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<H1 class=title>Get creative! Explore technology! Defend women's rights! Take
Back The Tech! 2010 www.<U><FONT
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<DIV class=field-items>From November 25 to December 10 Take Back The Tech! calls
on women and men to take control of technology to protect the right to freedom
of expression and information. Since it began in 2006, campaigners in more than
30 countries have used the internet, mobile phones, radio and more to document
and fight violence against women.</DIV></DIV>
<P><STRONG>Women's rights under threat online and offline</STRONG></P>
<P>Women's rights to expression and information are increasingly under threat.
The UN estimates that 95% of aggressive behaviour, harassment, abusive language
and degrading images in online spaces are <A
href="http://daccessods.un.org/TMP/7121883.html" target=_blank
rel=nofollow><FONT color=#0000ff>aimed at women</FONT></A>.</P>
<P>As more and more women go online using computers and mobile phones, many are
silenced through acts of violence, sexism and censorship. The first object that
is destroyed by a violent partners is often the women's cellphone.</P>
<P>It's critical that we are able to speak out and share our ideas to challenge
attitudes and beliefs that sustain violence against women.</P>
<P>Girl gamers have built online communities to counter the stereotype that only
boys play video games. They post their thoughts, do game reviews and highlight
games which are sexist. They are sending a clear signal to companies that
produce games like Grand Theft Auto which includes rape of sex workers as part
of its gaming strategy that this is completely unacceptable. And the video
game industry is shifting its approach in game development to become more gender
aware and inclusive.</P>
<P>It's critical that we are able to use the internet to share information and
opinions and document and tell our own stories including the stories of violence
and discrimination that many women and girls face every day. </P>
<P>All too frequently websites that bring to distribute information and call for
support on women's rights are closed down.</P>
<P>The One Million Signature Campaign has been calling for the end of
discrimination against women in Iran since 2007. Try accessing its multiple
websites. They are consistently blocked. </P>
<P>Last year the Pink Chaddi campaign was launched as a peaceful protest against
violent attacks of women who were accused to violating Indian “culture” for
frequenting pubs. The campaign's online face was a vastly popular Facebook group
which was consequently broken into and defaced. When the group owner complained
to Facebook, Facebook disabled her account - instead of helping her retake
control. The group now avoids Facebook.</P>
<P><STRONG>This year, Take Back The Tech! calls for action to defend our
right freedom of expression and information</STRONG> – the basic
building blocks for us to be able to come together, organise for change, inform
public debate, define culture, build safe spaces and end violence against
women-- Take action! Take Back The Tech!</P>
<P><STRONG>How can you Take Back The Tech!?</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><STRONG>Document abuse, contest discriminatory attitudes, share
knowledge</STRONG><BR>The first step to ending violence against women is
recognition.
<UL>
<LI>Use your mobile phone, camera, social networking spaces.. to document
the reality of violence that women where you are.
<LI>Experiment with technology you've never used before and use it in your
activism
<LI>Be as creative and as tactical as you can in your action
<LI>Make a podcast
<LI>Create a video or make a digital story
<LI>Write a blog post
<LI>Send an SMS
<LI>Map cases of violence against women in your neighbourhood
<LI>Report hacked feminist sites
<LI>Form a technical response group
<LI>Petition against censorship of women's rights web pages
<LI>Email your political representative
<LI>Tweet your political representative
<LI>Start an online community that talks about violence against women
<LI>Respond to sexist comments
<LI>Start your own Take Back the Tech! campaign!<BR>You can download the<A
href="http://www.takebackthetech.net/organise/campaign-kit"
rel=nofollow> Take Back The Tech! campaign kit</A> from our
website to help you get started. </LI></UL></LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI><STRONG><A
href="http://www.takebackthetech.net/connect/make-stand-build-conversation-and-share-what-you-know"
rel=nofollow><FONT color=#0000ff>Share</FONT></A> your Take Back The
Tech! campaign </STRONG><BR>Build the women's rights movement and share
your campaign.
