Edward Halpin

E‐Sri Lanka: bridging the digital divide

Purpose – The overall aim of this study is to examine the impact of e‐Sri Lankas Telecentre Development Programme in bridging the digital divide.Design/methodology/approach – A survey research method was used in the study to collect qualitative and quantitative data from actual and potential Telecentre users in relevant communities. The study was carried out through a survey. The primary sample comprised of 30 percent of the Telecentres. The secondary sample included users and potential users around the Telecentres. The total number of users and potential users was 338. The study was conducted from early January 2005 to the of end February 2006.Findings – The survey data disclosed that still only a small percentage of the total population are aware of Telecentres and use the facilities offered by them. The crucial factor affecting usage is language. According to the majority of respondents, as they understand only native languages they have not benefited from services such as like the internet and e‐mail...

Human Rights and the Internet

From the Publisher: The Internet is having an increasing influence on our lives, but what implications does it hold for human rights? How can it be used to promote and protect them? This book, written by an accomplished group of activists, writers, and academics, describes the development and use of the Internet for human rights, examines its impact across the world and upon various sectors of society, and discusses current and future trends in human rights promotion and protection. Author Biography: Steven Hick is Assistant Professor, Carleton University. Author Biography: Edward F. Halpin is Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Research and Information Management, Manchester Metropolitan University. Author Biography: Eric Hoskins is Senior Policy Advisor to the Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Azworthy.

Through the Net to freedom: information, the Internet and human rights

The new tools of information and communication play an increasingly important role in many organisations, providing new opportunities and new challenges. The human rights world, for which good quality information is a prime requisite and information management is a vital skill, is equally faced with the opportunities and threats of these tools in promoting and protecting human rights. Human rights organisations have been quick to adopt the Internet and it is having a great number of impacts upon their work, creating change, providing new means of campaigning and challenging abuses of human rights. Yet technology also introduces new barriers to human rights activity: issues of censorship, regulation and control are fundamental to this work.

Between self-regulation and intervention in the networked economy: the European Union and Internet policy

The governance of economic organization and exchange across the Internet is widely recognized as being a vital part of the emerging new international networked economy. Here, the interface between the economic and the political has been brought sharply into focus as the role of government in the Internet’s future development is considered. Through examining different strands of European Union policy activity related to the Internet, this article aims to characterize and offer an explanation for the emergent patterns of governance witnessed. Whilst still at an embryonic stage, it is argued that EU policy displays, thus far, a ‘mixed mode’ of governance combining, on the one hand, acceptance of the neo-liberal model of self-regulation, with, on the other, a distinctly more interventionist ‘hands on’ policy with specific commercial and social goals in mind. Liberalizing initiatives in telecommunications and electronic commerce, as well as a self-regulatory approach to Internet content issues, contrast with actively neo-mercantilist activity in such areas as international discussions on the structure and function of ICANN and the .EU domain name regulation, where clear efforts are being made to shape the contours of the European electronic marketplace. It is suggested that EU Internet policy is characterized by negative coordination in a system in which transnational European and global regulatory networks are likely to emerge.

Children's Rights and the Internet

The Internet is having a profound impact on childrens rights around the world. Its impact is both negative, such as with the proliferation of child pornography, and positive, in providing child advocates with new tools to promote and protect the rights of children. This article examines how international collaboration and the linking of legal systems are required to combat abuses of childrens rights on the Internet. It also explores how childrens rights organizations use the Internet to combat abuses of children on the Internet and to provide information on all childrens rights issues, respond quickly to the abuse of childrens rights, and connect children and youths in different countries to empower them to advocate for their own rights. The Internet is no substitute for strong and vibrant communities and societies, but it does provide a new and effective means for different peoples of the world to connect with one another.

Defining the Issues

The purpose of this book is to explore key emergent information technology developments for managing conflict, waging war and creating dysfunction within modern societies which are dependent on continuous information flows. It considers how the challenge is being addressed and assesses the longer-term implications and risks of these new approaches to conflict management and control. It is essentially composed of four substantive parts. Part I seeks to define the issues. Part II explores the implications of the problem and Part III presents some different (non-western) country perspectives. Finally, Part IV questions what is being done and must be done if we are to avoid being overwhelmed by competing and contradictory paradigms. The conclusion takes a tentative glimpse at innovations on the horizon and the social and political implications and ramifications.

Information: an Essential Tool for Human Rights Work

This book has attempted to illustrate how the Internet has benefited the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the world. It has also discussed the existing and potential problems which the Internet has impelled. Clearly, when using the Internet for human rights work, one should attempt to maximize the positive elements, and be aware of, and struggle against, the negative elements.

A Modelling Based Notation for the Automated Extraction and Analysis of Social Networking Data

There is a growing need for, often non-technical, organisations to analyse valuable information stored within often separate social networking systems (SNSs). Open architectures provide programmatic access to most SNSs permitting the creation of applications which may leverage information, for example statistics regarding the impact of marketing campaigns or new product or service announcements. This type of information is necessary for the development of sound evidence based social media strategies. Software products are available which provide this type of information, though for organisations to be able to tailor these to their specific needs, solutions are often very expensive. One solution would be for organisations to have the facility to build their own systems. This paper describes a research programme that will investigate developing, amending or extending a modelling notation, capable of being used by non-technical people for the development of systems to extract and analyse social networking data.

Emerging Technologies and the Human Rights Challenge of Rapidly Expanding State Surveillance Capacities

Abstracts The emergence and rapid development of a number of technologies, including mobile and ubiquitous information communication technologies, is fundamentally changing our way of living. With it new challenges and opportunities are emerging that provide for a very exciting and vibrant research agenda. This chapter explores and reviews some of the key emerging technologies and the impact of rapidly expanding state digital surveillance capabilities with citizens human rights. It argues that while there is much to gain from the technology in advancing the cause of human rights there is also much to be anxious about, such as how the technology is being used to monitor peoples every movement and intrude into their privacy and possibly violate their rights.