Science and technology have long been used by repressive governments, terrorists, militias, and others to enforce their political views and to deprive people of their rights, their homes, even their lives. The Holocaust may be the most horrendous example of the misuse of technology in such ways, but there is certainly no shortage of other, more current examples. In recent years, however, as international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and progressive governments have begun to focus attention on human rights abuses worldwide, science and technology have also been enlisted in fighting the abuse of human rights.

Using the tools of science and technology to advance human rights can take many forms. Television can bring the realities of war in Africa, of "ethnic cleansing" in East Timor, and of the work of death squads in Central America into the living rooms of people around the world, creating a demand for U.N. or other international intervention. The Internet can provide a means for human rights activists to communicate with supporters in other parts of the world. And encryption technology can make their communications secure from their enemies. DNA analysis and forensic anthropology can be used to identify murder victims and, as has been done in Argentina, to reunite children of the "disappeared" with surviving relatives.

Even statistics and database technology can be put to work. Data from human rights investigations can be processed, organized and analyzed (as has been done with the massive files of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and with similar groups in Guatemala, Honduras and elsewhere) in ways that make it possible to link perpetrators to specific instances of abuse and, in many cases, help bring the perpetrators to justice. And, as in innovative statistical work done recently in Kosovo, data from disparate sources (including surveys of refugees, border crossing records, and other data) can be brought together to draw conclusions, in this case to ascertain whether ethnic Albanians were fleeing their villages because of the NATO bombing or because they were driven out by the Yugoslav military.

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AAAS Science and Human Rights Program. Part of the Directorate for Science and Policy Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, this program is one of the pioneers in the application of science and technology to human rights. Its efforts span the full range of activities described in the paragraphs above. It is one of my areas of responsibility in my role as Director of Science Policy for AAAS.

Witness--a project of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. By giving human rights activists around the world access to video cameras, training, and associated equipment, this project hopes to mobilize public concern and activism, bringing human rights issues into the midst of political debate. The project has attracted the involvement of various rock stars (including Peter Gabriel) and other celebrities and has gained considerable media attention. Representative videos are available on the site.

Student Pugwash USA. One of the themes of this organization, whose mission is "to promote the socially responsible application of science and technology in the 21st century" is Science, Technology and Human Rights. Volume 3, Number 3 of its journal Technology and Human Rights, can be downloaded via a link on this site (but note that the link goes directly to a large PDF file).

The Impact of Technology on Human Rights: Global Case Studies, a special project of the United Nations University, edited by C.G. Weeramantry (1993). The full text of this book on line in HTML.

Amnesty International. Although the site itself is an effective use of technology (with news alerts, opportunities to get involved, links, and more) it does not pay special attention to technology and human rights.

Human Rights Internet. A portal site for human rights in cyberspace, based in Ottawa, Canada, and providing a vast set of links and a great deal of other information.

"The Impact of Technology on Human Rights," a 1997 paper in Privacy Law and Policy Reporter by Justice Michael Kirby of the Australian High Court.

Monitors: A Journal of Human Rights and Technology. Volume 1, Number 1 is on line. However, the site, based at the University of Texas at Austin, does not seem to have been updated in several years, and the current status of the journal is not clear.

"Web Boosts Human Rights Activism," a short article by Eugene Ford on Philanthropy News Network Online, July 12, 1999.

Technology and Human Rights Project of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa (Canada). This project, established in 1994, is intended to "monitor the impact of electronic communications networks on human rights and the democratic process."

Timor and Technology: Human Rights in the New Media Age." A paper by Rae Harrild of Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

"Genetic Technology: Constructing a New Language for International Human Rights," a Human Rights Brief by Maha F. Munayyer of the Washington College of Law, American University (Washington, DC).