<UL>
<LI>Create an account on the Take Back The Tech! website and write about
your campaign - where is it, who's part of it, what did you do, where to get
more information, what's the web address etc.
<LI>Upload your pictures, audio or video clips, designs, posters or other
multimedia content for other campaigners to share.
<LI>Put a Take Back The Tech! icon on your campaign site and spaces.
<LI>If you're on <A href="http://twitter.com/takebackthetech"
rel=nofollow><FONT color=#0000ff>Twitter</FONT></A>, use the campaign
hashtag #takebackthetech - pass on info and start a conversation.
<LI>Join our <A
href="http://lists.apcwomen.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/takebackthetech"
rel=nofollow><FONT color=#0000ff>mailing list</FONT></A>, or join us
on <A href="http://apps.facebook.com/causes/40159/2576275?m=e9565b6e"
rel=nofollow><FONT color=#0000ff>Facebook</FONT></A> and share your
campaign! </LI></UL></LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI><STRONG>Join the global campaign</STRONG><BR>From 25 Nov to 10 Dec, Take
Back The Tech! invites you to take one action per day to end violence against
women.
<UL>
<LI><STRONG><A href="http://www.takebackthetech.net/take-action/16days"
rel=nofollow>Do a daily action</A>.</STRONG> The actions are simple,
small and concrete steps that you can take to help defend our right to
freedom of expression and information – and you might learn some new
technical trick to use in your work in future! Get together with friends or
do them on your own.
<LI><A href="http://www.takebackthetech.net/write/blog-with-us"
rel=nofollow><STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff>Blog with
us!</FONT></STRONG></A> Join the Take Back The Tech! community of
bloggers and post your thoughts on violence against women during the
campaign period. Visit the campaign website to find out how.
<LI><A
href="mailto:ideas@takebackthetech.net?subject=Ideas%20for%20the%20campaign"
rel=nofollow><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>Suggest an
action</STRONG>.</FONT></A> Help shape the campaign by sharing your
experience & ideas. If you have thoughts, email us or log on to the
site, and make it part of the campaign. </LI></UL></LI></UL>
<P><STRONG>Check the website daily from November 25 to December 10 and take
action. <BR>Get creative! Explore technology! Defend our right to freedom
of expression & information! <BR>And Take Back the
Tech!</STRONG><BR> <BR>For more information: <A
href="mailto:ideas@takebackthetech.net%20?subject=Take%20Back%20The%20Tech%21%202010"
rel=nofollow><FONT
color=#0000ff>ideas@takebackthetech.net </FONT></A><BR>Campaign
kit: <A href="http://www.takebackthetech.net/organise/campaign-kit"
target=_blank
rel=nofollow>www.takebackthetech.net/organise/campaign-kit</A><BR>Twitter: <A
href="http://twitter.com/takebackthetech" target=_blank rel=nofollow><FONT
color=#0000ff>@takebackthetech</FONT></A> #takebackthetech<BR>Mailing
list: <A
href="http://lists.apcwomen.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/takebackthetech"
target=_blank rel=nofollow><FONT
color=#0000ff>http://lists.apcwomen.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/takebackthetech</FONT></A><BR>Facebook: <A
href="http://apps.facebook.com/causes/40159/2576275?m=e9565b6e" target=_blank
rel=nofollow><FONT
color=#0000ff>http://apps.facebook.com/causes/40159/2576275?m=e9565b6e</FONT></A></P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Bazlu<BR>_________________________<BR>AHM. Bazlur
Rahman-S21BR<BR>Chief Executive Officer<BR>Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and
Communication (BNNRC)<BR>[NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN
Economic and Social Council]<BR>& <BR>Head, Community Radio Academy
<BR> <BR>House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 <BR>Post Box: 5095,
Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh<BR> <BR>Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501<BR>Cell:
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ceo@bnnrc.net">ceo@bnnrc.net</A> <A
href="http://www.bnnrc.net">www.bnnrc.net</A><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>