According to the FBI, North Korea's totalitarian dictatorship carried out an act of cyber warfare against the United States, by hacking into Sony Pictures Entertainment’s computers in order to intimidate them into not releasing “The Interview,” a comedy starring James Franco and Seth Rogen.

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) invites you to join us as we #HackThemBack.

The North Korean regime survives because it brainwashes its citizens, depriving them of the basic human rights that we take for granted. The dictatorship exerts complete control over the country, using violence, concentration camps, and public executions to punish those who dare to disagree.

And, yet, despite all of this, millions of brave North Koreans, hungry for a better life, defy the regime every day by secretly consuming films, TV shows, books, articles, and any other information from the outside world that they can get their hands on.

Since 2009, HRF has partnered with North Koreans who have risked their lives to escape this tyranny that has caused so much suffering. Together, we’re using hydrogen balloons to airlift material beyond the DMZ (demilitarized zone); land-based smuggling routes through the dictatorship of China; and radio transmissions and programming to reach those who own forbidden tunable short wave radios. Each of these methods has its limitations, but together they are making a significant impact.

These defector groups are inadequately funded, but passionately devoted to the cause of a free and democratic North Korea. They believe that information and education are the keys to liberating their homeland. Our goal is to assist them with the technology, know-how, and funding they need to make a measurable difference in this all-important battle for the freedom of 25 million North Koreans.

So how will we answer North Korea’s attack on the free world? We propose to #HackThemBack.

Your donation will allow us to get vital information to the North Korean people so they can begin to choose for themselves the kind of world in which they want to live. There is no dungeon deep enough to hide the truth and no wall high enough to stop the message of freedom. Fortunately, tyranny cannot control the winds.

Please help us with the vitally important task of spreading information to those who need it the most. Use your freedom of expression to empower others to claim theirs. Join our effort to #HackThemBack.

How does #HackThemBack work?

Information will be sent into North Korea via hydrogen balloons, radio waves, and over the Chinese border on DVDs, USB sticks, and leaflets. HRF will work with local defector-led groups based in South Korea to float, broadcast, and smuggle the materials into North Korea. Learn more about how outside film and culture is changing North Korean society at CNBC, The Daily Beast, and through the Oslo Freedom Forum. If you are curious about the technology and equipment that North Koreans have access to, read this report.

Who is HRF?

Founded in 2005, the New York-based HRF is a global human rights organization focused on promoting individual rights. We are a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit. Learn more about our work at www.TheHRF.org. HRF produces the Oslo Freedom Forum, which you can learn more about at www.OsloFreedomForum.com. We publish our donor list, focus exclusively on semi-authoritarian and authoritarian states, and receive no funds from the United States government. In August of 2014, we organized the world’s first-ever Hackathon for North Korea, in San Francisco. Learn more about it via CNN and The Wall Street Journal.

Where will the money go? 

100% of all funds donated will be used for the #HackThemBack project. There will be no administration fees, no “overhead,” and no “consultants.” Full accounting of the funds donated will take place by the conclusion of the 2015 calendar year and will be published along with HRF’s yearly financials. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permissible by law.

Other ways you can help #HackThemBack

Please share our campaign with your networks. Follow us at @HRF on Twitter, and visit our website at www.TheHRF.org for more information.

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