take back the tech

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www.takebackthetech.net
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• What is Take Back The Tech?
• A collaborative campaign to reclaim information
  communications technologies (ICTs) to end
  violence against women (VAW).
• A call to every user especially grrls and
  women to take control of ICTs, and use them
  strategically for activism against VAW

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• P/S Unwrapping Acronyms ?
• ICTs information communications technologies,
  e.g. telephone, internet, sms, TV, radio etc.
• VAW violence against women, e.g. domestic
  violence, sexual assault, violence faced by women
  in situation of conflict etc.

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• Why Take Back The Tech?
• Creating digital spaces that protects everyones
  right to move freely, without harassment or
  threat to safety (echoing Take Back The Night
  campaigns).
• Realising our rights to shape, define,
  participate, use share knowledge, information
  and ICTs.

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• Why Take Back The Tech?
• Addressing the intersection between
  communication rights and womens human rights,
  especially violence against women.
• Recognising womens historical and critical
  participation and contribution to the development
  of ICTs.

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In 2006
APC WNSP initiated Take Back The Tech,
collaboratively built this action-based campaign
with G2G (Brazil), CREA (India), Womens Net
(South Africa), Silence Speaks (U.S.), KOMAS
(Malaysia), AWID (international) And many, many
individuals collectives in different parts of
the world who shared their knowledge, energy and
ideas in shaping the campaign and taking
action! Take Back The Tech! was undertaken
without specific funding, but through the
collective energy of activism by everyone
involved, and commitment to take action on this
issue.
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Actions taken

• Digital PostcardsIf I had
• I could
• Shaping collective visions of technology
• free from VAW

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• Campaign wiki
• Online platform that enables many different
  people to collectively shape the campaign.

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• Ka-BLOG!16 days of blogging on VAW
• Connecting content producers
• Changing the landscape of the blogosphere.

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• Meme transmission
• - Idea practice translated, adapted, and spread
  through
• tags and icons - Emails, blogs, websites, instant
  messaging services, even lamp-posts!

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• Telling digital stories
• - Disseminating stories where women survivors of
  violence speak for themselves by taking control
  of technology

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• Sharing knowledge
• - Gathering information expanding knowledge by
  sharing useful online resources.

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• Daily actions
• Merging learning new skills technology
• with issues
• and activism.

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• Local actions
• Connecting local activism issues with online
  campaign users.

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• How can you take back the tech?
• Suggest an action
• Came across something interesting? Thought of an
  idea that can be taken? Share them on the
  campaign wiki or email it to ideas_at_takebackthetech
  .net
• Participate daily from 25 Nov 10 Dec
• Check the campaign website during the 16 days,
  and take action from where you are
• Share stuff you know
• We need help drupal theming, developing
  provocative campaign applications, secure online
  communication tips tricks, communications
  strategy, anything else you can think of to
  share

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• Some of the actions this year
• Audiocast thoughts, experiences rambles on the
  issue
• Recognise name forgotten/unknown ICT champions
• KA-blog 16 days, 16 posts on provocative
  questions around VAW ICT
• Make share a video clip, doodle or image on
  VAW ICTs amateur, super-pro, funny, poignant
  or downright irreverent

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• Some of the actions this year
• Whats your strategy on countering VAW? Exchange
  with other campaigners.
• Submit your local helpline to build a resource
  for survivors
• Online tech-hunt hunting for clues to find
  out about secure online communications VAW
• Leave a comment on blogs, guestbooks, forums
  about VAW ICTs, or simply wish them Happy
  International Day Against VAW ?

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• Or start a local campaign!
• Brainstorm with a few people whom you think might
  be interested to raise this issue in your town,
  community, country or region
• What are the urgent issues in terms of VAW
  ICTs?
• Whats the one change youd like to see happen,
  and how can the campaign help achieve that?
• Think of simple, creative concrete actions, or
  just get a few people together to take daily
  actions collectively

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• We can support in terms of
• Information resources on VAW ICTs issues.
• Training materials on communication rights
  activism.
• Shared online working space to exchange
  information, ideas tactics.
• Shared campaign website for you to publish your
  own content in your own language to shape this
  movement.

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• What support is available?
• Advancing visibility of your issue activism
  through online platforms and tools.
• Strategies and tactics on how to counter VAW in
  through ICTs.
• A diverse community of individuals and
  organisations committed to this issue.
• Facilitating partnerships between individuals,
  networks or groups with different knowledge
  experiences on VAW and ICTs.

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Technology can be powerful, but also a lot of fun
) Email us if youd like to brainstorm on how
to take back the tech jac_at_apcwomen.org ideas_at_tak
ebackthetech.net www.takebackthetech.net
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www.takebackthetech.net