But remember, at risk of digressing: IT can also be a powerful tool
in support of human rights; I think someone wise once said that
technology is neutral. It's the intent of its users that makes it a
force for good or bad. For a good example, see Benetech.org:
The Human Rights Data Analysis Group Analyzes the Guatemalan National
Police Archive
June 4, 2007 — Benetech's Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) is
analyzing the first collected data from the Guatemalan National
Police Archive, the largest single cache of documents that has been
made available to human rights investigators in history. The first
report on the contents of the archive will be released late this
summer. The estimated 80 million records in the archive contain
critical information about police procedures during Guatemala's 36
years of internal armed conflict that resulted in 200,000 deaths and
disappearances. HRDAG director, Dr. Patrick Ball, developed a plan to
collect a multi-stage random sample of the documents and secure the
data with Benetech's Martus information management tool. Benetech has
created a photo essay about the project and its historical
significance. More background material on HRDAG's past work in
Guatemala can be found here.
db
On Aug 8, 2007, at 4:29 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Certainly Nick has a point about information technology being used
to impinge upon basic rights. I do believe that those involved in
IT and complexity/modeling should be concerned about the use of
these powerful tools. They could be used for example to data mine
criticism of the Iraq invasion and the occupation and then this
criticism declared to hurt the White House's strategies in Iraq
which according to the recent Presidential Executive Order could
result in seizure of assets and property.
And I do believe one should protest. We live in strange times indeed.
Paul
Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.
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