’t lose any data, because it’s safely stored in Casebox. Here’s how to protect your information and yourself, critical for human rights defenders, in case of physical computer theft:
- Lock your computer with a strong and unique password. All passwords should be strong and unique, but perhaps even most importantly for your computer itself. Simple passwords are more easily hacked by ‘brute force’ (guessing until success), seen by someone glancing as you type, or determined from camera footage (that’s why Snowden typed his passwords under a blanket in Citzenfour). There are some good tips for better passwords.
- Safeguard all passwords. Do not keep your passwords written on paper near your computer. A multitude of secure passwords will be impossible to keep in mind, so we recommend using a password manager like KeePassX instead; KeePassX also rates the strength of your passwords.
- Consistently lock your screen when you step away. Theft can happen very quickly and obviously, unexpectedly. Encrypt your hard drive. If it’s encrypted, no one else can read it. Check your settings in Filevault on Mac and Bitlocker or Veracrypt on Windows.
- Regularly back up your encrypted hard drive to another location. If your computer is stolen, you’ll still have all of your information. If you use a password manager like KeePassX, your backup will include a locked file containing all of your passwords. To further protect yourself against privacy breaches and malicious threats, we also recommend to: Scan your hard drive for viruses at least once a week with updated antivirus software like Sophos or Avast.
- Update your computer’s operating system and all critical software as soon as updates become available. These updates are often to better protect you from breaches. Set up two-factor authentication and two-step verification on all critical accounts like email, social networks, Apple ID, and shared workspaces. Change your passwords often.
HURIDOCS conclusion: If you’ve taken the above steps and your computer is stolen, you won’t need to worry about your data being stolen along with it. We strongly recommend all human rights defenders take these precautions.
https://www.huridocs.org/2015/12/steps-to-protect-your-data-computer-theft/
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | Leave a Comment »
Tags: data, data protection, digital security, encryption, Geneva, HURIDOCS, Information security
May 29, 2014
New Tactics is going to have a on-line conversation on the safe & effective use of documentation tools from 9 to 13 June 2014. They are looking to recruit 10 to 12 human rights practitioners to join Daniel D’Esposito of HURIDOCS and Enrique Piracés of Benetech to help lead the upcoming conversation on Working Safely and Effectively with Documentation Tools Documentation is a crucial aspect of the quest for justice, accountability and transparency.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Benetech, computer, Daniel D'Esposito, digital security, documentation, documentation tools, Enrique Piracés, human rights documentation, HURIDOCS, information technology, New Tactics in Human Rights, on-line conversations, perpetrators, training, victims
April 23, 2014
HURIDOCS General Assembly has recently elected a new board, adopted considerably revised statutes and reflected on five years of growth.
Current Board members Eddie Halpin (Chair) Hannah Forster (Treasurer), Agnethe Olesen and Rosario Narvaez Vargas, will be joined by the following new board members:
Gisella Reina (Italy, Netherlands) is an expert in institutional development. Currently, Gisella is Director Development and Donor Relations at the International Commission of Jurists. Before joining the ICJ in 2007, she was in charge of donor relations and development for ten years for NGOs specialized in emergency aid and food security. Prior to that, Gisella worked as an Economic advisor for various consulting and engineering firms, and as expert in evaluation of development programmes, and development of project planning capabilities. She holds a Master in Agricultural Economics and Planning from Reading University (UK), and has 25 years of work experience in project management and programming in various profit and non-profit organizations. She has lived in Italy, the Netherlands, UK, Pakistan and India and speaks Italian, Dutch, English and French.
Douglas Arellanes (United States of America) is a technology entrepreneur. One of the founders of Sourcefabric, Douglas is an American expatriate who has lived in the Czech Republic since 1992 (though he claims Dakar has the best music anywhere in the world and Cape Town the best scenery). Previous roles have included new media consultant for the Media Development Loan Fund, special projects director at Contactel, (a subsidiary of TeleDanmark) and co-founder of First Tuesday Praha, an organisation devoted to helping internet start-ups. When Doug is not translating some of the Czech Prime Minister’s speeches into English, he’s making households dance as a Saturday morning DJ on Prague’s Radio 1.
Alix Dunn (United States of America) is the co-founder and Creative Lead at The Engine Room where she designs programs and supports advocacy partners to integrate technology into their work. In the past she has acted as a program advisor and consultant for Tactical Technology Collective’s Evidence & Action and Privacy & Expression programs, the lead for trainings and partnerships at the SaferMobile program of MobileActive, and as a digital security trainer. Prior to this, she worked as program development officer at Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies working to incorporate technology strategies into advocacy programs, and as a media studies researcher. She has a master’s degree in media studies from the University of Oslo and a BA from Colorado College.
New board elected, statutes updated and looking back at five years of growth | HURIDOCS.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Alix Dunn, Douglas Arellanes, Gisella Reina, governance, HURIDOCS, HURIDOCS General Assembly, information technology, internet, network, NGO
February 11, 2014
Just now I received – via HURIDOCS – from the Odhikar Team in Bangladesh this update: “Today, 11 February 2014, at around 12:30 in the afternoon, the man who drives Saira Rahman Khan’s car, [Adilur Rahman Khan is Secretary of the human rights NGO Odhikar], received a phone call from 01822924228. The man who called him said he was Sub-Inspector Shahid from the intelligence agency. He told the driver that he must give him regular updates on Adilur Rahman Khan’s whereabouts. The driver said that he did not work for Adilur Rahman Khan and did not know where the latter went everyday and he could not give that kind of information. The man hung up. After that at 12:57 the same man, from a different phone number (01678046854) called the driver again and threatened him that if he did not give the information he wanted, he would face grave physical harm. The driver went to Odhikar and told the fact finders that he feared for his safety.”
With this message, the Odhikar Team attached the photograph (below) of members of the intelligence agencies in the lane outside the Odhikar office. Notice that the motorcycle has no license plate, which is apparently rather typical for the intelligence agency. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in films, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Adilur Rahman Khan, Bangladesh, death threats, harassment, HURIDOCS, intelligence agency, NGO, Odhikar, Odhikar Team, photos, police intimidation, Saira Rahman Khan
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 