Tactical Technology Collective is one of the organizations SMEX looks to when developing our programs, workshops, and materials. The UK–based organization has not only led the way in promoting free and open source tools for human rights activists and advocates but they’ve done it with creativity and style, making activism not only more attractive but also more accessible.

In particular, their in-a-box toolkits are pretty and packed with information. Information that TTC hopes activists and advocates will turn into action. What better way to encourage this than with the launch of a competition?

The three featured toolkits are:

• Message in-a-box (pictured above)
• Mobiles in-a-box
• Security in-a-box

What they’re looking for
Tactical Tech wants ideas from advocates and activists for how they might use the toolkits and how they can document this use. As the site says:

Your Tactical Tech toolkit documentation may include:

• A photo essay showing how you used one of Tactical Tech’s toolkits;
• A blog entry;
• A ‘how-to’ video;
• A two-minute mini video documentary; or
• A data visualisation, animation, cartoon or drawing…

…What we hope is that this CREATIVE documentation will tell your advocacy story and illustrate how our toolkits can be used to benefit marginalised communities. You may wish to document your use of one toolkit or more than one; create one piece of content or several. You can create this content in any language you like, but non-English content should be translated.

The deadline for submissions is May 28, 2009, 4 p.m. GMT. Winning entrants will receive a Flip video camera, fast becoming a standard for activists in the field.

Check the TTC website for all the details and start your engines of creativity for a cause.