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Posts Tagged ‘on-line’

Internet shutdowns in times of COVID-19 could cost lives

April 2, 2020

Intentionally shutting down or restricting access to the internet violates multiple rights and can be deadly during a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch said on 31 March 2020. Governments that are currently imposing an internet shutdown, such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia (it just announced restoring service), India, and Myanmar, should lift them immediately to save lives. During a health crisis, access to timely and accurate information is crucial. People use the internet for updates on health measures, movement restrictions, and relevant news to protect themselves and others.

“Internet shutdowns block people from getting essential information and services,” said Deborah Brown, senior digital rights researcher and advocate. “During this global health crisis, shutdowns directly harm people’s health and lives, and undermine efforts to bring the pandemic under control.” For people around the world staying at home, either willingly or because of government restrictions, the internet is critical to communicate with doctors, family, and friends. For many children and others seeking an education, it is needed to continue learning as schools shutter around the world.

[Internet shutdowns have become increasingly common in recent years, usually during tense periods, such as elections, anti-government protests, or armed conflicts. Thirty-three countries enforced 213 internet shutdowns in 2019, according to Access Now. Government justifications ranged from a need to combat fake news to public safety and national security.[

…Nearly four years ago, the United Nations Human Rights Council first condemned measures to prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online and called on countries to refrain from such measures. Last week, leading international free speech experts said that internet shutdowns “cannot be justified” during the COVID-19 outbreak. On March 27, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged all governments to end any and all internet and telecommunication shutdowns. “Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, fact-based and relevant information on the disease and its spread and response must reach all people, without exception,” a statement said.

……Human rights organizations can join and participate in the #KeepItOn campaign coordinated by Access Now to fight internet shutdowns with documentation, advocacy, policy maker engagement, technical support, and legal interventions. See also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2019/01/28/internet-shutdowns-to-silence-opposition-what-to-do

/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/31/end-internet-shutdowns-manage-covid-19

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Tags: #KeepItOn campaign, Access Now, Bangladesh, Corona virus, Covid-19, Deborah Brown, freedom of information, Human Rights Watch, India, internet shutdown, Myanmar, on-line, right to health, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

New academic study of UN human rights treaty system calls for online databases on impact

February 16, 2020

Christof Heyns (University of Pretoria; Member of the UN Human Rights Committee.) and Frans Viljoen (Director, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria) reported on 11 February 2020 in Global Rights on the progress being made in a new, global academic study to answer the question “What difference does the UN human rights treaty system make, and why?”.

An comprehensive research project on the impact of the treaty system, which started some years ago, is now being expanded into a global study….The first steps of the study were taken two decades ago by a team of researchers coordinated from the University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). …..The researchers documented numerous instances of impact, and we were in a position to draw general conclusions, published as a book and an article. This included that the evidence showed that the treaty system has had an enormous impact on the protection of human rights on the ground, in particular through the—recognized or unrecognized—incorporation of treaty norms into domestic law.

The following factors were found to be among those that have enhanced its impact: a strong domestic constituency for specific treaties; national action plans; and the windows of opportunity that comes with a change to democracy. We also laid strong emphasis on a greater emphasis on the role of national human rights institutions in mediating impact, and for them to do follow-up.

Factors found to have limited the impact of the system included the following: concerns for State sovereignty; a lack of knowledge of the system; the absence of a robust domestic human right culture; ineffective coordination between governmental departments; an ad-hoc approach to reporting; federalism; reprisals against human rights defenders; a preference for regional systems; and weak follow-up by treaty bodies.

We reported a rallying cry from many far-flung countries that ‘Geneva is very far’—not only in terms of geography but also in terms of accessibility and psychological ownership. And we proposed that the treaty bodies should consider holding some of their meetings away from UN headquarters in Geneva.

Now, twenty years later, we are reviewing the same 20 countries, again with the help of researchers based in the respective countries, and again in collaboration with the OHCHR. We are asking the same questions. This study is now nearing completion, and we plan to publish it in the middle of next year, this time, with Professor Rachel Murray from Bristol University as co-editor. The data from the more recent study is still coming in. So far, the results provide further evidence of the strong impact of the system in most countries. However, a systematic analysis will only be possible once all the data has been gathered.

In the meantime, some of the issues identified up in the earlier study have been taken up within the system. There is for example a much stronger recognition of the role of national implementation and monitoring mechanisms. The Disability Rights Convention adopted in 2007, explicitly calls for creation of national ‘focal points’ and the designation of national human rights institutions to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the Convention….

