The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR 2016) estimates that over 65 million have been forced from home. Over 20 million are refugees and more than half of those are under the age of 18.
Internet access and mobile phones play a pivotal role in providing information, helping families to stay connected and giving newcomers the necessary tools to being able to start a new life in another part of the world.
Considering that offline rights should be protected online (UNHRC 2014) is enough being done to ensure equal access and to protect the rights refugees and displaced people? What sort of political, technical and social cultural challenges arise in order to enable, and protect the rights of refugees online and allow their fully participate in the online environment?
Following up on the discussion initiated at this year’s EuroDIG ("Confronting the Digital Divide" Workshop Sessions), and drawing on the work of the Internet Rights and Principles Coalition (IRPC) and the Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet, this session takes a focused and practical approach to apply human rights principles to existing discriminatory structures.
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