"Have there been any recent cases where community voices were mobilized to contribute to national or international campaigns for someone's release?"
We organized Wikipedia editing events in 2011-12 for Aaron Swartz. Events were not so documented back then, but there were wiki meetups in the United States before and after his death. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz In 2016-17 we did events for Bassell, not knowing that he had already passed. Here is some of what I can find but the events were organized in anticipation of his release. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bassel_Khartabil https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/Editathon_for_Bassel https://www.wired.com/story/free-bassel-essay/ For both of these, there was a lot of online and in-person Wikimedia activism in response to the legal accusations against them. I do not know if we ever had storytelling or journalism documenting that though. On Thu, Oct 5, 2023 at 4:46 PM Samuel Klein <meta...@gmail.com> wrote: > Have there been any recent cases where community voices were mobilized to > contribute to national or international campaigns for someone's release? > > It sounds like a community group, working to support others, might be an > outlet for interest in advocating for those in jail, and maintaining up to > date information on their condition and needs, ways to get letters to them, > &c. They could get advice from the WMF team, and work with and through > Amnesty (et al). The reasons that a specific org might not want to advocate > openly for a victim may not apply to individuals, who have their own > leverage and can advocate on behalf of humanity. > > SJ > > > 🌍🌏🌎🌑 > > On Thu, Oct 5, 2023, 2:58 PM Maggie Dennis <mden...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > >> Hello, all. >> >> I’m Maggie Dennis. I’m the VP who oversees our human rights team in its >> work. Reiterating what the team previously said about not being able to >> discuss particular situations, I can disclose a little more general points >> about our approach as you pose, LW, and, I hope, address some of your >> concerns, Lodewijk. >> >> It’s devastating when community members face targeting for their >> dedication to supporting free knowledge. This matters a lot to me, to my >> team, and to all the Foundation. I know it matters to you as well. >> >> The Wikimedia Foundation does resource this important work. We have >> partners in this field with whom we collaborate closely. Our human rights >> team possesses extensive experience in addressing such issues and also >> maintains strong connections with NGOs specializing in these areas. We >> regularly engage with these organizations on both general matters and >> specific cases. >> >> Every situation in which a community member is targeted is unique, and we >> recognize the need for specialized responses and support. Volunteer >> well-being is our priority, and we are committed to providing the right >> assistance for each case. While we believe in the importance of public >> discourse and transparency, safety always takes precedence. In some >> instances, the Foundation has found it appropriate to speak publicly to >> address these challenges and have done so. In others, we may be advised to >> handle matters differently. >> >> In terms of some Wikimedians who might have concerns whether our strategy >> is the right one, I fully respect that there must be. Because each case is >> different and frequently these situations are highly complex, we know that >> even different expert organizations might rank the risk and the right >> response of a specific situation differently. We have sometimes sought >> multiple opinions on a case. At the end of the day, we collaborate closely >> with relevant groups on our response to ensure the safety and well-being of >> individuals affected and the broader community members who could be >> impacted. We do the best we can to uphold the principles of free knowledge >> while prioritizing safety for everyone. >> >> While I can’t discuss specific cases, I am always happy to talk about >> general matters of policy and approach in my quarterly community >> conversations. We will also answer questions to the extent that we believe >> we safely can that are posed about the team’s work to >> talktohumanrig...@wikimedia.org. Depending on the case,the human rights >> team may provide ways to help or avenues to connect with organizations who >> are supporting. They may also be able to advise when silence is regarded as >> the best response. (There are some risks to being too open about who we >> work with and how we work that we need to consider every time.) >> >> People can read more generally about the human rights team >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Team> here. >> >> While this is not my area of focus in my role at the Foundation, I also >> want to generally call out that the Foundation also conducts human rights >> advocacy routinely in regards to legislation. Our Global Advocacy >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Global_Advocacy> team not only meets >> with legislators around the world to fight for the rights that keep free >> knowledge free, but also considers and guides our work by providing >> proactive human rights assessments and policy development, such as the Human >> Rights Policy >> <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Human_Rights_Policy>. >> >> Best regards, >> >> Maggie >> >> >> On Thu, Oct 5, 2023 at 3:14 AM Lauren Worden <laurenworde...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Dear WMF Human Rights Team: >>> >>> I would like some clarification on your statement below. In >>> particular, does your stated approach allow you to follow the best >>> practices described at >>> https://freedomhouse.org/2023/summit-for-democracy-political-prisoners >>> to, e.g., "meet regularly with family members of political prisoners, >>> advocacy groups, and media outlets and journalists, in public and in >>> private, in their efforts to secure an individual’s release"? >>> >>> The literature review at >>> https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/17277 states: >>> "The theoretical and empirical literature attributes several potential >>> roles to civil society in [security sector and justice reform]. These >>> include making security and justice institutions accountable, >>> mobilising a range of social groups for reform, publicising abuses and >>> advocating for reform, offering technical expertise, and improving >>> security-citizen relations." >>> >>> If the Foundation staff has prohibited itself from engaging with the >>> public on freeing jailed wikipedians, orchestrating letter writing >>> campaigns, or coordinating with other NGOs and government agencies, >>> such as those Andreas has described as having no record of the >>> imprisoned Arabic Wikipedia administrators, then I would hope that the >>> CEO or Trustees would step in immediately to rectify any internal >>> policies such that best practices can be upheld. >>> >>> -LW >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Oct 3, 2023 at 3:51 PM WMF Human Rights >>> <talktohumanrig...