For those of us who have access to it, the internet has become an essential part of our daily information and communication needs. However millions of people still do not have affordable, reliable or sufficient connectivity. APC believes the internet is a global public good. Founded in 1990, we are an international network and non-profit organisation that wants everyone to have access to a free and open internet to improve our lives and create a more just world.

What people say about APC / What the media says about APC

International call on Moroccan authorities to drop charges against human rights defenders

17 November 2015 (APCNews)


We, international human rights, peace and freedom of expression organizations, are gravely concerned about the harassment and prosecution of seven human rights defenders and journalists in Morocco.

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Brazilian activist Carlos Afonso awarded the 2015 Betinho Communications Prize

JOAO PESSOA 13 November 2015 (Flavia Fascendini for APCNoticias)

At the Association for Progressive Communication’s (APC) 25th anniversary celebrations held on 12 November in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, APC announced Carlos Afonso as the winner of the 2015 Betinho Prize. In a standing ovation, the prize was handed over by Anriette Esterhuyssen, APC’s executive director, and Eddie Farwell, APC’s first coordinator and executive director.

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GISWatch 2015 – Sexual rights and the internet: Launched at IGF 2015

JOAO PESSOA 12 November 2015 (Leila Nachawati Rego for APCNews)


How does the politics of sex and sexual rights activism take place online? How are generally accepted sexual identities, as well as marginalised sexualities, expressed, regulated and moralised on the internet? These are some of the questions addressed by the latest edition of the “Global Information Society Watch report (GISWatch), launched at the Internet Governance Forum.

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African Internet Rights. Whose rights are these anyway?, at IGF 2015

JOÃO PESSOA 11 November 2015 (Leila Nachawati Rego for APCNews)

African Internet Rights. Whose rights are these anyway? was the provocative title of a panel that explored how policy frameworks affect human rights on the continent.

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Latin America in a Glimpse, at IGF 2015

JOAO PESSOA 9 November 2015 (Leila Nachawati Rego for APCNews)

Among the most controversial issues that Latin America has faced in 2015 are the arrival of Free Basics (formerly Internet.org) and surveillance on the internet, including the Hacking Team revelations. To present these issues in their context, Derechos Digitales and APC launched a summary of the digital rights arena in the region in 2015 at an Internet Governance Forum pre-event.

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Disco-tech event at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2015)

JOAO PESSOA 8 November 2015 (APC for APCNews)

Join our Disco-tech event on practical steps that members of civil society can take to protect themselves and their activism, and to explore the question of whether one can remain anonymous in the data society.

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Julián Casasbuenas: "APC has had a great effect on all its member organisations"

PERGAMINO 6 November 2015 (Flavia Fascendini for APCNoticias)

During the APC Latin America and the Caribbean members meeting held in Mexico City, we interviewed Julián Casasbuenas, director of Colombian APC member Colnodo and current chair of the APC Board. He shared his thoughts about APC’s 25-year history.

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APC's priorities for the 10th Internet Governance Forum, Brazil, 2015

6 November 2015 (APC for APCNews)

The 10th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be held in João Pessoa, Brazil, from 10 to 13 November 2015 with the overall theme of “Evolution of Internet Governance: Empowering Sustainable Development”. In this document are APC’s priorities for IGF 2015, clustered according to the event’s sub-themes.

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New issue paper: Women’s rights, gender and Internet governance

5 November 2015 (Avri Doria for the “End violence: Women’s rights and safety online” project)

This issue paper addresses the degree to which gender and women’s rights feature in Internet governance, in multiple interconnected ways including, but certainly not limited to, access, content and representation. Gender and women’s rights occupy a largely rhetorical role in today’s discussion of Internet governance.

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Betinho Communications Prize: Recognising remarkable contributions in using the internet for social justice and development

4 November 2015 (APC for APCNews)

We are re-launching the Betinho Communications Prize, which will go to the most significant contribution in using the internet for social justice and development. And we are doing it at a very symbolic time for APC.

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APC at the 2015 IGF

3 November 2015 (APC for APCNews)

APC is mobilising for the 10th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in João Pessoa, Brazil on 10–13 November 2015. Leading and participating in workshops and side events and prompting dialogue around internet rights, public access and digital privacy, APC will play a key role in influencing internet governance around the world. This page is your go-to resource.

