VICE News and Jigsaw just released BLACKOUT -- one of the most powerful explorations of the lives of the oppressed and what access to technology can achieve in the fight for expressive freedom.
All across the world, people are denied the ability of expression or punished for their views. According to a press release on Medium, “only 13 percent of the world enjoys a free press.”
The first episode of BLACKOUT features the LGBT community in Pakistan, which is constantly endangered by strict sharia law. In an Islamic state, like Pakistan, being gay can result in up to 10 years in prison, or worse. Pakistan is only one of 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal.
BLACKOUT: Pakistan shows how hard it can be to use technology for social good. LGBT activists in Pakistan can create private groups and pages to provide one another with support, which could, at the same time, attract surveillance that triggers violence and punishment.
Warning: it’s not easy to learn about the reality of those standing up, fighting back in some of the most oppressive parts of the world. It’s not easy to hear about the murder of three gay men who were targeted, then strangled after having sex with their murderer in Lahore, Pakistan.
Much like a rainbow at the end of a storm, Pakistan’s LGBT community is often able to rise about the tempest of predators and bigots. Gay-focused apps and webpages can have enormous power in helping achieve sexual and personal freedom within a severely oppressed community.
“All this technology is actually allowing people to mix much more,” said one of the men at NAZ Male Health Alliance, a gay support group, after acknowledging the isolation much of Pakistan feels in the first episode.
A gay woman at NAZ’s meeting was getting out of the country in three weeks with help and support from the group’s founder Qasim Iqbal. She expresses fear, and he tells her, “So we are here for you. Don’t say no one is there. We are here.”
They hug, as she sheds tears. And within seven minutes of the 16 minute episode it’s easy to understand how technology can unite persecuted communities.
Future episodes will be released every two weeks. Each episode of the series will continue to explore activists, artists, journalists and others trying to break through global barriers to human rights in places like Eritrea, Venezuela, Thailand, and Belarus.
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely one of the lucky 13 percent. However, Jigsaw went above and beyond creating this provocative series -- there’s a tool to allow the people who would be most empowered knowing the world is watching their story to view the series. It’s called uProxy, and it allows people to share their internet with someone in a repressive society according to Medium. You can read more about it here and try uProxy for yourself.
In an increasingly globally connected world, limiting access to digital freedom is generally a part of a larger human rights violation. BLACKOUT itself is a way for you to stand with those who cannot speak out for themselves. Check out the first episode here.