Appeal

International Action Day “Freedom not Fear 2009 – Stop Surveillance Mania!” on 12th September 2009

A broad movement of civil rights defenders is calling upon everyone to participate in actions directed against the ongoing spread of excessive surveillance measures on the part of businesses, administrations and governments. On Saturday, 12th September 2009, concerned citizens in numerous countries around the world will gather to show protest under the motto “Freedom not Fear 2009 – Stop Surveillance Mania!”

Surveillance mania is continuing to spread. Surveillance in particular in the workplace has been increasing. Employees are being watched and monitored in their work environment, sometimes even in their private lives. At the same time, governmental institutions do not miss any opportunity to register, monitor and observe us. No matter what we do, to whom we talk to, whom we call, in which groups we are engaged in and what interests we follow – the “big brother” state and the “little brothers and sisters” in the business sector are always one step ahead and know better. The subsequent lack of privacy and confidentiality endangers our society. People feeling permanently observed, monitored and restrained are restrained from standing up for their rights and an equal society in an unbiased and courageous manner. We refuse to live within such a society model.

The supposed security gain often used to justify measures of surveillance and control is more than questionable: Accumulating information about citizens does not enhance our protection against crime but costs us billions of euros every year. Purposeful and lasting measures for a more selective and sustainable strengthening of security are being ignored. This also applies to find remedies for more grinding social problems, such as unemployment and unequal opportunities in our countries. Beyond that the manifold agenda of the security sector reform leads to an ongoing convergence of competencies and cooperation among the police, secret services and the military threatening to water the division and balance of power down. As a result the constitutional ambits of surveillance are being abolished leading our society to be increasingly separated from the rest of the world.

Surveillance as part of everyday life, affects not just minorities but all of us: It compromises our religious freedom, our freedom of expression and information, our right on the freedom of press the freedom of association and the integrity of companies. A large number of civil organizations and occupational groups are being exposed to measures of surveillance and control in an exceptional manner. This includes - amongst others - the personnel of advisory services, medical practitioners, trade unions, journalists and lawyers.

The respect for our professional secret and our privacy is an essential part of our human dignity. A free and open society cannot exist without implicit private spaces and free and unmonitored communication. Therefore we call upon everyone to join our protest against excessive surveillance and control on 12th September 2009 in numerous capitals all around the world.

Translation: euue|ak  Published under: CCPL DE 3.0 BY NC