The need to ‘bring the system closer to the ground’ is now recognized by a range of NGOs in preparation for the 2020 review of treaty bodies. The idea of treaty body meetings outside Geneva was advanced again by Heyns and Gravett in a blog two years ago, also on the basis of the regional experience, and the first such meeting for a UN treaty body is now being planned for 2020.

During the course of these two studies, we became very aware of the importance of getting a clear picture of the impact of the system, but also of the limitations of what we were doing. With only 20 countries covered, the sample size is quite limited; and, providing a snapshot at a particular moment in those countries means they are quickly overtaken by events. Following wide consultation, we are currently in the process of setting up an online database, where information on the impact of the system in all UN member states will be posted. The 20 country studies mentioned above, as well as the supporting documentation, will for a start be posted on a website. In the meantime, clinical groups are being formed at universities around the world, where international students are gathering the relevant information on their home countries, to be posted on the website. We anticipate that up to 50 new countries will be covered per year and ones covered earlier will be updated. In an era of crowd-sourcing, contributions from all interested parties—NGOs, individual researchers etc.—will be solicited.

This will be a large-scale and long-term research project, but hopefully it will help to allow the collective wisdom of people anywhere in the world to ensure that the treaty system remains as effective and as responsive to the needs of our time as is possible. It is also intended, in some way, to be a response to the lament that ‘Geneva is very far’ and to ensure that the treaty system is brought closer to the actual rights-holders, even if only virtually.

The treaty system has played a pivotal role in developing the substantive norms of the global human rights project over the last six decades. The future of the treaty system depends on whether it will continue to lead the way on substance, but more is required: it will have to enhance its visibility and broaden its ownership to a global audience, and treaty norms will have to find their way into domestic law and practices. This is the gap that the new study aims to help fill.

https://www.openglobalrights.org/what-difference-does-un-human-rights-treaty-system-make/

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Tags: Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, Christof Heyns, databases, documentation tools, Frans Viljoen, human rights documentation, impact, on-line, treaty bodies, UN

UN seeking out civil society: on-line consultations from 13 -24 January 2020.

December 30, 2019

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is inviting civil society globally to assist them in defining guidelines on how the UN can best contribute to promoting and safeguarding civil society space. The aim is to define guidelines to encourage an effective and consistent approach across UN agencies and inform the methods of work of mechanisms. This initiative was given a boost by the UN Secretary General who, in a recent audit of the work of the UN in regard to human rights defenders, called for the definition of ‘a system-wide approach to strengthen civil society space’ and ‘guidance on United Nations engagement with and support for human rights defenders.’ The consultation process will be held online from the 13-24 January 2020 on the Global Dev Hub platform.

‘This is a moment for all civil society players who see the value of greater and more effective engagement with UN agencies and bodies, to provide input on how best this should be done,’ said ISHR’s Eleanor Openshaw. ‘There are no national-level consultations being held to our knowledge, but a full week of online consultations will, hopefully, provide many of us with the opportunity to participate,‘ she added. The UN is seeking thoughts on a series of questions related to three key areas: partnership and participation, the protection of civil society actors, and the promotion of and advoacy for civic space.

For further information and the key questions, see the UN consultation invitations in English

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Tags: civil society organisations, Eleanor Openshaw, Global Dev Hub platform, ISHR, on-line, UN

Call for applications for new on-line course Strategic Effectiveness Method

August 6, 2019

New Tactics in Human Rights has developed a process to help activists become more focused, more creative, and ultimately more likely to succeed in their advocacy efforts. It is called the Strategic Effectiveness Method.

The New Tactics in Human Rights program is pleased to invite applications for our newly-launched online course. The course will provide you with a foundation for conducting human rights-based advocacy using the Strategic Effectiveness Method, and prepare you to integrate technology into your advocacy work using our innovative online Tactical Mapping Tool (TMT). The course is being offered free of charge and 20 applicants will be selected to take the course.

To apply for the online course, please complete the application form on the following link https://bit.ly/2Otn8JJ before August 30, 2019.

If you have any questions please email newtactics@cvt.org.

