This is a U.S. government-sponsored event occurring in a country where activists were recently responsible for the overthrow of a despotic regime. These activists are vested in protecting their identity and personal information from any government in order to avoid (at the very least) profiling. My concern is that USAID may have coerced an OpenITP activist training event in order to gather personal information on Tunisian activists who recently were responsible for overthrowing a Middle Eastern government.
I have been told that USAID insisted that OpenITP gather identifying information on every attendee. I demand that OpenITP immediately publish a blog post clarifying: 1. Why this rule was established, 2. What information was collected, 3. How that information was collected, 4. How the authenticity of that information was verified, 5. Who suggested this rule, 6. Who enforced this rule, 7. Who currently holds the personal information of Tunisian activists. Until such a blog post is published I will be discouraging all activists in Lebanon and the Middle East from working with OpenITP and will be personally withdrawing all my support and endorsement of this organization. NK On 2012-12-02, at 6:56 PM, Collin Anderson <col...@averysmallbird.com> wrote: > Please elaborate on how requiring a real name endangered Tunisian activists. > > On Sunday, December 2, 2012, Nadim Kobeissi <na...@nadim.cc> wrote: > > If by "fumble" you mean "endangering Tunisian activists at the behest of a > > U.S. Government agency," then we just might be on the right page. > > If OpenITP doesn't want to be misinterpreted, they would do better to > > publish a blog post on these circumstances instead of hushing them up. > > NK > > On 2012-12-02, at 5:30 PM, Collin Anderson <col...@averysmallbird.com> > > wrote: > > > > The event organizers made an unfortunate mistake in trying to reach out to > > the public. The problem was that there were sensitivities concurrent to the > > event. The real names policy was to try to ensure that certain people were > > not subject to harassment or surveillance. As an attendee it was clear > > OpenITP was trying hard not to hold an event in Tunisia that ignored the > > environment that it entered. Unfortunately this attempted outreach clearly > > backfired. I would call out malicious intent if it existed, but in this > > case it was an issue of exigent circumstances and unpredictable conditions > > that made a fumble look like a conspiracy. > > > > On Sunday, December 2, 2012, Nadim Kobeissi <na...@nadim.cc> wrote: > >> I have a meeting with personnel from State next week and I will be > >> certainly raising this issue. > >> > >> NK > >> > >> > >> On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 5:07 PM, Asher Wolf <asherw...@cryptoparty.org> > >> wrote: > >>> > >>> The ideals of Cryptoparty include the protection of personal privacy. > >>> This is why this situation is so worrying. > >>> > >>> Asher > >>> > >>> On 3/12/12 2:03 AM, Nadim Kobeissi wrote: > >>> > Betrayal of the ideals of Cryptoparty? That is the very least of my > >>> > worries. What I'm worried about is why is USAID coercing Tunisian > >>> > activists > >>> > to give up their names and personal data?! > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > NK > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 5:00 PM, Asher Wolf > >>> > <asherw...@cryptoparty.org>wrote: > >>> > > >>> >> If there was a real name policy - regardless of whether it was a front > >>> >> or who collected the names - it was a betrayal of the ideals of > >>> >> Cryptoparty. > >>> >> > >>> >> - Asher. > >>> >> > >>> >> On 3/12/12 1:51 AM, Nadim Kobeissi wrote: > >>> >>> Hi, > >>> >>> Can anyone from OpenITP please explain to me how it is acceptable to > >>> >> force > >>> >>> everyone to show ID at a CryptoParty? I am *extremely* disturbed by > >>> >>> this > >>> >>> news, especially regarding USAID funding of OpenITP's event and > >>> >>> regarding > >>> >>> the notion that this was occurring in Tunisia. > >>> >>> > >>> >>> Was OpenITP organizing this Cryptoparty as an intelligence gathering > >>> >>> operation? > >>> >>> > >>> >> > >>> >> -- > >>> >> Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: > >>> >> https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech > >>> >> > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > -- > >>> > Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: > >>> > https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech > >>> > > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: > >>> https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech > >> > >> > > > > -- > > Collin David Anderson > > averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C. > > -- > > Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: > > https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech > > > > -- > Collin David Anderson > averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C. > > -- > Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: > https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech
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