[School-GNU-Linux] Wikileaks, internet and Democracy - signature campaign

From: Senthil S <senthilsos@xxxxxxxxx>
To: schoolgnu@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 10:48:59 +0530 (IST)
Wikileaks, Internet and Democracy | http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/
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Let us consider this hypothetical scenario:

You are working in a government department. You come across a secret government 
document. The document is in digital format . The document  has the names of 
Swiss bank account holders in India. The document names  important corporate 
heads, bureaucrats and political leaders . The document also has information on 
illegal sources of these funds. But, you are under the oath of secrecy not to 
reveal this. 

However you see that important people in power are doing clearly illegitimate 
things. You would want the public to know this, in the interest of the ordinary 
man. Your conscience doesn't allow you to grow numb and be silent like rest of 
the crowd. 
Then, you decide to be a whistleblower, ready to face any dire consequences, 
which might pose threat to your career, or something more important.

You think of passing this information to a media house. However you see that 
the media houses are working closely with some of the corporates who have been 
named in the report and stories are being planted . You come to the realization 
that the media is dominated by  paid news. Their major reporters are at a phone 
call reach to some of the powerful lobbyists.

Instead of being depressed and/or dejected, if you face this personal scenario 
with courage, you could be a person worth your salt by using a gamut of Free 
Software (Free as in Freedom) like the TOR, and send this information safely 
and discreetly via the internet to a publisher called the Wikileaks. 

What is Wikileaks? Is it important, or firstly is it necessary? 
Want to protect your own freedom and the right to voice the truth. Want to 
understand Free Software and the technology behind Wikileaks. Want to 
understand how the advent of the internet has enabled Free Software and a 
publishing format like the Wikileaks. 

Once you've read this mail, please visit http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/, 
where we have put together some material about Wikileaks and Web Democracy, 
which we think are important and essential.

Here is an excerpt from the Hindu Editorial which apprehends about the threat 
to freedom to disseminate information.

" For instance, draft rule 3(2)(a) for intermediaries requires the user not to 
publish or display information that belongs to another person. Potentially, 
secret documents ferreted out by investigative journalists or whistleblowers in 
the public interest may be interpreted to belong to a third party — and blocked 
from the public domain" 
[http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article1515144.ece]

This means a publisher like Julian Assange (Editor in Chief of Wikileaks) who 
uses the Internet to publish suppressed material obtained via whistleblowers, 
could be in jail if he happens to do that in India. 

Watch some important videos on Wikileaks and understand the smear campaign on 
Wikileaks:

http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/Video+-+Julian+Assange+speaks+to+Steve+Kroft%2CCBS

How can you support and be part of this campaign
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1) Popularize this page and presentation on the page. Ask more friends to write 
and blog about it
2) Distribute support Wikileaks stickers 
3) Organise video shows in your college, glug, ngo, institutes, home - we will 
be happy to meet you and share the videos
4) Organise talks by Whistleblowers
5) Invite us for a talk on wikileaks, internet and democracy
6) Send us comments to add in the page and add content to the campaign page
7) Sign up on the Support Wikileaks Signature campaign 
page: http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/Signature+campaign

Visit http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/ for more details and campaign material. 

-- 
Raghavendra S
+919986168349
http://ideasareimmortal.blogspot.com/
[School-GNU-Linux] Wikileaks, internet and Democracy - signature campaign

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