On June 13, we had the pleasure of hosting our Design For Activism lab at the Border Sessions Festival<\/a>.\u00a0The goal of the lab was to design a workflow that creates opportunities for tech experts and companies to support human rights activists online. In other words, we wanted to find out how we can engage tech companies long term in order to establish and maintain a sustainable cooperation between human rights defenders and tech companies. In this lab, we also wanted to introduce people to the issues human rights defenders face online, from harassment and arbitrary banning to threats of violence.<\/p>\n We kicked off our lab by getting to know two human rights defenders from Rwanda and Pakistan. Their stories gave us insights into the complicated dynamics of online activism. Technology has been an incredibly powerful tool for them to communicate with others and raise awareness of human rights violations, but it has also exposed them to threats and harassment.<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/We-Are-Karen.jpg” title_text=”We Are- Karen” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.12.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”3vh||1vh||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.12.1″ text_font_size=”16px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”|4vw||4vw|false|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Karen van Luttervelt from We Are listens attentively to the stories of our\u00a0human rights defenders.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Online harassment is a worrying trend, as a study conducted in the United States by Pew Research Center (2017) shows. According to Pew, 66% of adult internet users have seen online harassment and 41% have personally experienced it [1]. Among human rights defenders this number may be even higher, as they stand up for the rights of minority groups and victims, resist State and extremists attempts to silence them, and hold existing power structures accountable. Unfortunately, big tech companies have not yet made adequate steps to address and prevent online harassment. An Amnesty International report on online violence against women on Twitter explains: \u201cThe company\u2019s failure to meet its responsibilities regarding violence and abuse means that many women are no longer able to express themselves freely on the platform without fear of violence or abuse.\u201d [2].<\/p>\n During the Border Sessions Lab, we used the case of Twitter\u2019s policy on online harassment to demonstrate the power imbalance that human rights defenders\u2019 experiences. We addressed the lived experiences of one of our human rights defenders in detail during a role-play simulation. We divided the group into three smaller groups: human rights defenders, State actors, and Twitter, to discuss how Twitter currently handles online disputes between individuals and the government. This was followed by a discussion about how Twitter could additionally support human rights defenders on their platform. The main question that seemed to form during the discussion was how to translate freedom of expression to an online environment. This showed itself to be a multi-faceted problem. On the one hand Twitter gives human rights defenders a platform to voice their opinions. On the other, the platform enables people to harass and intimidate human rights defenders, as well as spread false information.<\/p>\n The exercise was eye-opening. As we moved further along in the discussion, our participants learned that tech companies frequently use freedom of expression as an excuse not to take action<\/strong>. We also discussed the technological aspects while retaining social understanding of the problem. Another interesting finding was that the human right defenders\u2019 group was overshadowed by the arguments of Twitter and the government. A situation that is also so often the case in real life.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DSC_0177-1500×1000.jpg” title_text=”DSC_0177-1500×1000″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.12.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”3vh||1vh||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.12.1″ text_font_size=”16px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”|4vw||4vw|false|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Steen Bentall, Head of The Hague Hacks, writes down points discussed during the brainstorming session.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the simulation we took a short lunch break before we continued with the second part of the day. We split up into two groups to address the question \u2018How do we engage tech companies?\u2019. The morning had helped to create a basic understanding of the importance of tech to human rights, and so we built upon this idea during our brainstorming sessions.<\/p>\n We were very happy to see how motivated everyone was to discuss possible solutions. Both of the groups came up with some insightful practical steps and focus points on how to establish and maintain contact with tech companies. The knowledge we acquired from the brainstorm sessions is incredibly valuable. We will incorporate some of the findings into future collaborations with tech companies to ensure support for human rights defenders long-term.<\/p>\n This lab was another example of how important it is for people from different disciplines to come together and talk about tech and human rights. It helped us focus on possible ways of involving tech companies. Our Nextview event also had some great results. We will soon update you on that event too!<\/p>\n If you are interested in The Hague Hacks, or if you would like to learn more, collaborate, volunteer, or just want to drop a note, we\u2019re happy to hear from you. Send us an email at haguehacks@thehaguepeace.org\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1] Online Harassment 2017<\/a>. (2017). Pew Research Center.<\/p>\n [2] Toxic Twitter \u2013 A Toxic Place For Women<\/a>. (n.d.). Amnesty International.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tags: <\/strong>Border Sessions<\/a>, Human Rights<\/a>, peace<\/a>, technology<\/a>, The Hague Hacks<\/a>, the hague peace projects<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav in_same_term=”off” _builder_version=”3.25.4″ title_font=”|600||on|||||” title_text_color=”#0799fc” custom_padding=”||32px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_nav][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.11.0″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(7,153,252,0.56)” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” background_color_gradient_direction=”90deg” background_color_gradient_end_position=”9%” custom_margin=”3vh||3vh||false|false” custom_padding=”0vh||0vh||true|false” border_color_top=”#000000″ border_width_right=”2vw” border_color_right=”#0799FC” border_width_left=”2vw” border_color_left=”#0799FC” locked=”off” 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custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25.4″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”3″ include_categories=”17″ use_manual_excerpt=”off” excerpt_length=”0″ show_author=”off” show_date=”off” show_categories=”off” show_excerpt=”off” use_overlay=”on” overlay_icon_color=”#ffffff” hover_overlay_color=”rgba(7,153,252,0.41)” hover_icon=”%%65%%” _builder_version=”4.12.1″ header_font=”Asap Condensed|600|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”20px” header_line_height=”1.2em” pagination_font=”|600||on|||||” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all_image=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blog][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff” admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.12.0″ background_image=”https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DSC_0118-1030×687.jpg” parallax=”on” z_index=”3″ width=”8%” height=”275px” max_height=”131px” custom_margin=”0px|||||” custom_padding=”9px||21px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_phone=”” top_divider_style=”slant” bottom_divider_style=”slant” bottom_divider_height=”49px” bottom_divider_flip=”vertical” transparent_background=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.25.4″ custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25.4″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”22px” _builder_version=”4.11.