APC News: The news service on social justice and sustainable development

	APCNews The news service on social justice and sustainable development

#374 — 18 May 2023
This week we want to highlight the launch of our new series on how some APC members see the future of circular economies of digital devices playing out. We also have a powerful account of how activists in Korea just won an epic nine-year-long privacy case against Google, as well as the launch of five manuals to support community networks on key issues such as solar energy and circular economies. And we have a new research subgrant call for proposals, as well as two job postings!

“The bottom line is to understand that linearity and growth will not go together”: Introducing "Our Circular Future", a series on the future of circular economies

In this new series, we reconnect with members who contributed to our guide on the circular economy of digital devices, this time about their vision for the future of these economies. In part one, we speak with CITAD about what is needed in the right to repair movement, emerging trends and lessons learned and missed.

ADVOCATING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ONLINE

Protecting civil rights against corporate surveillance in South Korea

Google has been giving access to users' personal information to the US government under the latter's PRISM programme. In 2014, six activists from various organisations, including APC member Korean Progressive Network Jinbonet, took the tech giant to court, demanding they be given access to the information that Google holds on them. Nine years later, they finally won in the Supreme Court.

The APC network intervenes at the Global Digital Compact's deep dive session on human rights online

APC and its members gave statements at the Global Digital Compact (GDC) thematic deep dive session on the theme of human rights online.

SPOTLIGHT ON ASIA

Call for proposals: APC is excited to announce the CYRILLA research subgrant for 2023!

APC will award one subgrant for a research project that focuses on the criminalisation of online expression in Sri Lanka, in continuation of research which to date has covered nine countries across South and Southeast Asia. The deadline to apply is 15 June.

*From the archives* Unshackling expression: A study on laws criminalising expression online in Asia

This special GISWatch edition examines problematic trends in the use of laws against freedom of expression in online spaces in Asia. It presents analysis on the criminalisation of online expression in six countries: Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Thailand.

LOCAL ACCESS AND COMMUNITY NETWORKS

Manuals from communities of practice: A series to support community networks

These five manuals are the result of communities of practice that brought together community network practitioners from diverse countries. They aim to support community networks on key issues such as solar energy, circular economies, bamboo infrastructure and more.

Rural digital transformation in Sekgosese: Overcoming connectivity challenges and developing digital skills

Drawing on the lessons and experiences from the Mamaila Community Network, traditional leaders, local entrepreneurs, community members and academics discussed the role of community networks as complementary solutions to commercial internet service providers in bridging the digital divide in underserved areas such as Sekgosese, in South Africa.

El afecto, un pilar fundamental en la construcción de redes comunitarias en Latinomérica

“Plasmemos un sueño colectivo para los territorios en los que nos encontramos”. En torno a esta idea giró el encuentro latinoamericano del proyecto LocNet sobre redes comunitarias. En el centro, la participación de los jóvenes, las mujeres, los pueblos indígenas y los movimientos sociales.

SAVE THE DATE! UPCOMING EVENTS

DRAPAC23 Assembly: Creating a network of trust through the peer verification process

EngageMedia envisions the upcoming DRAPAC23 Assembly as a safe space for all participants, and the Assembly is implementing a peer-to-peer participant verification system where registered attendees can vouch for each other as trusted contacts.

Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2023

7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media launched the first Palestine Digital Activism Forum in 2017, and this year it will be held from 23 to 25 May 2023 on the theme of Undoing Digital Discrimination.

COME WORK WITH US AT APC!

Job call: APC is looking for a subgrants coordinator for the Safety for Voices project

APC is looking for a subgrants coordinator for our “Safety for Voices” project to join our virtual office and team and support our exciting work. The deadline for applications is 21 May.

Job call: APC is looking for a finance and administration coordinator for the Safety for Voices project

APC is looking for a finance and administration coordinator for our “Safety for Voices” project to join our virtual office and team and support our exciting work. The deadline for applications is 21 May.