- A Human Right
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A Human Right Founder(s) Kosta Grammatis Type Non-profit Organization Founded 2010 Key people Nigel Seale, Noah Samara, Suyash Tiwari, Thomas Curran Area served World-wide Mission "... to improve the human condition by advocating for and safeguarding global access to information as a human right." Website AHumanRight.org A Human Right is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free basic internet and phone access to developing countries, and to citizens of countries whose government has cut off their internet access.[1]
In December, 2010 they launched Buy This Satellite, a fundraising effort to purchase the TerreStar-1 communications satellite, after its owner, TerreStar Corporation, filed for bankruptcy. The idea to purchase the satellite developed out of a meeting in Berlin of thirty people under the age of thirty, described by A Human Right's founder, Kosta Grammatis, as a "do tank" (as opposed to a "think tank"). A Human Right hopes that providing internet access to impoverished regions of the world would help to solve many of their problems, such as shortages of food, potable water, and health care. Grammatis believes that, "People are ingenious. If you give people access to information, they can solve their own problems."[2]
Internet and phone access to citizens of countries whose government has shut down all communications is another benefit proposed by A Human Right. This was inspired by the 2011 Egyptian protests, where the government shut down internet and phone access to its citizens.[3][4]
The goal of A Human Right is to have a satellite in geo-synchronous orbit over Africa, which would provide free internet access to African nations.[3] A Human Right intends to pay for the operation of the satellite through buying and reselling high-speed bandwidth while providing low-bandwidth internet for free. They are also working on developing an open-source, low-cost modem as part of providing internet access to those who can't currently pay for it.[5]
Notes
- ^ Staedter, Tracy (02-09-2011). "Free Internet For All". Discovery News. Discovery Communications. http://news.discovery.com/tech/free-internet-for-all.html. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Heussner, Ki Mae (12-03-2010). "Satellite for Sale: Buy It, Bring Web to Developing World". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/buy-satellite-bring-web-access-developing-world/story?id=12298086&page=1. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ a b Fields, Jim (01-31-2011). "As Egypt Shuts Down the Internet, One Group Wants Online Access for All". Time Magazine (Time, Inc.). http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2045428,00.html. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Fox, Zoe (02-02-2011). "Looking to Aid Egyptians? Perhaps You Want to "Buy This Satellite"". Time Magazine (Time, Inc.). http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/02/looking-to-aid-egyptians-perhaps-you-want-to-buy-this-satellite/. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Hsu, Jeremy (12-22-2010). "One man's plan for free Internet for the world, via satellite". The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2010/1222/One-man-s-plan-for-free-Internet-for-the-world-via-satellite. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
External links
- A Human Right
- Buy This Satellite
- TEDxAthens Video of Kosta Grammatis describing A Human Right and Buy This Satellite.
Categories:- Non-profit organizations
- Human rights organizations
- Organizations established in 2010
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