Amnesty International Maastricht Students

Chat rooms monitored. Blogs deleted. Websites blocked. Search engines restricted. People imprisoned for simply posting and sharing information.

The Internet is a new frontier in the struggle for human rights. Governments – with the help of some of the biggest IT companies in the world – are cracking down on freedom of expression...

But is there more? What is the connection with us? Why should we use and support encrypted communication? What influcence has Chinas censorship to us? How does internet change our society? How does it change copyright, free speach and our culture? What for sorts censorship are there? Social, Political, Internet Tools, Conflict / Security? And what are the chances?

Those are just a few questions to ask. This group just started and it is still quite flexible where it will go. Write us your ideas and interests an I am sure we can do something.

Recommended:
science & technology openDemocracy
Science is a social enterprise, influenced by the wider culture and values of its time. We explore the tension between natural and human sciences, and science’s impact on society.

media & the net openDemocracy
From Big Brother to Mr. Murdoch to Mr. Burns, the media saturate our lives. Here, we decode, explain and debate the media we rely upon for democracy - and entertainment.

News:
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
BBC News: Burma's cyber-dissidents
Burma's bloggers are using the internet to beat censorship, and tell the world what is happening under the military junta's veil of secrecy. (more)

Links:
* http://www.privacyinternational.org
* http://www.edri.org

Irrepressible Podcast - http://www.amnesty.org.uk/irrepressible
Listen to news from the irrepressible campaign including reports from BBC journalist Clark Boyd, censored bloggers and other big names in the internet world who support the campaign against repression on the net.
# Trailer to irrepressible event by BBC journalist Clark Boyd
# Cory Doctorow talks about technology and freedom
# Ethan Zuckerman from Global Voices Online talks about the human cost of internet repression.
# Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on internet censorship
# Dan Gilmour on how internet censorship is affecting citizen media
# Markus Beckedahl talks about fighting for digital rights
# US cyber dissident Josh Wolf talks about freedom of expression on the internet

OpenNet Initiative - http://opennet.net/