On March 2, Tanya Notley, from Tactical Tech, presented at the Cooperation 2.0. This was the third International Meeting on ICT for Development Cooperation organised by The CTIC Foundation (Center for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies), a non-profit organisation based in Spain.

On 3 February, Mr Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi, human rights advocate and journalist, was arrested at his home in Kermanshah, Western Iran. Seven security guards allegedly searched his home, confiscated his computer and documents and then took him with them. His family have not been told where he is and the reason and issuing authority of the arrest are unknown.

Instances like these are common. Rights advocates get detained for no verifiable reason, and some get killed for the work they are doing or their convictions. According to a report released by Front Line, an organisation who strive to protect human rights advocates across the world, last year saw a spike in jeopardized rights advocates, with at least 24 killed.

Tactical Tech is putting together a guide on the basics of using digital tools in an activist/advocacy context. We'd like to know what questions you have in your day to day use of computers, the internet and your mobile phone, such as:

• How private is my IM chat?
• Why should I care if the software I use is pirated?
• How do I know if my computer is infected with a virus?

Tactic 8 is now available on the 10 tactics website, adding to the body of resources freely available for rights advocates who want to turn information into action.

Tactical Tech has received the prestigious Manthan award for Mobiles in-a-box, a resource designed to help rights advocates use mobile telephony in their work. Allan Stanley, Head of Productions at Tactical Tech, attended the ceremony at the end of last year to receive the award.

According to the initiative's website, the Manthan awards, were launched in 2004 with the mission to: "To create an information rich society where everyone, irrespective of caste, religion, race, region, gender etc., is empowered to create, receive, share and utilize information and knowledge through digital content

1 February – today, the second workshop of the Maps for Making Change Workshop kicks off at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India. A joint initiative from the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) and Tactical Tech, this three-day event concentrates on the application of geographical mapping techniques for progressive social change in India. The workshop will equip participating rights advocates with the skills and knowledge they need to develop and use digital maps in their work.

UK environmental magazine, The Ecologist, has given Tactical Tech's documentary, '10 tactics for turning information into action', a rave review. The Ecologist writer, Andrew Hickman, attended the launch event at the Frontline Club in London in December last year where he got to watch a premier screening of '10 tactics'.

How can rights advocates address serious issues but still make people laugh? This is explored in the fifth installment of 10 tactics for turning information into action, available on the 10 tactics website now. This video, which tells the story of advocates who have used humour as a tactic in Egypt, Belarus and across Asia, is always greeted with much laughter from the audiences at our various 10 tactics screenings. A highlight is the story of artists in Egypt who criticised president, Mubarak by superimposing his face on images of famous villains and idiots from films like 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Wayne's World'.

Since its launch in December, Tactical Tech's documentary film, 10 tactics for turning information into action, has been screened at 15 global events. These screenings are continuing around the world in January. Those attending or hosting 10 tactics screenings are the first people to receive copies of the 10 Tactics pack. In the meantime, Tactical Tech are slowly releasing the content from this project online by featuring one tactic per week.

SMS Uprising: Mobile Activism in Africa, edited by award winning blogger, Sokari Ekine, has been launched this week by Pambazuka Press. The book examines how mobile phones are being used as a tool for social change in Africa and highlights both success stories and everyday realities and constraints. The book marks a timely and critical contribution to current debates about how mobiles phones can contribute to advancing human rights.