The BHR Group Digital Rights Careers Newsletter | Issue 28

Mar 26, 2025

Dear Colleagues:

In these times of career turmoil for so many, I’m hopeful some of the open roles in these newsletters offer avenues for writing the next chapter of your career. I’m also hopeful some of the insights from our guest practitioners provide practical ideas and give you a sense of the remarkably varied backgrounds of leaders in the field of technology and human rights.

In this newsletter issue, I’m pleased to share insights from one such leader in technology and human rights advocacy, Elonnai Hickok. Elonnai co-chairs the Advisory Network of the Freedom Online Coalition and is Managing Director of the Global Network Initiative, playing important leadership roles and bridging multiple stakeholder groups, including industry, civil society, academia, socially responsible investors, government, and international organizations. This is no small feat, and I’ve been privileged to work with her and learn from her strategic thinking, diplomacy, and her ability to get things done.

Learning about Elonnai’s academic and professional journey, from studying sustainable agriculture to becoming a key figure in digital rights, reminded me of how diverse experiences so often shape and propel meaningful careers in this field. In our conversation, she emphasizes that change requires patience and collaboration "with like-minded people and a shared vision, that journey is meaningful, and what once looked like a wall can turn into a door."

One of the many valuable takeaways from her experience is the importance of hands-on fieldwork. Whether working on rainforest restoration in Puerto Rico or at the Centre for Internet and Society in Bangalore, she found that direct engagement helped her understand complex issues from multiple perspectives. For students considering work in the field of technology and human rights, she suggests finding "programs that incorporate work and field experience as a core component" rather than focusing on specific academic disciplines. That’s been consistent advice from just about all our guest practitioners over the years in this newsletter.

Elonnai’s approach to building "trusted spaces and relationships among stakeholders to protect rights" has been instrumental in all her work and is a good reminder to cultivate and care for those trusted relationships, especially now. Thank you, as always, for sharing your thoughts and insights, Elonnai!

Sincerely,

Michael Samway
The Business and Human Rights Group
Website: www.thebhrgroup.com

Guest Spotlight

🎙️What are some of the most formative period or events in your life, personal or professional, that shaped your work in technology and human rights?

💬 As a child, I was introduced to the writings of authors such as Yoshiko Uchida, Lois Lowry, and Mildred D. Taylor. I realized that the human condition is not just a result of dichotomies within wealth, education, safety, etc., that exist in human societies but that the dichotomies result from human perception and behavior. This realization was foundational in my effort to understand what guides human endeavor and could be leveraged to propel a positive-sum outcome for all life.
Growing up in rural Oregon and inner-city Philadelphia, I understood that direct community involvement was necessary to truly understand societal challenges. I volunteered in nursing homes, homeless shelters, daycare centers, youth summer camps, and community centers. I spent the summer of my senior year in Puerto Rico working on a rainforest restoration project.
I attended the University of Maine to study sustainable agriculture, inspired by the slow food movement and its emphasis on preserving biodiversity, heritage seed lines, and the stories associated with the seeds. I was motivated by individuals like Gary Nabhan and his contributions to the local food movement, especially his focus on understanding the land by being “in the thick of it." I appreciated the movement's acknowledgment of the relationship between culture, community health, environment, and food. Trends in food access have historically followed troubling patterns of socioeconomic inequality. I aspired to contribute to movements aimed at transforming these trends. As part of my program at the University of Maine, I helped manage a Community Supported Agriculture system that served 50 families.
I had the opportunity to spend a year abroad in Senegal working on an eco-village development project. My experience there was humbling, and I was exposed firsthand to the challenges, assumptions, and politics inherent in development work. I left Senegal questioning what agency and empowerment truly meant.
I studied International Development at the University of Toronto to understand the ecosystem of development and identify ways in which I could contribute. Technology policy was an exciting emerging field at that time. As part of the program at the University of Toronto, I undertook an internship with the Centre for Internet and Society in Bangalore, India. At CIS, and thereafter at other organizations, and now at the Global Network Initiative, I have had the privilege to learn from and work with exceptional individuals. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to learn about and contribute to diverse areas such as artificial intelligence, freedom of expression, intermediary liability, privacy, surveillance, cybersecurity, and digital identity.

