Welcome to Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) ! In this newsletter, we will discuss the relationship between “archival activism” and web3, and share our latest reports and events in London, UK.
Report Launch: Safeguarding Freedom of Information in Hong Kong
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to launch a new report,”Safeguarding Freedom of Information in Hong Kong: Challenges, Opportunities and Remedies”. This report explores the current state of information freedom in Hong Kong, the challenges faced, and the path forward in ensuring an open and informed society.
Our report was covered by a number of media outlets including Udn.com, Radio France Internationale, Photon Media, Points Media, Radio Free Asia and Chaser News.
Download the Chinese version of the report here.
Download the English version of the report here.
Archival Activism and Web3
Archival activism refers to the practice of preserving, organising, and presenting historical archives—not merely as a method of documentation, but as a means of promoting social justice and human rights. It is therefore both a means and an end. This form of activism seeks to bring to light overlooked histories, silenced voices, and deliberately forgotten stories, thereby fostering social reflection and transformation.
The technological principles of Web3—freedom, immutability, and decentralisation—are closely aligned with the goals of archival activism. Its emphasis on open access allows anyone to participate in the preservation and sharing of archives. Immutability ensures that the content of archives cannot be tampered with, thereby safeguarding the authenticity of historical records. The decentralised nature of Web3 enables archives to resist censorship and political interference, maintaining informational integrity and transparency. These features make archival efforts more democratic, allowing anyone to take part in the preservation and dissemination of information.
Web3’s decentralised nature also helps archival activism resist political interference and the erosion of records over time. Traditional archiving methods are often under institutional or governmental control, making them vulnerable to censorship or destruction. By leveraging decentralised technology, data can be distributed across multiple nodes, ensuring that even if some are attacked or deleted, others continue to preserve and transmit the information. This anti-fragilityguarantees the long-term survival of archives and protects them against external pressures.
The integration of archival activism and Web3 democratises the processes of archiving, sharing, and accessing information. Through these emerging technologies, individuals and communities can freely preserve and share their own stories without reliance on central authorities to decide what records merit preservation. This democratisation marks not only a technological advancement but a cultural and social one, supporting the movement towards a more inclusive and just future.
Read more: Web3-backed Digital Archiving: User Guide For Beginners (Chinese Only)
Archival Activism and Advocacy –
The Berkeley Protocol
The Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations (The Protocol) is a pioneering initiative aimed at standardising the use of open-source information in investigations into human rights abuses and war crimes. Developed by the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley, it represents a significant step forward in the ethical and legal use of open-source intelligence (OSINT), including content collected from social media posts, videos, and other publicly accessible online sources. This framework is essential for helping investigators collect, verify, and present evidence in a way that meets international legal standards—an essential process for holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.
The Protocol addresses the challenges and complexities of verifying visual content—such as photographs and videos—to ensure authenticity and reliability. In crisis situations, digital evidence captured by ordinary citizens on smartphones can be highly impactful—provided it is properly verified. The Protocol outlines procedures for confirming the source, location, and timing of such content, ensuring it can be effectively used in legal proceedings. Methods such as geolocation and chronolocation help prevent the spread of misinformation and strengthen the credibility of evidence used in human rights investigations.
Blockchain technology has the potential to complement the Berkeley Protocol by offering a secure and tamper-proof platform for archiving crucial open-source data. In the context of archival activism, blockchain can be used to safeguard sensitive information collected during human rights investigations. Its decentralised nature ensures that once data is recorded, it cannot be altered or deleted without consensus—preserving the integrity of evidence. This is particularly valuable in documenting war crimes or human rights abuses, where the risk of evidence being tampered with or destroyed by malicious actors is high.
The goal of archival activism is to preserve vital information that might otherwise be lost or suppressed. Blockchain offers a powerful solution to this challenge. By storing open-source evidence on blockchain networks, activists and investigators can ensure that information remains accessible and unaltered—even in the face of efforts by authoritarian regimes or other actors to suppress it. This decentralised archiving approach aligns with the principles of the Berkeley Protocol, which emphasises reliability and transparency in the collection and use of open-source data.
The use of blockchain in human rights investigations also fosters greater collaboration among activists, legal professionals, and researchers. The technology’s transparency and decentralisation enable multiple parties to access and verify evidence without requiring a central authority, enhancing trust and cooperation in the investigative process. This is particularly significant in international contexts, where organisations may collaborate to document and prosecute human rights violations. By offering a shared, tamper-proof evidence ledger, blockchain enhances the credibility of collected information and supports the aims of the Protocol.
Moreover, blockchain can help address a major challenge identified by the Protocol: the fleeting nature of digital content. Social media platforms often remove content deemed too violent or in violation of policies, risking the loss of critical evidence. By archiving such material on the blockchain, investigators can ensure that vital information is preserved even after removal from online platforms. This helps maintain a complete record of events and ensures the voices of those affected by human rights violations are not silenced.
