Written by Marlyn Tadros* “Human rights are not a privilege; they are the oxygen of democracy” — Kerry Kennedy Human rights are under siege. From the conventional silencing of dissent in autocratic regimes to the weaponization of laws against marginalized groups in more democratic countries, the pillars of dignity and equality are crumbling worldwide. This…
The impact of Pegasus on fundamental rights and democratic processes Pegasus is a sophisticated surveillance software developed by the Israeli cyber intelligence company NSO Group. The software is capable of gaining access to and monitoring a wide range of information on a target’s smartphone, including text messages, emails, location data, and even live microphone and…
The conference entitled Bearing-Witness: Videography in the Hands of the People, was from 5-7 October, 22 at the MIT’s Media Lab. It was organized by the Comparative Media Studies/Writing in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The conference builds on scholarship and public policy that emerged as a result of the…
The third session of the Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes, began on August 29th and is ending September 9th. There have been multiple non-profit organizations who have had their input as of the 1st session, including VA [ currently…
Virtual Activism attended the first consultation with the Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes. The session was the First Intersessional Consultation, as mandated by operative paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 75/282, 24-25 March 2022, and it took place at…
On Thursday 3 March 2022, the UN Women, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York (NGO CSW/NY), organized a webinar entitled Preventing & addressing intimidation or reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights. The following is…
The following is a statement initiated by FEMENA and signed by multiple organizations, including Virtual Activism, have signed a statement regarding WHRD in Egypt. Statement also in Arabic in the attachment below. Statement – 5 November 2021 Case 173 and its Remnants Must be Dropped! In Egypt, Case 173 of 2011, known as the NGO…
The panel on Advocacy for Women’s Rights Peace and Security in MENA: Challenges of Shrinking Civic Space was organized by FEMENA on March 23rd, 2021. Human rights defenders from Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran: Sussan Tahmasebi – FEMENA – DirectorAida Saadat – FEMENA Program ManagerNisan Alıcı – Demos Research Association – Board member & ResearcherNajia…