Course Details and Features

Timing: The course will begin on Monday, September 30, 2019 and contains five (5) modules. You can proceed through the five modules of the online course at your own pace. However, you will need to complete the course by the closure date of Friday, November 22, 2019 (8 weeks from course starting date) in order to receive your certificate of completion. You will choose how much time and effort you put into the course.
TMT Use: This course provides you with an exciting opportunity to learn and use the TMT to conduct human-rights based advocacy. The TMT makes it possible to collectively develop and monitor community actions to address your identified community problem of concern. New Tactics trainers will engage with you by using communication features within the TMT. This will provide you with skills and practice in using these features when implementing your own advocacy campaigns to address your identified problem.
Case Study: The course uses a case study example to demonstrate and build your skills in using the Strategic Effectiveness Method and the corresponding features in the TMT. You will use the TMT to develop a tactical map of the case study example. This will enhance your ability to share ideas and experiences with others in the course for your learning and skill development.
Skills Application: Following the case study video demonstrations, you will apply your understanding and skills in using both the Strategic Effectiveness Method and the online TMT to your own identified problem. By the end of the course, you will use the Method and the TMT to create a second tactical map on your own identified community problem of concern. The TMT will help you and your community group to collectively gather the information you need to develop and track your own advocacy campaigns.
Community Group Engagement: To gain the most benefit from this course, we highly recommend that you engage others from your organization, community, or group to work with you while developing your own advocacy campaign. While you can individually complete the course assignments, the added benefit of gathering a community group is the opportunity to immediately apply the Strategic Effectiveness Method, online Tactical Mapping Tool (TMT) and other resources of the course directly to a community problem of concern.
Peer Interaction: Throughout the course, you will participate in an exchange “Forum.” Based on the case study used in the course, you will share what you are learning and gain from the ideas and experiences of other course participants as well.
Language and Accessibility. This course will be conducted in English. If you are interested in taking the course in Arabic, please complete this application form: https://forms.gle/s8Jo9Qpx3hAwhiXw7 by August 12, 2019. We chose CANVAS Studio as the learning management system (LMS) for this course due in part to the internal supports offered by the platform. These supports help to maximize accessibility for participants with a range of disabilities.

https://www.newtactics.org/invitation-apply-new-tactics-online-course

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Tags: Advocacy, call for applications, information technology, management, New Tactics in Human Rights, on-line, training course

New website: Keep the Volume up for Rights Defenders in Turkey

July 11, 2019

Three human rights organizations, Association Monitoring Equal Rights, Netherlands Helsinki Committee and Truth Justice Memory Center, have created the website “Keep the Volume up for Rights Defenders in Turkey.” Sharing up-to-date information on the trials of rights defenders in Turkey, the website will also share the recent development under the title of “News”.

In the “About Us” part of the sessizkalma.org website, the objective and content of the website are explained in following words:

“Human rights defenders from different corners of society – lawyers, teachers, journalists, scientists, union activists – face serious pressures in doing their work in Turkey. Their aim is to protect fellow citizens from unjust and inhumane policies; they speak up and act when people’s human rights are being infringed upon. Yet in Turkey rights defenders are increasingly being intimidated, detained and imprisoned.

“Their struggle deserves more visibility and national and international solidarity. …

“We created this online resource to bring together updates and information on the situation in Turkey. It is meant for all those interested to support or understand human rights defence in Turkey better: civil society, journalists, international organisations and citizens who care about the Rule of Law and democracy in Turkey.

“We are monitoring court cases where Defenders are prosecuted. You will find a calendar for important trial dates, overview and news on individual cases, our statements well as information on possibilities for actions. We also provide other Defenders with important resources as well as a list emergency support options for when you, as a human rights advocate, need assistance.”

http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/210315-keep-the-volume-up-for-rights-defenders-in-turkey-website-opens

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Tags: Association Monitoring Equal Rights, campaign, human rights monitoring, Keep the Volume up for Rights Defenders in Turkey, Netherlands Helsinki Committee, on-line, Truth Justice Memory Center, Turkey

Novelty: on-line training in human rights for Jamaican judiciary

April 23, 2019

Judges participating in break out groups at the Workshop on International Human Rights Online Training Course for the Jamaican Judiciary for the Presentation of the Online Training Platform last Thursday (11 April)

Caribbean News reports on 22 April 2019 that judges in Jamaica now have an interactive online platform offering resources and self-paced learning opportunities on international human rights law. The online platform is sponsored by United Nations Jamaica and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in collaboration with the Judicial Education Institute and the Court Management Services. The platform was launched 11 April in Kingston by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes and senior human rights adviser George Abualzulof representing the United Nations resident coördinator to Jamaica.

The Chief Justice noted that “the online training platform on international human rights provides the opportunity to be aware of current and new ways of thinking about human rights and how it applies in different circumstances. It also gives us the opportunity to be aware of what is happening in other parts of the world on this very important issue.”

The UN’s senior human rights adviser described the online platform as “marking a milestone in the development of professional training capacity in the administration of justice,”..

The online training platform offers modular training with an emphasis on international human rights; human rights of persons deprived of liberty; rights to a fair trial; and international human rights law. Judges learn at their own pace in a collegial environment where peers can learn while holding discussions on human rights law and standards.

https://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/2019/04/22/milestone-online-training-platform-on-international-human-rights-law-launched-for-judges-in-jamaica/

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Tags: Caribbean, interactive, international human rights law, Jamaica, judiciary, on-line, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, training courses

New free online course on how to use academic freedom

May 28, 2018

Scholars at Risk, the New-York based international network of institutions for protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom, and the University of Oslo, Norway, have jointly developed a free online course on how to use academic freedom to ask critical questions and contribute to a democratic society.