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Internet Rights Are Human Rights training workshops roll out in India, Malaysia and Pakistan

3 November 2015 (APCNews)

In India, Malaysia and Pakistan, technology-related human rights violations are commonplace, yet few human rights defenders and civil society organisations have the capacity to identify and respond to technology-related human rights violations. The APC-IMPACT project is using the Internet Rights Are Human Rights curriculum to provide human rights defenders with knowledge, tools, networks and support to respond to these violations, and to communicate more safely online.

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APC-IMPACT: Research on internet rights in India, Malaysia and Pakistan

3 November 2015 (APC for APCNews)


Since we launched the Advocacy for Change through Technology (APC IMPACT) project, APC has been working with members and partners in India, Malaysia and Pakistan to protect and promote human rights on the internet. As part of the project, our partners have developed a baseline of research that has already produced three papers.

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GISWatch 2015 – Sexual rights and the internet: Launching on 12 November!

2 November 2015 (Leila Nachawati Rego for APCNews)


How does the politics of sex and sexual rights activism take place online? How are generally accepted sexual identities, as well as marginalised sexualities, expressed, regulated and moralised on the internet? These are some of the questions that this year’s edition of the Global Information Society Watch report (GISWatch 2015) aims to respond to.

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APC at the 2015 IGF: Event coverage

30 October 2015 (APC for APCNews)

Follow APC at the 2015 IGF online

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multistakeholder policy dialogue space convened by the United Nations Secretary General in 2006 to “foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the internet.” At APC, we have been involved in the IGF since its inception, using it as a time for our community to come together, share expe

Featured publications

  • International call on Moroccan authorities to drop charges against human rights defenders

    We, international human rights, peace and freedom of expression organizations, are gravely concerned about the harassment and prosecution of seven human rights defenders and journalists in Morocco.
  • The government of Pakistan must take immediate measures to protect the privacy of citizens, halt plans for mass surveillance

    ISLAMABAD (9 November 2015) – Under the Islamabad Safe City Project, Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has started installing 1,950 surveillance cameras across the federal capital, raising serious concerns among citizens about surveillance, the right to privacy and data protection.
  • APC's priorities for the 10th Internet Governance Forum, Brazil, 2015

    The 10th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be held in João Pessoa, Brazil, from 10 to 13 November 2015 with the overall theme of “Evolution of Internet Governance: Empowering Sustainable Development”. In this document are APC’s priorities for IGF 2015, clustered according to the event’s sub-themes.
  • Women’s rights, gender and Internet governance

    This issue paper addresses the degree to which gender and women’s rights feature in Internet governance, in multiple interconnected ways including, but certainly not limited to, access, content and representation. Gender and women’s rights occupy a largely rhetorical role in today’s discussion of Internet governance.
  • Facts on #TakeBacktheTech

    Since Friday, 9 October 2015, a mounting online attack has been launched against the Twitter hashtag #TakeBacktheTech and associated initiatives. The attack against APC and Take Back the Tech and efforts to hijack the #takebackthetech hashtag, which has involved people who self-associate with #Gamergate posting threats targeting members of our community and images that depict women being subjected to physical and sexual violence, illustrate how women’s and girls’ voices are silenced on social networking platforms by violent and sexist expression.
  • Take Action for #TakeBackTheTech and #ImagineAFeministInternet

    On 9th of October 2015, misogynists, trolls and a variety of people who associate with the #Gamergate hashtag decided to occupy and corrupt the #TakeBackTheTech and #ImagineAFeministInternet hashtags by posting thousands of anti-feminist and misogynistic tweets and memes. This attack is the response to a tweet chat organised by the Internet Governance Forum Best Practice Forum on Countering Online Violence and Abuse, to discuss the impact of such violence. This online attack against feminist activism online is deliberate, planned and coordinated, and it’s only one example of the attacks that feminists face online.
  • Open Letter to Facebook on Real Name Policy

    “It’s time for Facebook to provide equal treatment and protection for all who use and depend on Facebook as a central platform for online expression and communication.”
  • Open letter: Challenging the feminicide of woman human rights defender Nadia Dominique Vera Perez; the feminicide of Yesenia Quiroz Alfaro, Mile Martin and Alejandra Negrete Virginia; and the murder of photojournalist Ruben Bonilla Espinosa

