[bestbits] Connectivity and human rights

[Marianne Franklin]

Dear Brett

Thanks for letting us know, and looking forward to hearing about next 
steps. As Access is Article 1 of the IRPC Charter of Human Rights and 
Principles for the Internet, how connectivity relates to supporting 
access in practical terms does need addressing.

best

MF


On 22/06/2016 13:47, Brett Solomon wrote:
> Dear friends,
>
> You might remember the two letters (here 
> <http://bestbits.net/finance-ministers-global-connect/> and here 
> <http://bestbits.net/global-connect-initiative/>)*<https://share.america.gov/globalconnect/>* sent 
> through Best Bits last September and in April of this year*on the 
> Global Connect Initiative. <https://share.america.gov/globalconnect/>
>
> *
> The overarching aim of the Global Connect is bring 1.5 billion people 
> online by 2020. *
> *
> *
> *
> The Initiative is progressing including a meeting that took place 
> following the April letter between US Secretary of State and the 
> President of the World Bank. Many Finance Ministers also participated 
> in that event at the World Bank designed at financing Global Connect.
>
> Despite the letters, the IEEE Report-out document that came out from 
> the meeting, barely registered human rights, freedom of expression, 
> privacy etc.
>
> A few of us (Access Now, Public Knowledge and APC) have started to 
> work on a set of HR-based principles to inform connectivity 
> initiatives including Global Connect.
>
> Given the renewed attention on connectivity, we see this as a good 
> opportunity to develop a set of principles that addresses the human 
> rights dimension of access, and that guide human rights as a 
> foundation for rolling out connectivity - from participation of 
> marginalized voices, to the nature of contractual arrangements, to 
> protection of opinion online.
>
> Right now much of the discussion is centering around outstanding 
> connectivity issues being essentially an engineering problem. The risk 
> of course, if human rights do not inform connectivity initiatives is 
> the roll out of a censored, throttled, monitored, militarized internet 
> and could deepen inequalities within societies.
>
> We are using existing documents (eg WSIS+10 Outcome Document, Human 
> Rights Council A/HRC/RES/26/13, Net Mundial, internet rights and 
> principles charte 
> <http://internetrightsandprinciples.org/site/charter/>r), APC Internet 
> Rights Charter 
> <https://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_charter_EN_0.pdf>to inform 
> these principles.
>
> We wanted to see if others in the community would be interested in 
> working with us. And we are looking specifically for those who have 
> experience in expanding access (including in providing access in 
> under-served communities and building community-based networks) and 
> network engineers and would like to support us in this effort with 
> expertise.
>
> Let us know if you're interested or if you have questions.
>
> Hope all are well!
>
> Brett
>
> Brett Solomon
> Executive Director
> Access Now | accessnow.org <https://accessnow.org>
>
> +1 917 969 6077 <tel:%2B1%20917%20969%206077>
> @solomonbrett
> Key ID: 0x4EDC17EB
> Fingerprint: C02C A886 B0FC 3A25 FF9F ECE8 FCDF BA23 4EDC 17EB
>
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>
>
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