I just saw this job announcement for an Internet Program Director at the General Secretariat of Amnesty International in London. Judging by what the brief job description says, it sounds like AI wants to copy part of the work that Derechos and our sister organization Equipo Nizkor have been doing for the last decade. It's ironic, because one of the main reasons why I left Amnesty International - where I began my human rights activism - was its reluctance to embrace the internet and associated technologies. But it's better late (even a decade) than never.
I wonder wether AI can be succesful at creating online communities. The other reason why I left AI - which as associated with the first - was AI's absolute need to control information, and therefore action. It was very difficult to do anything of notice within AI without going through many hoops to get approval. I would like to believe that the new changes that have been instituted will work by empowering AI members. I guess only time will tell.
Posted by marga at July 11, 2006 12:29 AM | TrackBack