🎙️How do you continue doing what you do, pushing and advocating for digital rights, and human rights more broadly? How do you deal in a sustainable way for yourself with the frustrations or set-backs in this work and also acknowledge and build-on the progress?

💬 I believe in the long game, steadily putting one foot after another to finish the race. Change can take time, but with like-minded people and a shared vision, that journey is meaningful and what once looked like a wall can turn into a door. I also believe in a healthy dose of humor and a solid run to refresh and reload.

🎙️Who are some people or an individual you’ve met during your work in this field who have/has had a profound influence on your work? And in what way?

💬 I have been inspired by so many! Usha Ramanathan and her unwavering perseverance for human rights as well as Rebecca MacKinnon and her vision and ability to build and sustain institutions across this ecosystem are two individuals who have deeply impacted my understanding of change and vision for this field.

🎙️What are some of the values, broadly speaking, that guide you in this field or in life more broadly?

💬 I believe that:
Empathy is foundational.
Creativity takes courage. (Matisse)
One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is truly wise (Bhagavad Gita)

🎙️What’s a specific event when you feel like your team’s or organization’s work (or your own work) was able to make a significant impact in the field of digital rights?

💬 I am incredibly excited about the work of Global Network Initiative (GNI) and the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) and the role they play in bridging stakeholders and bringing perspective to the table in collaborative spaces that catalyze the protection of human rights.
GNI has exciting plans for the next year as we continue to evolve GNI’s assessment to account for emerging regulatory frameworks and trends and respond to key policy developments globally at the intersection of privacy and freedom of expression. I am proud of what our small team has achieved over the past few years in fostering deeper engagement, strengthening GNI as a network, and building trusted spaces and relationships among stakeholders to protect rights. These relationships and spaces will be even more critical in this sector as we navigate the changing technological, geopolitical, and societal shifts going forward.
Over the past years, the FOC has seen tremendous leadership, including from Canada, the US, the Netherlands, and now Estonia. It’s a critical year for the FOC, with many trends threatening the multistakeholder model of internet governance, human rights, and civic space. I hope that these trends and our collective efforts transform the FOC into a stronger alliance working to protect human rights online. The Advisory Network brings together so many passionate and talented individuals; it is a pleasure to collaborate with them to support FOC governments.

🎙️For undergraduate or graduate students reading this, what type course (e.g., computer science, human rights, languages, history, art) or activities (e.g., internships, summer jobs) do you think might be most helpful as they contemplate careers in technology, public policy, and human rights?

💬 Hands-on experience in any discipline is invaluable for working in human rights and policy. All types of courses can help build perspective, as the great thing about this sector is that it requires multiple lenses of analysis to understand the implications of technology for human rights. I would encourage students to find programs that incorporate work and field experience as a core component.

🎙️What’s an event or period professionally from which you’ve learned a great deal, either about yourself or about a topic or a way of doing things/advocating inside an organization?

💬 Working in India came with its slew of surprises, challenges, and growth. Finding creative ways to open conversations, building bridges with unlikely partners, and approaching new experiences and information with humility and curiosity helped me think outside the box for impact.

🎙️What are some obstacles you’ve faced in the digital rights field? And what are some unconventional strategies you find helpful when responding?

The BHR Group Digital Rights Careers Newsletter

The BHR Group Digital Rights Careers Newsletter | Issue 28

Guest Spotlight

Positions in Policy, Law, and Digital Rights

Civil Society/Non-Profits

Press/Media

Academia

International Organizations

Think Tanks/Research Institutions

Government

Industry

Industry Associations

Firms/Consultancies