Irrepressible Info : Amnesty International protects Bloggers

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Thursday July 20, 2006 14:23

by R.iosin Dubh

Amnesty International has joined forces with many other groups to call for increased protection for bloggers, and internet users launching their "irrepressible info" campaign this week.

"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.

Amnesty International, with the support of The Observer UK newspaper, is launching a campaign to show that online or offline the human voice and human rights are impossible to repress."

In many ways this campaign ought complement and widen the scope of French based global non-governmental organisation "Reporters without Frontiers".

You may learn more about the campaign here :-
http://irrepressible.info/

Sign a pledge here :-

http://irrepressible.info/pledge (do use a real name)
"I believe the Internet should be a force for political freedom, not repression. People have the right to seek and receive information and to express their peaceful beliefs online without fear or interference.

I call on governments to stop the unwarranted restriction of freedom of expression on the Internet – and on companies to stop helping them do it."

Also Amnesty suggests that you can help the voice of the politically censored by reproducing edited excerpts on your own website pages and political blogs. Obviously indymedia ireland is suitable for republishing of Chinese, Myanmarese, Nigerian or Iranian bloggers gripes - but often the way of dealing with these things starts by simply pointing out they happen. & strange as it may seem the Internet is a censorious place. No-one ever gives much thought to the anonymous types who wield such power in attempts to manipulate or massage public opinion in their own states - But Amnesty International is sure that if we join forces to expose them - It will stop.