The Protocol also highlights ethical considerations in the collection and use of open-source data. Blockchain’s inherent transparency can address some of these concerns by providing a clear chain of custody for digital evidence. This means that the origin and handling of each piece of evidence can be traced, ensuring it has not been tampered with and that its use adheres to ethical standards. Such accountability is crucial in high-risk human rights investigations, where the consequences of using unreliable evidence can be severe.
Beyond archiving and verification, blockchain also has a role to play in human rights advocacy, drawing public attention to abuses. By creating a permanent and publicly accessible record of evidence, blockchain can amplify the stories of victims and raise international awareness of ongoing crises. This aligns with the goals of the Protocol—not only to support legal accountability but also to increase public recognition of human rights violations and promote social justice. Blockchain platforms can be used to share verified evidence with the public, journalists, and advocacy organisations, ensuring that truth is not buried and that responsible parties are held accountable.
The integration of the Protocol’s open-source investigation guidelines with blockchain’s secure archiving and transparency capabilities creates a powerful toolset for safeguarding open-source data and supporting human rights advocacy. By ensuring that evidence is both credible and accessible, this approach strengthens the case against violators and supports efforts to seek justice for victims. In this context, blockchain enhances the integrity of evidence and empowers activists and investigators to continue their work in the face of adversity.
In conclusion, the Protocol provides a much-needed framework for the ethical and effective use of open-source information in human rights investigations. By incorporating blockchain technology into this process, archival activists can ensure that key evidence is preserved, protected, and used to promote accountability and justice. This innovative approach to archival activism holds the potential to transform the field of human rights investigation, offering new tools and methodologies for documenting abuses and advocating for change.
Event Invitation: “Ways of Remembering”
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to collaborate with Hong Kong Action Archives for the following exhibition event: Ways of Remembering.
This exhibition brings together artefacts, personal stories, and collective memories from Hong Kong’s social movements over the past decades. Alongside these, we’re shedding light on projects that employ archiving as a means of resistance.
More than just a look at Hong Kong, this exhibition is an invitation for anyone interested in the act of collecting, remembering, and the ways in which history is written. It’s for anyone who wants to explore how our voices — and the voices of our communities — are shaped by the currents of time and information.
𝙁𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙝𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.
𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃
𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚁𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶
✧ *:･ﾟ記憶對視 *:･ﾟ✧
● 𝟷𝟽 → 𝟸𝟼 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻
● 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝟺𝟶𝟸 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚝,
𝙻𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚗 𝙴𝟸 𝟾𝙷𝙳, 𝚄𝙺
𝙻𝚎𝚝’𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝
𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢,
𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚜𝚖,
𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙺𝚘𝚗𝚐.
Presented and curated by Hong Kong Action Archives, in collaboration with Amnesty International, Resilience Innovation Lab, and The Rights Practice.
Eventbrite Event Details: Click here .
#WaysOfRemembering2025
#HKAAinUK
Useful Resources
Judicial Records in Hong Kong * has made every effort to collect court decisions related to the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement for educational and research purposes. These records are still accessible on the website of Hong Kong’s judiciary, but their continued availability to the public in the future remains uncertain. All judicial records collected and displayed here are secured and maintained using blockchain technology, through which they are decentralized and immutable, ensuring transparency, tamper-resistance, and trust in the integrity of the data. Our goal is to utilize blockchain as a form of censorship resistance to preserve invaluable public records. If there are any omissions in this database, please feel free to notify RIL’s research team: info.dap@protonmail.com .
China Open Courts * aims to preserve and provide public access to judicial records from the People’s Republic of China that are at risk of disappearing from official sources. Below is an overview of the methodology adopted in this project, including our data collection strategies, scope of coverage, and plans for ensuring continued accuracy and relevance of the information. Interested parties are welcome to reach out to our team at chinaopencourts@protonmail.com for further information, collaboration opportunities, or suggestions on additional keywords and topics to include.
*To protect your identity and personal information, you are advised to use these online resources with an encrypted device and VPN.
An Unbreakable Wall? Challenges and Opportunities of Defending Freedom of Information in China is RIL’s first research report on information environment in China. This report provides a comprehensive account of China’s information environment under the rule of the CCP. Drawing on evidence-based insights from multiple perspectives, the report seeks to inform a broad range of stakeholders—from policymakers and international businesses to civil society organisations and academic institutions—and encourages collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by China’s information landscape and its impact on global information networks. The full report is now available on our website.
Who we are?
Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) was founded by Asian veteran researchers and human rights defenders in 2023. RIL is a virtual platform promoting innovation, experimentation, and the exchange of research and educational initiatives that aim to develop and strengthen the democratic and digital resilience of organisations and individuals working in repressive environments.
RIL envisions a synergy of democracy, technology and civil society resilience today, especially when authoritarianism emerges as a common threat to liberal democracies and open societies. Building the capacities of citizens and civil groups to respond to such a new environment with creative and innovative instruments is of paramount importance for their sustainable development.
Our work focuses on researching Web3 technology, digital preservation of collective memory and history in conflict and post-conflict areas, and resilience of rule of law institutions and cultures in non-democratic regimes.