The Internet is one of the best means for communicating on human rights, because it is inexpensive and global. E-mail makes point-to-point communication between human rights workers and among NGOs (non-governmental organizations) cheap and easy, and allows for better coordination of actions. Furthermore, the Internet has the potential of reaching global audiences, including those most in need of such information. The Internet is important to those working for human rights, as it can provide a secure means of communicating between and coordinating the work of human rights groups. Consequently, human rights activists were among the first to make use of the Internet to --

• Coordinate actions and make contacts. Perhaps the most important application of the Internet in human rights is as a great tool for NGOs and activists to be in touch with each other, to share information privately, and to coordinate actions.
• Expose human rights violations and let people know about them. Many human rights organizations throughout the world have instituted e-mail lists to propagate their press releases, alerts and denunciations vis a vis human rights violations. Many of these groups also use Usenet to post their information, or it is posted there by others, and many groups have instituted web pages to make information available.
• Solicit action. Many organizations now use e-mail to distribute action alerts calling for letters to be written on behalf of specific issues.
• Gather information. The amount of human rights information online is extraordinary - beginning with the University of Minnesota web site, and now with the UNHCHR (United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights) site online, it's much easier to do human rights research.

By enabling early access to information, immediate dissemination of calls for campaigns, and the organization of wide international pressure, the Internet greatly increases the lobbying capacities of human rights groups.

It is vitally important, therefore, to promote freedom of expression and privacy as central elements of the development of the information society.

http://www.cdt.org/international/000105humanrights.shtml

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I don't believe we have met before, but I can certainly agree that the internet is the most powerful tool for promoting human rights. The problem is that it also acts as a tool for spreading misinformation and making that false data look legitimate, resulting in debates over various issues that go on indefnitly. No matter what the actual facts are, someone can make a blog or other web page with claims to counter those facts for the sake of an extremist political agenda that is ultimately destructive to human rights.