    The government institutions in Mexico have not met their obligation to protect and ensure a safe environment for people to promote and defend rights without risk of reprisal. The level of impunity in cases of attacks and murders of human rights defenders is alarming. The feminicide of woman human rights defender Nadia Dominique Vera Perez, the feminicide of Yesenia Quiroz Alfaro, Mile Virginia Martin and Alejandra Negrete, and the murder of photojournalist Ruben Bonilla Espinosa are despicable evidence of the above.
  • ICTs for Feminist Movement Building: Activist Toolkit

    This toolkit aims to assist activists to think through their communication strategies in a way that supports movement building. It offers a practical guide to writing a communication strategy and reviews a number of tools (ICTs) and technology-related campaigns which can be used in organising work.
  • APC Annual Report 2014

    APC’s Annual Report for 2014 highlights the achievements of our membership and organisation towards securing and defending internet access and rights, fostering good internet governance, strengthening use and development of transformative technology, ending technology-based violence against women and girls, and strengthening APC community networks. Dozens of stories from around the world provide a look back at APC’s most significant moments in 2014.

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What people say about #APC25

"When I was working for SANGONeT in the early 2000s, I was invited to give a presentation at an APC workshop in Johannesburg. I forget what I spoke about. All I remember was: Colour. A wash of colour. Hair, clothes, accents, perspectives. And the energy was different to what I was used to. So many people, from so many different countries - it blew me away. A few years later, I started working on APC projects as a freelancer, and then later as a staff member too. That sense of colour has never gone away. APC has connected me to different cultures in ways that are profound, and unusual. It's something that feels so ordinary now for me, but I don't think it is. Coming from such an inward-looking country, it has been a great richness to connect outwards." -- Alan Finlay, South Africa

"As an individual, APC has given me the opportunity to meet different people and share with them on different subjects. As an organisation, we have opportunities through APC to meet different organisations, build South-South and North-South project collaborations, and use face-to-face meetings to get to know each other and share our common views on how ICTs can better improve the lives of communities and citizens. Joyeux Anniversaire, APC!" -- Avis Momeni, PROTEGE QV, Cameroon

"I think that the main contribution made by APC has been to increase the visibility of the role of civil society organisations in setting the agenda for building the information society from a human rights-based perspective." -- Eduardo Rojas, Fundación REDES, Bolivia

"APC is a meeting and learning point, a point for sharing experiences, processes, results and objectives. And also a coordinating point for local, regional and global efforts." -- Mario Morales, Colombia

"As far as I am concerned, APC has given me the opportunity to take part in trainings and to increase my skills in ICTs and related aspects. Through the various events I have attended, I have been able to meet with people, share and gain experience, and gradually become a knowledgeable digital security trainer. I know many more opportunities are still to come, so Happy Anniversary and long live the opportunities and partnerships provided by APC! :) -- Olga Balbine Tsafack, PROTEGE QV, Cameroon"

"I do feel very happy and proud of the work we did with APC. For me and other technicians involved in this huge project, it became a way of life." -- Cristina Vasconi Nicarao — Nicaragua

“I believe APC played a much larger role in the evolution of the internet than most commentators and historians have mentioned" -- Ian Peters, founder of Pegasus

“After the Berlin Wall fell, NGOs were almost desperate to connect with one another within their countries, among their countries and with Western Europe, North America and others. APC node ZaMirNET in the former Yugoslavia was essential to helping women activists for peace connect during the conflict in the Balkans." -- Victoria Vrana

For the past several decades, APC and its member organisations have played a leading role establishing the first internet service in many countries, creating and promoting the first Internet Rights Charter, and helping individual activists, NGOs, and UN organisations and events harness of the power of the internet as a force for positive change in the world.” -- Peter Gabriel

"I am very proud to be part of your big family and have such great shared space to express myself as woman and as activist for marginalised culture. So, in our Tamzight language: “assegas dan mar APC” (happy new year, APC :)" -- Maha Jouini, Tunisia

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Brief history of APC

Brief history of APC from APC on Vimeo.