Update on the Benetech Human Rights Program
New Tactics: How have Benetech’s human rights projects developed over the last three years?
Benetech HR: Over the last 3 years the Human Rights Program at Benetech has grown both in terms of the type of work we do and the communities where we have impact. In 2003, the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (formerly at the American Association for the Advancement of Science,) led by Dr. Patrick Ball, joined Benetech. This merger of HRDAG’s statistical and data-centric field experience with Benetech’s software development expertise on Martus has strengthened Benetech’s efforts in the human rights and social justice sectors. We have also expanded our base of partners and projects around the world, and are currently working with groups in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
- Visit http://www.martus.org/concept/project_update.shtml for information on recent projects.
How do human rights practitioners become aware of and access your resources? How do Martus and HRDAG support activists who lack the technological resources to download the software easily, and how have you been working to increase access?
Many human rights groups hear about us through word of mouth (other NGOs, references from their funders/partners etc.) and through websites/conferences/mailing lists. We have worked to provide access through our website for people with limited internet capability (e.g. allowing Martus to be downloaded in small pieces that will fit on floppy disks for groups whose computers do not have CD drives, or cannot download large files). And quite often, for groups who cannot download, we mail CDs or distribute them through our network when our field consultants or partners travel to specific countries. We have designed the Martus software to work on old/slow computers with or without internet access, and provided configuration options to deal with many of the situations activists encounter and allow customization.
Please share with us some specific applications of your tools.
Colombia, September 2005
From the Beneblog by Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Benetech:
"We created our Martus software to help protect human rights information. However, the confidential nature of field human rights work often makes it difficult for us to share our successes, lest we add to the risks grassroots activists already take on as part of their daily tasks." Read more about how Martus helped EQUITAS, a Colombian human rights organization, protect and recover information after an attack on one of its staff.
Timor Leste, Feburary 2006
Benetech’s Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) and the Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation (CAVR in Portuguese) produce a statistical report detailing systematic deadly violence in Timor Leste, 1979-1999. This analysis, based on a database of three independent sources: narrative statements, a retrospective mortality survey, and a census of public graveyards, estimates that 102,800 (+/- 11,000) Timorese died as a result of the conflict.
More information and current updates may be found at the following sites:
- http://www.martus.org - Martus software information, downloads, and documentation.
- http://www.hrdag.org - Human Rights Data Analysis Group information and projects.
- http://www.benetech.org - Benetech main site.
- http://www.hrdag.org/about/projects.shtml
- http://www.martus.org/resources/publications.shtml (overview of Martus in various languages)
- http://www.martus.org/concept/project_update.shtml
- http://www.martus.org/resources/press_room.shtml
Contact email: info [at] martus [dot] org / info [at] hrdag [dot] org
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