Now despite being a digital rights activist by profession, I still consider myself an environmentalist, free software advocate, a critical news junkie, a sexual/reproductive health rights advocate, and a consumer of art and creative storytelling. I decided to support the following organizations to reflect my dedication to these causes, and to remind myself of the kick ass work these groups do.
As I’ve started to blog on freedom of expression issues in the broader Asian area for EFF, I’ve come to truly appreciate the invaluable work RWB is doing on the forefront of many critical global issues. I’ve cited to them countless times, and hope that they continue to do excellent professional journalism in the far-reaches of the world.
I recently started listening to Democracy Now’s War and Peace report every morning and I really don’t think you can beat their domestic and international coverage of important political news. Bless their souls for not filling their hour with distracting analysis and all the other useless rhetorical crap that comes with most news outlets. When they have guest interviews, Amy Goodman and Co. always ask the meaty questions without any of the overt pandering that turns me off to most broadcast interviews. In short, they’re what news shows oughta be.
They do more than any other organization I know to defend reproductive and sexual rights in the States. They’re doing all they can to fight for women’s right to stay sexually healthy and choose the fate of their own uteruses and I really appreciate it.
National Resources Defense Council
Over the year, I must’ve signed over 30 petitions and letters regarding the XL Pipeline crisis. I wanted to give to an environmental rights organization and this one was recommended to me.
Global Information Internship Program (GIIP)
I still believe the Internet fundamentally brings out the best in us. GIIP is what turned me on to the idea that the Internet can and should be a powerfully effective space for bringing about social change. During all my four undergraduate years at UC Santa Cruz, I helped run this program which taught college students how to be tech activists, training them in tech skills like web development, database design, and digital storytelling, while turning them into critical readers and writers to help them clarify their mission and goals for project planning and grant writing to raise their own funding for whatever project and cause they were passionate about. I still haven’t heard of any other program like this but I hope others like this get duplicated.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Our fight for a free Internet is only getting started, and since working for EFF I’ve truly come to realize that this war against greedy special interests and unchecked malignant government control needs to be fought at many fronts with all creative means necessary. We defend a free and open Internet in the courts, in the media, in the blogosphere, and on the ground by providing user’s with the tools and knowledge to empower themselves. Is it weird to give to your employer? Maybe, but that doesn’t prevent me from donating to them.
Intimate, informative, priceless stories always told with such simple eloquence. Don’t feel a need to say more.
I came across Brain Pickings after reading an article by Maria Popova, its founder and editor. She wrote this awesome piece (one of the many) refuting Malcolm Gladwell’s out-of-touch claim that social media such as Twitter in fact prevents people from enacting social change, rather than being a tool that helps advance social movements. After a bit of Googling I found out she was a fellow TED-addict who runs this blog/website curating various Internet findings including videos, images, articles, and books. I recommend subscribing to their daily emails or following them on Twitter for consistent doses of inspiration and creativity.
FreePress defends the collective information space we call the media. They’ve done a lot this year preventing the telecom merger between AT&T and T-Mobile and I’d definitely attribute this huge win to them. They also completely won my heart after attending their inspiring conference in April and meeting so many awesome people defending public media across the country.
= Wikipedia. That’s all I’m gotta say.
As someone who is convinced that existing copyright laws in fact do more harm than good in promoting innovation and creativity, it only made sense to give back to the single non-profit doing more to take back our human right to share and collaborate ideas. While they’ve been on my radar for a while now, I finally got around to donating to them.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
One of the biggest muscles we got protecting the First Amendment, due process, privacy, and equal protection rights. While they aren’t able to take on every case, I feel safer knowing that they’re out there defending the greater cause for individual rights and liberties…even if it means representing the less-than appealing clients. They’re legal superheroes as far as I’m concerned.
~ fin ~