PRESS RELEASE: ISCI shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Award 2014

The International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) is delighted to announce that the State Crime e-Testimony Project has been short-listed for the finals of the Times Higher Education Awards 2014 in the Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year category.

Dr Kristian Lasslett, creator of the State Crime e-Testimony Project, said ‘this is a wonderful example of how the digital world can help us to transgress geopolitical boundaries in order to produce richer understandings of the serious challenge state crime presents to global peace and stability’.

The e-testimony project centres on rich multi-media case studies that document a range of state crimes committed in diverse regions that include, Latin America, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and South Africa..

Dr Lasslett further observes that ‘each case study featured on the website is a genuine co-production between researchers, communities, and civil society actors, that richly documents gross human rights abuses perpetrated by state actors, and the epic struggles of resistance waged by those affected. The cases are populated with a range of primary and multi-media resources generated through this partnership, which are brought to digital life by the our brilliant web design industry partner, ‘Outlandish Ideas’.

ISCI’s Director Professor Penny Green, who is a pioneer in the field of state crime, situates the project within the pedagogic terrain.

‘State crime is a field that is growing at a phenomenal pace, but it is also an area that deals with some of the most confronting dynamics one could imagine. It is vital that we have resources that can translate these dynamics in a pedagogic setting providing dignity to victims at the same time as presenting a framework of analysis to support a new generation of state crime researchers’. Professor Green also adds that ‘the recognition and esteem that comes with Times Higher Education Awards is a wonderful testament to the hard work of all those involved. It also underlines the importance of the subject matter being dealt with’.

The International State Crime Initiative would like to extend its sincere thanks to all the researchers, communities and civil society organisations involved in this project, as well as Queen Mary University of London, the University of Ulster, King’s College London, Outlandish Ideas and Pluto Education Trust.