We’ve received some awesome proposals so far: from creating transparency frameworks for Asian telcos; to developing open data platforms for governments in the region; to teaching the latest in security tools to policy advocates and the vibrant world of Asian startups.

Many of the leading companies and institutions in the space are confirmed: Twitter, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, ICANN, ISOC, and Mozilla to name just a few.

Want to run a session at RightsCon? The deadline to submit session proposals has passed. But if you need to edit your proposal, are interested in participating in the Demo Room or have other ideas about how you can participate, contact us at conference [at] accessnow.org

Submitted a proposal and need travel funding? Don’t forget to fill out the funding application, and please note that funding is very limited.

And now, for the announcements!

New Speakers Confirmed:

The planning team would like to extend a big RightsCon welcome to the following: Matthew Prince (CEO, CloudFlare), Professor Park Kyung-sin (Korea University, Open Net), David Kaye (Special Rapporteur for the United Nations Human Rights Council), Rebecca MacKinnon (Ranking Digital Rights), Onno Purbo (IT Leader and Expert), and Khailee Ng (Co-founder of GroupsMore and SAYS.com).

The Demo Room
We’re delighted to be coordinating our “Demo Room” again with Benetech.** We’ll be featuring a bevy of lightning talks, tech demos, and workshops. This year, we’re seeking proposals that focus on the following themes:

• Made in the Neighborhood: Based in Southeast Asia, and working on a chat app you want to demo? Want to do a lightning talk on an issue you’re studying at your regional university? This is the space to do it.
• Technology for Advancing Human Rights: Want to announce a new iteration of a tool, or take advantage of the experts in the audience to evaluate your code? We’re seeking proposals for lightning talks and interactive demos on liberation technologies from around the world!
• The User is Here: RightsCon attendees run the gamut when it comes to ability and technological know-how. From journalists to lawyers, from activists to academics, we want devs to take creative advantage of the diversity at our conference. The demo room can provide for opportunities for past/future users to provide feedback to developers and trainers on the apps and guides that they use in the field.

Satellite Events*
Mark your calendars! RightsCon is running from March 24-25, but we can guarantee that with the Satellite Events our partners are planning, you’re gonna want to arrive a few days early:

• The Manila Principles on Intermediary Liability (March 22-23)
  Hosted by: EFF, Article 19, Centre for Internet and Society – India, KICTANET, ADC, and Derechos Digitales
• Philippine Multistakeholder Forum on Internet Rights (March 23)
  Hosted by: Foundation for Media Alternatives (Philippines)
• Responsible Data Forum: Human Rights Documentation (Date TBA)
  Hosted by: HURIDOCS, Benetech, Amnesty International, Center for Economic and Social Rights, and the engine room

And to ensure that you can make it to RightsCon, here’s 25% off the already-low Early Bird Ticket Prices. Looking forward to reading your proposals later this week!

Bex Hurwitz is a 2017-18 Data & Society Fellow and co-founder of Research Action Design, a worker owned cooperative that uses community-led research, collaborative design of technology and media, and secure digital strategies to build the power of grassroots social movements. Prior to RAD, Bex was the Codesign Facilitator and Community Organizer with the MIT Center for Civic Media (2012-2014). Bex holds a B.S. in Comparative Media Studies from MIT and an M.S. in Information Management and Systems from the UC Berkeley iSchool.