The course is aimed first at anyone in higher education – leadership, administrators, academic staff and students. Second, the course is aimed at anyone outside the sector who has an opinion about higher education, especially critical opinions. You can register for the course through this link.

The course, ‘Dangerous questions: Why academic freedom matters’, will begin from 4 June and is available online on FutureLearn. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2015/06/23/scholars-at-risk-publishes-first-academic-freedom-monitoring-report-free2think/]

Quinn told University World News: “Higher education is undergoing historic transformation, and this adds confusion and puts pressure on academic freedom. The course aims to help members of the higher education sector better understand the values at the centre of higher education, and by doing so, offers a compass and a set of tools for navigating the current environment. “The course argues that higher education has an affirmative social responsibility – that is, the responsibility to use the freedom and autonomy afforded to it by the state and society for the widest public good….But meeting that responsibility can be dangerous or even very dangerous and that means the public also has an affirmative responsibility – to defend higher education leaders, scholars and students when they exercise freedom of inquiry and expression on the public’s behalf.”

Participants will learn how they can contribute to strengthening core higher education values at their home institution and in partnerships, and how to assess and react to incidents relating to the core higher education values.

The course will include videos, graphics, animations and interviews and enable participants from all over the world to talk to each other.

“Beyond that, I think people will be surprised – academic freedom isn’t just for a few privileged intellectuals who want to be left alone. Academic freedom is an essential condition for free, open societies,” Quinn said. “If you value the freedom to have your own opinions, to ask questions, to discuss difficult topics honestly without fear, then academic freedom matters enormously to you too.”

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20180526061403734

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Tags: Academic freedom, Higher education, on-line, Robert Quinn, Scholars at Risk, students, training course, University of Oslo

DIGEST of international human rights awards: correction!

October 4, 2017

This post from 27 September 2017, is re-issued with the correct link to the website of the new Digest of Human Rights Awards: www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest If you tried the link before without success please try again. And more importantly, if you shared the link please forward also this correction.

The Awards Digest is the first phase of a larger project that foresees also a Digest of Laureates (i.e. over 1900 award winners included in the Awards Digest). This second phase is still under preparation and its completion is planned for 2018, subject to funding.

The Digest is also accessible on any device including mobiles and tablets.

The Digest has been made possible with the support of Brot für die Welt and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Geneva and other international organizations in Geneva.

For further information contact me at: thedigest[at]trueheroesfilms.org.

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Tags: digest of human rights awards, documentation tools, human rights awards, on-line, THF, True Heroes Films, website

WEBINARS on best practices for digitising documents in March 2017

March 7, 2017

Why digitise? Digitising your documents greatly improves access to your information, whether you are building an online public library to share documents related to corruption, or making documents searchable for your team. Digitisation also helps to preserve and protect important human rights information. Many defenders run the risk that malevolent groups seeking to destroy or confiscate witness testimony, evidence of abuse, and other sensitive information. Others run the risk of documents being subject to harmful storage conditions, such as humidity, insects, and rodents. These are just a few reasons for digitising your documents. However, figuring out the most efficient, affordable, and responsible way to digitise thousands of documents can be a daunting task especially for human rights defenders in the field.

Therefore the NGO HURIDOCS is organizing two live webinars. These webinars will explore the process of digitising documents and the best practices that should be applied. A summary of the discussion will be written and shared on the HURIDOCS website.

When:
- Thursday, March 16 at 16:00 UTC (other time zones), and
- Thursday, March 23 at 13:00 UTC (other time zones).
Where: ReadyTalk (use the access code 2458641 to join)
Who: Open to anyone who wants to learn more about digitizing documents

Whether you are a seasoned digitization expert or a human rights defender just starting to think about digitisation, this is a good occasion to learn and share.

If you are interested, please contact Kristin Antin at kristin@huridocs.org. Here is an example of a webinar hosted in January on managing contact information.

Source: Community Discussion: Best practices for digitising documents | HURIDOCS

Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, HURIDOCS | Leave a Comment »
Tags: digital security, distance learning, documentation tools, HURIDOCS, information technology, on-line, training, webinar

Civis Mundi lists free on-line Human Rights training courses

December 4, 2016

Civis Mundi published a list of free on-line courses on human rights. I list there the 5 that are (also) in English, without knowing much about the quality: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in AI, EU, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Civis Mundi, EU, human rights education, internet, on-line, training courses

Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders