*Hello Libtech! Thanks for adding me to the listserve! Please read below for a partnership opportunity with Transparency International Georgia, an NGO in the Democratic Republic of Georgia. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
-Mitch Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) was shortlisted for theU.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL)<https://www.grantsolutions.gov/gs/preaward/previewPublicAnnouncement.do?id=14367&timeZone=EST&cancelMapping=cancelToAnnouncements)>internet freedom grant. As advocates for government transparency and accountability, we have received over fifty grants since our founding in 2000. Our recent technological successes include an implementation of the FixMyStreet <http://fixmystreet.ge/> concept, an SMS alert system for notifying the public about bills progressing through the Georgian Parliament, and scraping<http://transparency.ge/en/blog/income-declarations-scrape>various types of data made available by the Georgian government. To view our other ongoing projects, please see our website<http://transparency.ge/en/activities> . Problem Statement: Activists in countries where digital security knowledge is most needed often have great difficulty accessing high quality digital security information because of (1) local internet restrictions and (2) difficulty traveling to locations where such training is possible. Activists will include (but not be limited to), bloggers, researchers, journalists, photojournalists, students, and others whose freedom-advancing activities put them at risk in their home countries due to internet and media suppression and monitoring. Why Tbilisi? The city of Tbilisi is centrally located for activists operating in countries with restrictions on internet freedom, making it the perfect place to reach out from. Not only is it central, Tbilisi is also readily accessible for them: Iranians, Turkmens, Azeris, and Uzbeks do not need a visa to enter. Iranians may stay for up to 45 days, Turkmens for up to 360 days, Uzbeks and Azeris for an unlimited period. (Security experts likewise from places like the US, Canada, and the EU do not need a visa to stay in Georgia for up to 360 days.) Since Tbilisi is a popular and inexpensive tourist destination for countries in the region, people traveling here will not arouse the suspicion of authorities. Tbilisi is theideal location for an activist training space because in addition to all these factor internet freedom exists here. A training space for activists Our goal is to train activists so they can use the internet effectively in their home countries’ internet restricted and monitored environments. We will achieve this by (1) gathering as many activists as we can to our training space along with (2) experienced security experts and (3) any necessary hardware (as applicable). We will not waste funds on powerpoint presentations in hotels, nor administrative costs since we are an independent NGO based in Georgia, not a branch of a Washington, D.C.-based organization. We are seeking a tech partner We are searching for a tech partner who was also shortlisted for the DRL internet freedom grant to collaborate with us to design a successful activist training space by combining our logistics, recruitment framework and regional expertise, with your organization’s knowledge, tactical delivery and ability to architect technology. By working together, we can create a co-working environment where censorship circumvention technologies can be developed in tandem with activist training. In this environment, your organization will benefit by having direct access to previously unreachable groups that participate in the training program, lowered overhead from cost-sharing, and increased organizational capacity. Through our partnership, we will provide essential security tools to the activists who need them the most. If your organization is interested in partnering with TI Georgia, please don’t respond to the listserve. Instead, email me directly at [email protected].*
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