The use of mobile phones for human rights protection: the experiences of Zimbabwean Human Rights Non-Governmental Organisations

New technologies are emerging as a key part of the struggles for social change. In Africa, social change activists are increasingly relying on mobile phones to organise and mobilise protests for social change and to protect citizens from violence. Zimbabwe has experienced a long history of human rights violations stretching from the times of Rhodesia to post-coalition years. The violations have been in various forms, including the use of physical force and the constriction of political, media and electoral spaces. Human Rights NGOs, as part of civil society, have challenged the state over the violations in various ways, including through traditional and new media channels. Using case studies, namely the Zimbabwe Peace Project, (ZPP), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA, Zimbabwe) and the Election Resource Centre (ERC), the research investigates the potential of the mobile phone as a tool for contesting the constriction of media freedom, information access, freedom of expression and citizens’ right to human dignity, to life, political choice and free movement and association.

The research is based on findings from interviews conducted between 2014 and 2016 with Zimbabwean human rights activists as well as from document analysis. The study established that the phone is a key tool through which NGOs and community activists (or volunteers) are offering protection to citizens by documenting, reporting and disseminating evidence of violence. It is also playing a significant role in legal interventions for victims of violence. Further, the device is empowering citizens to educate themselves about voting and mobilising for elections. Mobile technology is also facilitating the production of community media which is giving marginalised communities voices and opportunities to contribute towards, or participate in local and national dialogue and development. Equally important, it is opening pathways through which NGOs and human rights defenders are able to challenge state institutions that undermine the rule of law and justice. Finally, the study also established that in the face of legal, surveillance, interception and censorship strategies by the state, NGOs are mobilising networks, collaborative campaigns and circumvention and mobile-phone-mediated education and information tools to counter these strategies and tactics. The research is thus significant in terms of struggles from below in the context of new technologies for human rights and democratisation.