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46 Alta. L. Rev. 1115 (2008-2009)
Peer Producing Human Rights

handle is hein.journals/alblr46 and id is 1123 raw text is: PEER PRODUCING HUMAN RIGHTS 1115 PEER PRODUCING HUMAN RIGHTS MOLLY BEUTZ LAND* The growth of collaborative technologies has spurredthe development ofprojects such as Wikipedia, in which large groups of volunteers contribute to production in a decentralized and open format. The author analyzes how these methods of peer-based production can be applied to advance international human rights as well as the limitations ofsuch a model in this field. An underlying characteristic of peer-based production, amateurism, increases capacity and participation. However, the involvement of ordinary individuals in the production of human rights reporting is also its greatest disadvantage, since human rights reports generated by citizen activists are less likely to be perceived as accurate, thereby detracting from the effectiveness of those reports. The author examines methods by which these disadvantages might be overcome and concludes by advocating for a collaborative approach, whereby peer-based production is augmented by training and certification by local professionals. La croissance des technologies collaboratives a eperonng le d~veloppement de projets tel que Wikipedia, oi de grands groupes de b~nivoles contribuent 6 la production d'un format decentralise et ouvert. L 'auteur analyse comment ces mithodes de production d'dgal bi gal peuvent s appliquer aux droits internationaux de la personne ainsi que les limites qu 'un tel modele presentent dans ce domaine. L 'amateurisme est une caract~ristiquefondamentale de la production d' gal 6 gal et en augmente la capacitM et la participation. Cependant, la participation de personnes ordinaires 6 la production de rapports sur les droits de la personne en constitue galement leplus grand inconvgnient, tant donnd que les rapports sur les droits de la personne qui sont produits par des citoyens activistes seront probablement moins perus comme tant prdcis, diminuant par consdquent 'efficacit6 de ces mdmes rapports. L auteur examine les mdthodes pouvant gventuellementpallier ces inconvdnients, et conclut en prdconisant une approche collaborative oh ily aurait plus deproduction d'dgal di dgalgrdce d la formation et homologation de professionnels locaux. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................ 1116 II. CONTROL VERSUS PARTICIPATION ............................. 1117 A. HUMAN RIGHTS FACT-FINDING ............................. 1118 B. BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION ............................... 1120 111. CHALLENGES OF AMATEUR PRODUCTION ......................... 1123 A. HUMAN RIGHTS ON WIKIPEDIA ............................. 1123 B. THE CHALLENGES OF PEER-PRODUCED HUMAN RIGHTS ........ 1126 IV. MODELS OF COLLABORATIVE PRODUCTION ........................ 1129 A. SECONDARY INFORMATION ................................ 1130 B. PRIMARY INFORMATION ................................ 1131 C. COMMUNITY-BASED COLLABORATIVE REPORTING ............. 1135 V . CONCLUSION ............................................. 1138 Associate Professor of Law, New York Law School. My thanks to Elizabeth Chambliss, Bruce Elman, Dan Hunter, David Johnson, Patrick Meier, Frank Munger, Beth Noveck, and the participants at the Four Societies Colloquium on International Law and Democratic Theory and the Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting for invaluable feedback. Nicole Kennedy provided excellent research assistance. PEER PRODUCING HUMAN RIGHTS 1115

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