Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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The Martus Human Rights Bulletin System - Global

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Developed by The Benetech Initiative, The Martus Human Rights Bulletin System provides secure worldwide tracking and documentation of human rights abuses. The software is designed to assist human rights organisations in collecting, safeguarding, organising, and disseminating information about human rights abuses. The purpose of the initiative is to help preserve evidence for research, investigation, and prosecutions, and advocacy efforts. Martus was first implemented in the Philippines.
Communication Strategies

The software and its source code are available for download (free of charge) at The Martus site. Currently available in English and Spanish, the software may be customised to other languages.

The software is designed to enable grassroots NGOs to quickly create text-based bulletins about human rights violations. These records are then securely stored on off-site servers. Built-in encryption is used to safeguard data, and information is backed up and replicated in multiple locations to protect against loss. The software is provided in an open source format in order to encourage easy code review conducive to an atmosphere of trust and collaboration.

In the Philippines, The Asia Foundation is sponsoring and facilitating the first implementation and training of the Martus software in the 22 offices of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, and a network of domestic human rights organisations. In February, 2003, the software will be installed on Internet-connected workstations.

The software was designed in consultation with human rights groups and experts worldwide. Beta testing took place in Guatemala, Russia, Sri Lanka, and the United States.

Development Issues

Rights, Technology.

Key Points

Martus is the Greek word for witness.

According to organisers, much of the violation and abuse information gathered by grassroots human rights groups is lost to confiscation, destruction, or neglect, making it difficult for prosecutors, truth commissions, and others to use the information as evidence to hold the perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable for many of their crimes.

The Benetech Initiative is a U.S.-based nonprofit that develops technology projects addressing major social problems in areas such as disability, human rights, literacy, education, and the digital divide. The Asia Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit working on the ground in Asia to support programmes that help improve governance and law, economic reform and development, women's participation, and international relations. Aspiration, an organisation specialising in nonprofit technology implementation, supported the development and introduction of the Martus system.

Future applications of the Martus software for social justice groups include monitoring other issues like violence against women, human trafficking, environmental destruction, and hate crimes.

Partners

The Benetech Initiative, The Asia Foundation, and Aspiration. The Martus Project was funded by a grant from the Information Program of the Open Society Institute, as well as by individual donors and the Benetech Initiative itself.

Sources

Press release forwarded by Brendan Nyhan to Bytes-for-All Readers list server on January 15, 2003.