The BHR Group Digital Rights Careers Newsletter - Issue 17

Nov 17, 2023

Dear Colleagues:

In the previous issue, I noted that it’s always an honor to learn from leaders in the field of digital rights, and especially so when it’s a member of the new generation of advocates. I’m honored yet again to learn from one of the brightest young leaders in the field, this month’s guest practitioner Juan Carlos Lara (or JC to his friends). I’ve been fortunate to have worked with JC, who’s Executive Director of Derechos Digitales, on various digital rights matters over the years through the Freedom Online Coalition and the Global Network Initiative. He is among the most thoughtful people you will meet and deeply committed to principled decision-making and human rights advocacy.

In his replies below you’ll notice a theme on the importance of being a student of human rights more broadly, even beyond digital rights. He wisely notes the deep and expanding connections across human rights advocacy in any sector. He also gives sage advice on finding mentors, noting the importance not just of asking what to do next but creating an active dialogue with mentors and potential mentors. Another answer that resonated was the importance of being curious, being a student of ideas and viewpoints. JC says: “Curiosity and openness are more than necessary in my view. Not just to ideas, but also to viewpoints and to the experience of others, since I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people doing incredible work and there is something new to learn. And through the work that I’ve been involved in, solidarity has increased in importance, significantly.”

I encourage you to explore and follow the work of Derechos Digitales and their advocacy across Latin America. And be sure to absorb the wisdom JC shares about careers in the field of digital rights and human rights more broadly.

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

Guest Spotlight: Juan Carlos Lara

J. Carlos Lara is a Chilean lawyer, currently serving as executive director at Derechos Digitales, an organization working at the intersection of human rights and digital technologies for all the Latin American region, where he previously served as Research and Public Policy Director. A lawyer by training, he has experience as a legal and policy analyst, instructor, and researcher on issues related to data privacy, surveillance, freedom of expression and access to knowledge in the digital environment, working as an advocate for social justice in the face of deployment or regulation of digital technologies. Juan Carlos has a law degree from the University of Chile and a masters degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

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

By far the most formative event was seeing the discussion of copyright law reform in Chile. For the first time, the internet was being not only acknowledged, but also part of the recognition of new rights for the usage of works through technology. And I saw how heated the discussion became, and how difficult it was to defend public interest positions.

How do you continue doing what you do, pushing and advocating for digital rights, and human rights more broadly?

Mostly by relying on brilliant people. The work that we’ve done has grown in complexity and scale, and the linkages with more traditional human rights concerns has become more salient as well. So a lot of the functions of work have increased in specialty and expertise. At the same time, from an individual perspective, there are some specific goals that I wish to achieve as a member in the field, both to see the impact of my organisation and my role in ensuring its continued success, and seeking to accomplish those specific goals has become a big motivation.

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

I am lucky to continue to get inspired a lot by individuals, somewhat frequently, which is both inspiring and humbling. If I had to say names, in my early career I was mostly inspired by one of my mentors, Alberto Cerda, who was my professor at the University of Chile and gave me a much clearer view of the deeper impacts of the work I was doing. And once I started attending events abroad, seeing Anriette Esterhuysen truly opened up my thinking of the whole field.

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

Curiosity and openness are more than necessary in my view. Not just to ideas, but also to viewpoints and to the experience of others, since I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people doing incredible work and there is something new to learn. And through the work that I’ve been involved in, solidarity has increased in importance, significantly.

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?

In the case of Derechos Digitales there are many things that I think have had impacts in terms of policy or in capacities of groups and individuals. But I believe that maintaining available funds, such as the Rapid Response Fund for the defence of digital rights in Latin America, and the Digital Rights Fund for Latin America, have become important tools not just to cooperate with other organisations, but to hopefully see the field grow to the point where such helps become less needed.

What are some ways you think the technology, policy, and human rights fields can become more diverse, inclusive, and equitable in composition, policy topics, learning, and advocacy?

We have been engaging deeply in trying to connect with both emerging organisations in work related to digital rights, and groups and individuals from advocacy causes that are seemingly apart from the digital. There is a strong necessity to acknowledge the need for participation from people and individuals from groups or from places where we see fewer representatives. Creating opportunities specifically targeted towards people from diverse backgrounds is necessary, but also reaching outside our own groups to try and understand where there might be gaps in our view.

For undergraduate or graduate students reading this, what type course (e.g., computer science, human rights, language) 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?

I think it’s important that there be a human rights background to a lot of the work that we do. There is a lot of professionals that focus on technology, and that expertise is needed and well received, especially from lawyers and social scientists, but a basic knowledge of human rights can go a long way to understand the implications of what we do. And if that is already the area of work, basic programming skills can actually be super useful to change one’s thinking on the nature of technical work and expertise.

For current practitioners in this field, and given your own career experience, what are some considerations you think are worth taking into account when deciding whether to change sectors, say from civil society or academia to the private sector? Or from the private sector to government or civil society?

As someone who has had a foot in those other fields (even if long ago), I can understand the need to do something different, or to push for the things we care about at a different setting where our impact may differ. I think it’s key to understand not just where we are in our careers in terms of experience, but also try and understand how much a new position may fulfil our sense of purpose. That may come not only from the work itself or the company or entity, but also from the process of discovering how our daily work connects with the larger landscape.

What are some of the non-mainstream sources you turn to when building knowledge or keeping informed on tech, policy, and human rights related issues? And what sources do you follow to keep current on the latest happenings in technology and politics today?

I do follow a lot of well known media outlets, and a few newsletters, which have become a very nice way of receiving curated content. Newsletters from civil society organisations have been a favourite source for me for years now, and I truly appreciate the efforts to bring different perspectives and less known media to my attention.

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?

I learnt a lot from analysing free trade agreement leaks, as well as from reading analyses of the Snowden revelations. In the former case, the connections between technical and highly political issues became much more visible even if processes themselves seemed more narrow in scope. In the latter, the deluge of information about surveillance programmes and techniques and the reactions I saw from organisations and activists really taught me a lot about advocacy itself and the many layers of activism that are necessary to counter what I saw as one of the ultimate ways to misuse technologies.

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

One of the common obstacles one finds in the digital rights field, especially from Global Majority countries, has to do with the availability of deep, reliable expertise that will remain in the field. Retaining people is hard, even more so in the case of people with skills in high demand from the private sector. And a lot of the obstacles in that regard are related to the availability of resources, but organisations like mine are trying to provide a better workplace.

What’s something you didn’t expect in work in this field?

The ever-expansive nature of the thematic areas. I knew challenges could grow in scale, but I think I was naïve to not consider the exponential growth of the areas where there are indeed advocacy goals worth pushing for.

What are some ideas on how to find and engage regularly with mentors in this sector?

Finding mentors might be tricky, but can be possible. This field allows for a lot of interaction that is not restricted to in-person events or conferences, as there is possibility to engage through remote communication channels. But it’s important to do one’s homework, and be able to both convey one’s own interest, researching properly not only an area of interest but also that in which a mentor can help. And it’s also crucial to respect a potential mentor’s time and expertise, since it’s common to find people who are extremely busy. Finally, it’s important to follow up on what actions have been taken following advice, trying to create a dialogue that leads to advice rather than questions on what to do next.

What are two or three books, podcasts, albums, poems, works of art, etc. that inspire you or that you’d recommend to people interested in working in this field?

The BHR Group Digital Rights Careers Newsletter

The BHR Group Digital Rights Careers Newsletter - Issue 17

Guest Spotlight: Juan Carlos Lara

Positions in Policy, Law, and Digital Rights

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Multi-Stakeholder Organizations/Initiatives

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Industry

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