[liberationtech] Drones for Human Rights

Tue Feb 7 08:39:39 PST 2012

Wow, Nabiha - 

Tell us - what is a First Amendment Fellow at the NYT?  Can you elaborate on what you are tasked to do and the NYT's interest in this? 

Katrin 

On Feb 7, 2012, at 11:34 AM, Nabiha Syed wrote:

> All --
> 
> Just wanted to chime in and say that we've created a list-serv -- the
> drone-list -- for discussing and disseminating news about drones, whether
> it be in the humanitarian relief space, military, journalism, surveillance,
> or otherwise.
> 
> If you're interested, please do sign up here:
> https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/drone-list
> 
> Nabiha
> 
> Nabiha Syed
> First Amendment Fellow
> The New York Times Company
> 620 8th Avenue
> New York, NY  10018
> Email: nabiha.syed at nytimes.com
> 
> Ph: 212-556-5187
> Cell: 714-200-3983
> 
> On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 8:34 PM, The Doctor <drwho at virtadpt.net> wrote:
> 
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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>> On 02/02/2012 08:26 PM, Chip Pitts wrote:
>>> A group at Singularity University here in Silicon Valley this past
>>> summer launched a start-up that uses drones for humanitarian
>>> applications, such as to deliver medical supplies in developing
>>> countries lacking roads:
>> 
>> I found the reference in question.
>> 
>> It is in _Wired For War_ by Dr. P.W. Singer (hardback edition),
>> chapter 13 (Open-Source Warfare: College Kids, Terrorists, and Other
>> New Users of Robots at War).  In fact, the story opens the chapter,
>> which I will summarize:
>> 
>> In 2005 a newly graduated political science student named Sam Bell set
>> out with two colleagues to buy a military-grade robotic weapons system
>> for the purpose of intervening in the genocide in Darfur.  They raised
>> approximately half a million US dollars in a year's time and, after
>> looking into hiring a PMC (Private Military Contractor) to fly their
>> UAVs on surveillance missions into Sudan, but balked at the price
>> (around $200 million US dollars per year for such a contract).  They
>> wound up not going with that plan because the risks outweighed the
>> potential benefits.
>> 
>> Apparently, PMCs own military-grade UAVs, and tailor the prices of
>> their contracts to how old the models are.
>> 
>> Looking up what GI-NET (Genocide Intervention NETwork) is up to these
>> days may provide more useful information.
>> 
>> I would also suggest that interested parties do some research on what
>> the open source UAV community is up to these days - there are many
>> projects publishing blueprints and source code for working units, from
>> the Vulture to the OccuCopter.
>> 
>> - --
>> The Doctor [412/724/301/703]
>> 
>> PGP: 0x807B17C1 / 7960 1CDC 85C9 0B63 8D9F  DD89 3BD8 FF2B 807B 17C1
>> WWW: https://drwho.virtadpt.net/
>> 
>> "The monster never sees the monster in the mirror." --J. Michael
>> Straczynski
>> 
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Katrin Verclas
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