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” url=”https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thehaguepeaceprojects\/” use_icon_font_size=”on” _builder_version=”4.11.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”facebook” url=”https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheHaguePeace\/” _builder_version=”4.11.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#3b5998″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]facebook[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”twitter” url=”https:\/\/twitter.com\/peacehague” _builder_version=”4.11.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#00aced” global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]twitter[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Design for Activism Lab @ Border SessionsBy Nina Nout On June 13, we had the pleasure of hosting our Design For Activism lab at the Border Sessions Festival.\u00a0The goal of the lab was to design a workflow that creates opportunities for tech experts and companies to support human rights activists online. In other words, we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n By Nina Nout<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On June 13, we had the pleasure of hosting our Design For Activism lab at the Border Sessions Festival<\/a>.\n The goal of the lab was to design a workflow that creates opportunities\n for tech experts and companies to support human rights activists \nonline. In other words, we wanted to find out how we can engage tech \ncompanies long term in order to establish and maintain a sustainable \ncooperation between human rights defenders and tech companies. In this \nlab, we also wanted to introduce people to the issues human rights \ndefenders face online, from harassment and arbitrary banning to threats \nof violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We kicked off our lab by getting to know two human rights defenders \nfrom Rwanda and Pakistan. Their stories gave us insights into the \ncomplicated dynamics of online activism. Technology has been an \nincredibly powerful tool for them to communicate with others and raise \nawareness of human rights violations, but it has also exposed them to \nthreats and harassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Online harassment is a worrying trend, as a study conducted in the \nUnited States by Pew Research Center (2017) shows. According to Pew, 66%\n of adult internet users have seen online harassment and 41% have \npersonally experienced it [1]. Among human rights defenders this number \nmay be even higher, as they stand up for the rights of minority groups \nand victims, resist State and extremists attempts to silence them, and \nhold existing power structures accountable. Unfortunately, big tech \ncompanies have not yet made adequate steps to address and prevent online\n harassment. An Amnesty International report on online violence against \nwomen on Twitter explains: \u201cThe company\u2019s failure to meet its \nresponsibilities regarding violence and abuse means that many women are \nno longer able to express themselves freely on the platform without fear\n of violence or abuse.\u201d [2]<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the Border Sessions Lab, we used the case of Twitter\u2019s policy \non online harassment to demonstrate the power imbalance that human \nrights defenders\u2019 experiences. We addressed the lived experiences of one\n of our human rights defenders in detail during a role-play simulation. \nWe divided the group into three smaller groups: human rights defenders, \nState actors, and Twitter, to discuss how Twitter currently handles \nonline disputes between individuals and the government. This was \nfollowed by a discussion about how Twitter could additionally support \nhuman rights defenders on their platform. The main question that seemed \nto form during the discussion was how to translate freedom of expression\n to an online environment. This showed itself to be a multi-faceted \nproblem. On the one hand Twitter gives human rights defenders a platform\n to voice their opinions. On the other, the platform enables people to \nharass and intimidate human rights defenders, as well as spread false \ninformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exercise was eye-opening. As we moved further along in the discussion, our participants learned that tech companies frequently use freedom of expression as an excuse not to take action<\/strong>.\n We also discussed the technological aspects while retaining social \nunderstanding of the problem. Another interesting finding was that the \nhuman right defenders\u2019 group was overshadowed by the arguments of \nTwitter and the government. A situation that is also so often the case \nin real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the simulation we took a short lunch break before we continued \nwith the second part of the day. We split up into two groups to address \nthe question \u2018How do we engage tech companies?\u2019. The morning had helped \nto create a basic understanding of the importance of tech to human \nrights, and so we built upon this idea during our brainstorming \nsessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were very happy to see how motivated everyone was to discuss \npossible solutions. Both of the groups came up with some insightful \npractical steps and focus points on how to establish and maintain \ncontact with tech companies. The knowledge we acquired from the \nbrainstorm sessions is incredibly valuable. We will incorporate some of \nthe findings into future collaborations with tech companies to ensure \nsupport for human rights defenders long-term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This lab was another example of how important it is for people from \ndifferent disciplines to come together and talk about tech and human \nrights. It helped us focus on possible ways of involving tech companies.\n Our Nextview event also had some great results. We will soon update you\n on that event too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are interested in The Hague Hacks, or if you would like to \nlearn more, collaborate, volunteer, or just want to drop a note, we\u2019re \nhappy to hear from you. Send us an email at haguehacks@thehaguepeace.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n [1] Online Harassment 2017<\/a>. (2017). Pew Research Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [2] Toxic Twitter \u2013 A Toxic Place For Women<\/a>. (n.d.). Amnesty International.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tags:<\/strong>Border Sessions<\/a>, Human Rights<\/a>, peace<\/a>, technology<\/a>, The Hague Hacks<\/a>, the hague peace projects<\/a><\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[28,39,19,38,25,23],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26271"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28507,"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26271\/revisions\/28507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/haguehacks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}References<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u2022 More\u00a0 Articles<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/DSC_0076-1030x687.jpg\")
human rights defenders.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thehaguepeace.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/DSC_0177-1030x687.jpg\")
References<\/h4>\n\n\n\n