New book! Internet Policy and Governance for Human Rights Defenders

This week, Global Partners have published the first in their series of “Travel Guides” to the digital world, Internet Policy and Governance for Human Rights Defenders which I authored under contract to them last year.

The aim of the guide is to entice human rights defenders from the Global South to participate in the discussions happening now around our rights online. But it should also serve as a useful introduction to the technologies that underpin the ‘net and the people who can affect our lives online, from governments to corporations, hackers, hacktivists and everything in between:

Global Partners write:

How the internet operates and is governed affects the rights of users – a new field from which human rights expertise is currently absent. Civil society groups at the table are fighting an unequal fight, and urgently need the strength and depth that the human rights community can bring. It is time for human rights defenders to familiarise themselves with the internet, and prepare to defend human rights online.

The beautiful typesetting and illustrations are by Tactical Studios. The volume is released Creative Commons and you can download a free .pdf version here.