What can we do to better protect human rights defenders at risk?

Human Rights Defenders are often kidnapped or killed. Without information about time/place it's impossible to help and with dated information the public’s sense of urgency is lost.

We took existing assault alarm technology from the upper east New York ladies jogging in Central Park and put it on the wrists of those at risk, defending human rights in oppressed regimes.

The GSM/GPS assault alarm hardware was tested but a security protocol needed development on local and individual levels. It was connected with local partners as a complement to existing security measures. Mid January the solution was tested in Azerbaijan with great success.

Limitations and restrictions for deployment in oppressed regimes are naturally quite hard which in combination with cultural differences poses a challenge on training as well as implementation of additional security measures. Alternative ways to distribute hardware and organize local partners was put in place - information on this is for obvious reasons quite restricted.

The innovation solves a problem by connecting the problem with the world.

Without reliable information about time and place it's impossible to present any help and with dated information the global public’s sense of urgency is lost.

There was a need to identify attacks, protect those at risk locally and build global awareness around the situations. To do so we took existing GSM and GPRS based technology and adapted it to the specific security needs of human rights defenders.

The project developed everything except the alarm technology from scratch. Ranging from training, individual security protocols and appointed local contacts using the regional partner organizations of Civil Rights Defenders to a 24/7 alarm desk set up in Stockholm directing the activities in case of an alarm.

Then we used a combination of design, mobile, PR and viral campaigning to build a network of people around the world willing to receive any distress signal and to amplify it in their own social networks. By users generating the network we established the first global assault alarm system for human rights defenders powered by social media. None of the individual parts are an invention per se, but connected they make a forceful innovation working to protect those at risk.

No additional capital was needed and the alarm system was launched April 4.

The first five are now being equipped and trained, within 18 months there will be a total of 55 persons equipped.

ELECTRONICS

In accordance with Global Positioning System Standard Positioning Service Signal

Assisted GPS and back-up system using Tele Network Cell site position triangulation

GSM Communication Quad-band: 850/900 MHz & 1800/1900 MHz

Communication using GPRS/ TCP-IP protocol and SMS

Tracking sensitivity down to -162 dB

Battery: 550 mAh LiPolymer

Materials: rubber, silicone and stainless steel

Water Resistant ISO 2281. Shock ISO 1413:1984

This is a first step in a larger project with a developed hard ware portfolio already ongoing. Since the launch great interest has been shown by a large number of NGOs as well as the United Nations.

With earned media reach of 1.000.000.000 + in just two weeks funding is looking bright (+ 1.400%) and partners are starting to line up both as endorsers and as providers. In the first four days Google hits on Natalia Project went from 4.000 to 23.000.000 +. Google are now in touch wanting to elaborate further on how to contribute.

Expected social network strength was initially an accumulated reach of 100.000 individuals, since it was achieved during the first week figures are now being recalculated. With the project Civil Rights Defenders has been positioned as a force for driving change making sure that no cry for help goes unnoticed by creating a lifeline between the victims and the world. It disrupts the silence of oppressive regimes by making information about assaults known globally. In large it is redefining the protection of human rights defenders through innovation. Providing the first assault alarm system powered by social media.