We are less than two weeks away from the kickoff of Pubcon Las Vegas. Are you excited? You have to be! All this pent-up energy has had me stalking the 2016 conference agenda for the last few weeks checking out the names and faces speaking this year. We are talking about super smart folks like Scott Stratten, Gary Illyes and Bill Hunt! Also on the books are some standout exhibitors.
One such exhibitor is the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally. This year HRF will be in Vegas with a piece of art you’ll want to see and a mission I think you will want to support.
I was lucky enough to grab a few minutes with Alex Gladstein, HRF’s strategy director, to learn about the viral Flash Drives for Freedom campaign and how Pubcon attendees can get involved.
Here’s what he had to say.
(interview slightly edited)
Hi Alex! I was excited to see Human Rights Foundation will be exhibiting at Pubcon this year. You’ve partnered with Forum 280 on a campaign called Flash Drives for Freedom. Can you tell me a little bit about HRF and the campaign for those who may not be familiar?
Human Rights Foundation focuses on promoting freedom around the world where freedom is most at risk. Right now, North Korea is the most repressive country in the world. Kim Jong-un and his regime have cut the North Korean people off from the rest of the world and have brainwashed them into thinking that they are gods and that others places (like the United States) are evil.
The United Nations has compared the Kim regime to the Nazis. There are concentration camps where the population is segmented into districts like The Hunger Games. It is a human rights emergency.
Through Flash Drives for Freedom we are asking people to donate flash drives that we can fill with news, films and ebooks from the outside world. Those who have escaped the Kim Jong-un regime have dedicated themselves to educating others. They are working to smuggle in news from the rest of the world to disseminate to the people of North Korea to break the spell. It all happens via human network. They shake hands at the border and are brought into the black market to get this content – news, entertainment, books – into the country to be shared and consumed.
We often hear about North Korea’s stockpile of atomic weapons. We don’t hear about the human rights crisis. Why?
The Kim regime is very intelligent. They have caught the world’s attention and turned it into a conversation about atomic weapons. They’ve hijacked the conversation and made it about that. Nearly every time you hear about North Korea you are told how scary they are and what weapons they have. That’s exactly what the Kims want; because if we’re talking about weapons, we’re not talking about the human rights conversation. It’s unfortunate.
The more mainstream media conversation we can create about the human rights situation and how horrible it is – then people can do something.
What is the ultimate goal of Flash Drives for Freedom? Say you’re able to get one million drives into the country – then what?
The goal is to get more information going into North Korea and to increase the spread of what people are being exposed to. What the people of North Korea choose to do with that information is ultimately up to them. We would like to see the end of the Kim regime.
Why did you make the decision to attend Pubcon?
We’ve done a few exhibits like this before. Our goal is to attract people who are problem solvers and who are technically adept. We are excited to talk to the Pubcon community to see what they have to offer in the way of ideas, advice or even equipment.
The exhibit we will be bringing to Pubcon was called one of the highlights of SXSW. It’s eye-catching and very memorable.
I’ve seen it – it’s certainly memorable. What has been the reaction when people see your booth and learn about the campaign?
Seeing the booth, their first reaction is to laugh. Then they come closer to learn more and they want to get involved. Then there are the people who don’t want to be involved with anything that has Kim Jong-un’s face on it…
What about for those who want to get involved – what can they do?
- Learn more about the Flash Drives for Freedom campaign
- Donate your old flash drives. Or, even better, raid your company’s storage closet to donate the flash drives collecting dust
- Donate equipment, services or money (you can earmark donations specifically for this campaign)
- Let HRF know if you would be willing to donate any technical expertise. They will get you in contact with organizations in need of your help
This is important stuff, Alex. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me, and looking forward to visiting the booth in Vegas.
