Localization Lab Rapid Response Program 

Localization Lab’s Rapid Response Program provides urgent localization support of tools and resources during digital emergencies to vulnerable and affected communities in the following regions:

East, South, and Southeast Asia 

East Asia: China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan

South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam



EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Eastern Europe: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine

Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Latin America 

Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico (U.S. Territory), Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

West, East, and Southern Africa 

West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

East Africa: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Southern Africa: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa

Middle East and North Africa

Middle East: Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia

We facilitate the rapid localization of digital security guides, resources, circumvention tools, secure messaging tools, and other privacy-enhancing tools when governments, malicious actors, or unforeseen events threaten, limit, or compromise a community’s freedom of expression and access to information. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:


Who can request support?

Individuals or organizations representing affected communities who are located within the priority regions and/or facing a digital emergency

What forms of support is Localization Lab able to provide under this program?

In coordination with partners and the requesting party, Localization Lab is able to provide: 

  • Identification and localization of needed tools in target languages 

  • Curation of language-available privacy, security, and circumvention tools 

  • Development of digestible, accessible, shareable, and adaptable resources in response  to the digital emergency

What tools are you able to localize?

Localization Lab has worked on almost 200 tools and resources, which include:

  • Secure messaging and encryption tools such as Signal, Briar, Enigmail, OpenPGP, KeePass, Mailvelope

  • Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) such as Tor, TunnelBear, Bitmask, Psiphon

  • Human rights documentation platforms such as Tella 

  • Circumvention tools and resources such as Orbot, CENO, FreeBrowser, OONI

  • Educational resources such as the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT), Surveillance Self-Defense 

What is the process?

  1. An individual or organization sends a support request by emailing rr@localizationlab.org. 

  2. Localization Lab will send an email confirming receipt of your request, pending review. Localization Lab will start review of the support request and start coordination internally. 

  3. Within 48 hours, Localization Lab provides a status update. Status updates may include further requests for information, approval, or refusal and next steps. 

Contact information 

For more information and other inquiries, please contact rr@localizationlab.org.


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