[governance] Anti-Censorship software from EU for Activists

[Andrea Glorioso]

Dear Deirdre,

On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 2:25 PM, Deirdre Williams <
williams.deirdre at gmail.com> wrote:

> Please help. The reporting of the 'Arab Spring' is confusing and sometimes
> contradictory. Unarguably it happened and continues to happen.
> Contradictory is the overwhelming credit given to technology for what
> happened, while at the same time it is being reported that the technology
> is being interfered with, blocked or just plain switched off.
>
> Is the emphasis on technology simply dust thrown in the air to distract
> onlookers from the tremendous power of the human will when focused towards
> an objective? Do you remember the Rose revolution in Georgia and the Orange
> revolution in the Ukraine? Those were attributed to mobile phones
> (wonderful advertising for at least one company :-) ) Back then Facebook
> was only just beginning.
>
> It angers me when I hear reporters use the cliche, at the sites of
> disasters, that people are digging, moving rubble 'with their bare hands'.
> Human beings use the tools that are available to them. If there is no tool
> they use their own bodies. The tool helps; it may help a great deal, but
> without the tool the human will continue. Without the human the tool is
> useless.
>
> Kroes said that the Arab Spring had been the wake-up call to governments
> around the world to recognize the power of the Internet, and social
> networking in particular, in building freedom and democracy.
>
> This is from the Computerworld article - thanks Imran.
> Deirdre
>

One thing that I learned while working at the European Commission, and
particularly since Monday morning :), is that one should not necessarily
believe that what is reported by a newspaper is 100% what has been said on
a particular topic.

If you look at the speech (
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/11/866&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en)
that
Neelie Kroes gave at the Ministerial Conference on Internet Freedom on
Friday 9 December, where she gave a first announcement of the "No
disconnect strategy", you will see passages such as:

"I have personally met many of those on the frontline: activists fighting
for democracy in their countries. And let me say, it was a refreshing and
often humbling experience. These are people, often young people, fighting
for the most basic rights you can think of. Sometimes risking their lives;
I met them on condition of anonymity, such are the dangers they face every
day. [...]


I acknowledge that the Internet and ICT are only part of the solution. [...]

To build a house with solid foundations, we also need the rule of law,
democratic governance, open and inclusive societies, competitive markets,
an independent media sector and economic growth.  [...]

Because, even with ICT, even with everyone connected, democracy would still
not magically spring from nowhere. [...]

These are the main strands of the policy we need to undertake –
technological tools, education, intelligence, and cooperation. [...]"

Similar concepts were expressed during the press conference on Monday.

On the basis of the above passages and (for what it is worth) of the words
of a Commission officer who has been and is very closely involved in this
initiative (that would be me - but I don't want to give the impression I'm
doing this alone, as several colleagues have been and are working on this),
I hope you can rest assured that human beings remain the central concern
and basis of our action. ICT can and should be a tool to empower them to
achieve what we sometimes take for granted in democratic states.

Best,

Andrea
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