Movements: A Network for Connecting Human Rights Activists

"Movements.org" or "Movements" is a platform created for communication among human rights activists, connecting them with those who wish to assist them, including journalists, politicians, artists, musicians, and individuals with technical expertise. The website focuses on several regions and has been launched in multiple languages, including Persian. Any user can subscribe and send information related to human rights activists or request assistance from those willing to help. David Keyes, the founder of this website, in an interview with Radio Farda, discusses the goals of this platform and how it was created. David Keyes: "A few years ago, I was working on a joint project with the founder of Human Rights Watch, but I recently started the Movements.org project. This platform is for crowdsourcing a network of human rights activists. We have also gained corporate support from companies like Google. The idea is to connect human rights activists and those trapped in dictatorships and repressive regimes with a network of people who want and can help. Many individuals need assistance; there are many political prisoners and oppressed individuals in Iran, and I think it is necessary to mention their names so that people know them and care about their fate. The Movements.org website is a way to eliminate the 'middleman' from the equation and provides an opportunity for anyone in need to connect with someone who wants to help in the field of human rights. When you say your intention is to remove the 'middleman,' what exactly do you mean? Are you referring to social networks like Facebook and Twitter or organizations that report on human rights entities? Or do you mean that there is no longer a need for someone to play the role of an intermediary? Many social networks are good for spreading information, but I thought we need a central hub where activists can come and request any help they want in real-time. Companies like Google and Amazon have understood that there are millions of users and millions of requests, and they have found a way to establish communication between the two. As a result, very new opportunities have emerged, and it is no longer necessary to inform each individual by phone. My main goal is that behind every political activist or political prisoner, there are many journalists, videographers, artists, and lawyers, each playing their role for human rights. My effort is to form a united network against these repressive regimes as much as possible. My question, and please forgive my ignorance, is that Amazon and Google are profit-making companies and can maintain the supply and demand market because they have income and provide services in return. But how can an entity that does not have financial benefits provide suitable services to others? I am aware that there is a difference between for-profit and non-profit organizations, but there are many on both sides that do not communicate with each other. For example, I have many speaking engagements, and people ask me afterward: How can I help? The common response is: Write to your representative or convey your request to Parliament or Congress. I don't think our time is suitable for such reactions anymore. On the other hand, many people need translation to send a news item or need a place to broadcast it or have other needs. Or they even need to be told what to do to request help or where to go. Our hope is that Movements.org will be a good step to start a hub where human rights activists and supporters can connect. Another issue is the needs of different communities at different times. Perhaps the needs of civil society and protesters in Iran after the 2009 elections were different from the conditions they have today. Or a country like Syria is witnessing wartime conditions and may have different needs. How can you meet and convey these needs? There are two approaches: one from top to bottom and one from bottom to top. We do not intend to sit and say, well, let's hold classes for this many journalists, or let's prepare this many reports on repression. It is the activists themselves who can say what they need, which varies from person to person and from country to country. We have people who want to contact a specific senator or want to leave the country or have other requests. On the other side, we have people with many resources and skills who want to help. We have had comedians who said they wanted to create a program to mock dictators; we have musicians who said they want to dedicate their song to a particular political prisoner. But one of the beauties is that people can work together and meet each other's needs. As a result, there are times when the family of a political prisoner creates a statement, then a translator translates it, someone else reviews and edits it, and another person comes along and publishes it. I think we are still at a level where we do not quite know what can be done to promote democracy in the world. We have thousands of political prisoners in Iran. As long as the world does not know their names and as long as the Iranian regime does not pay a heavy price for persecuting people like "Shiva Nazar Ahari" or "Majid Tavakoli," we must keep the pressure on. Let me share my experience with you regarding the Iranian Foreign Minister when I was in New York. With Mr. Zarif. After a lunch party, I went to him and said, do you not find it ironic that you have an active Facebook account while the government in Iran has banned it? And he laughed at my face and said, "Haha, that's life!" Then I asked him: When will Majid Tavakoli be released? And he replied: I do not know him. I shared this question and answer on social media, and I was told it circulated widely in Iran, and thousands of people messaged the Iranian Foreign Minister on Facebook, and then international media covered it. Of course, the Iranian Foreign Minister attacked me multiple times on his Facebook page and even named me. But anyway, a few days after that, they released Majid Tavakoli. When the media attention faded, they returned him to prison. Therefore, there is a possibility of applying pressure. My effort is to give ordinary people the opportunity to create the necessary pressure for the advancement of human rights and to exert significant pressure on unfree regimes around the world. Another issue is maintaining the privacy and information security of users. Given the organized attacks in the virtual world in repressive regimes and even in light of Snowden's revelations in the US, how can you ensure the security of your network's users? We have, of course, sought help from cybersecurity experts and have done good work for the site, and we have been told that in the event of an attack by specialized and large groups like the Iranian government or the cyber army of China or other groups, we may be vulnerable. But one thing must be clarified here. The platform we have created is for a specific type of activists. Those who have chosen not to be secretive and continue their human rights activities openly and freely. It is for those who have broken down their walls. Because in this day and age, one cannot promise someone that their identity will remain hidden in the virtual world. For this reason, we have not made such a promise. This website is for those who have either left Iran or whose families are in New York or Los Angeles, and their family members are trying to keep the names of these activists alive in the media. As a result, official authorities in other countries are no longer deceived by the propaganda moves of people like Mohammad Javad Zarif. You just have to look at how the regime (in power in Iran) treats minorities, lawyers, women, dissidents, and bloggers, and this behavior shows what a heavy price individuals pay for the right to free speech, for example. A platform like Movements.org allows focusing on each of these individuals fighting for freedom in Iran. David Keyes: Do you have plans to activate this platform on other communication devices like smartphones or tablets? Yes. We will soon release the mobile version. Currently, we ask everyone to visit our website and show the true face of the regime and declare their solidarity and empathy against this religious regime. I also say to your readers in Persian: "Oppression and tyranny cannot last; one day this regime will fall, and Iran will become free and democratic. I hope to see Iran this way one day."