@wikimedia.org> wrote: >>> > >>> > In the interest of safeguarding confidential information and ensuring >>> the safety of our community members, the Foundation will not publicly >>> disclose details regarding human rights cases. The Human Rights Team >>> recently updated its meta page to clarify this approach. Our primary >>> concern is to uphold the safety and privacy of everyone involved. At the >>> same time, our inability to discuss these matters should not be read as >>> inaction. We care deeply about volunteer safety and our role, more >>> generally, involves different levels of internal support, wider advocacy >>> and partnerships with others depending on the circumstances of an event. >>> > >>> > On Tue, Oct 3, 2023 at 6:06 AM Andreas Kolbe <jayen...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >> >>> >> Let's put it a different way then: >>> >> >>> >> Is anyone at the WMF doing anything in support of the two jailed >>> Saudi Wikimedians, be it liaising with international or regional human >>> rights organisations, the US State Department, briefing journalists so the >>> wider public is aware of the situation, or anything else to make sure Osama >>> and Ziyad aren't forgotten about as they start (by my calculation) their >>> fourth year in jail? >>> >> >>> >> I am asking because the press reports published at the start of this >>> year do not seem to have led to any significant coverage of the two >>> Wikimedians' plight on the websites of major human rights organisations. >>> (If I have missed any, please let me know.) >>> >> >>> >> For example, I found nothing at all on the website of Reporters >>> without Borders. Similarly, the most recent Amnesty International report on >>> the "crackdown on online expression" in Saudi Arabia includes several >>> mentions of Twitter users but none of Wikipedians: >>> >> >>> >> >>> https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/02/saudi-arabia-alarming-crackdown-on-online-expression/ >>> >> >>> >> Amnesty's report specifically mentions that a Twitter user was >>> sentenced for supporting women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul but >>> fails to mention that one of the jailed Wikimedians uploaded Loujain >>> al-Hathloul's Commons picture, which is used in her Wikipedia articles. >>> >> >>> >> I didn't find anything about Osama and Ziyad or, more generally, >>> Wikimedians in Saudi Arabia on the website of the EFF. >>> >> >>> >> There is a mention of Osama and Ziyad and the fact that they were >>> Wikipedians on the PEN website: >>> >> >>> >> https://pen.org/report/freedom-to-write-index-2022/ >>> >> >>> >> The U.S. State Department's 2022 country report on Saudi Arabia, >>> published in March 2023, includes a mention of Osama's 32-year prison >>> sentence, but doesn't make clear that he was jailed for being a Wikipedian, >>> and Ziyad is not mentioned: >>> >> >>> >> >>> https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/saudi-arabia/ >>> >> >>> >> Will this be remedied in the U.S. State Department's 2023 country >>> report? I think each country report covers the period up to October of the >>> preceding year, so this month will be the last chance to make sure the 2023 >>> report published next spring will include information on Osama and Ziyad's >>> prison sentences and their Wikipedia activity. >>> >> >>> >> Andreas >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> On Mon, Sep 25, 2023 at 11:09 PM The Cunctator <cuncta...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> Frankly, that's implausible. >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Sep 25, 2023, 3:37 PM DerHexer via Wikimedia-l < >>> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote: >>> >>>> >>> >>>> I do think that posting any kind of response to these questions on >>> a public mailing list would do more harm than good. Thank you. >>> >>>> >>> >>>> Best, >>> >>>> DerHexer >>> >>>> Wikimedia Steward >>> >>>> >>> >>>> Am Montag, 25. September 2023 um 21:20:21 MESZ hat Andreas Kolbe < >>> jayen...@gmail.com> Folgendes geschrieben: >>> >>>> >>> >>>> >>> >>>> Dear all, >>> >>>> >>> >>>> As there was a recent press mention of Osama and Ziyad[1] (see "In >>> the Media" in the current Signpost issue) – does the WMF's Human Rights >>> Team (cc'ed) have any update on their situation? >>> >>>> >>> >>>> Has anyone else heard any news? If I recall correctly, Osama had >>> married not long before being jailed in 2020 – has anyone been in touch >>> with his wife? >>> >>>> >>> >>>> Is there anything the community can do? >>> >>>> >>> >>>> Andreas >>> >>>> >>> >>>> [1] >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_imprisoned_for_editing_Wikipedia >>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>> >>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, >>> guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines >>> and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> >>>> Public archives at >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/CSBF3UGYR7BDU5XPYZFYQAABPXXY5PDG/ >>> >>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>> wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>> >>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, >>> guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines >>> and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> >>>> Public archives at >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/XMEMSGXX7XH3R7MSYZFGKR6PMRCWDDKB/ >>> >>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>> wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, >>> guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines >>> and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> >>> Public archives at >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/YKDNQDXMBNSD7OX6YKLN4RLJAYWC5WGO/ >>> >>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>> wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >>> > >>> > _______________________________________________ >>> > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, >>> guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines >>> and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> > Public archives at >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/FIAFNJ7XAKLXEAKU4MSUR7MTTWSY3IGE/ >>> > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> Public archives at >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/KM37DQGP6QN4QCAKTJWESDWUN3FV6OAJ/ >>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >> >> >> >> -- >> Maggie Dennis >> She/her/hers >> Vice President, Community Resilience & Sustainability >> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/5AHBLOQT4YAFKCOQ5Y26EBDNCKBCLV5W/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/PP624R2OCYBBOSRWWZR4GHDYHW7DZJ7S/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org -- Lane Rasberry user:bluerasberry 🟦🌀💙🌀🟦
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