The solstice is past and in the northern hemisphere things are brightening from today. It may be chilly in most parts of Canada, which is all the more reason for sending warmest wishes to all involved in the Surveillance Studies Centre.
Several publications have appeared this year including the long-awaited edited collection from the GPD project: Surveillance, Privacy and the Globalization of Personal Information (McGill-Queen's UP 2010) and from the NewT project, Surveillance and Control in Israel/Palestine (Routledge 2010). There was also a very successful workshop on camera surveillance, arranged by SCAN and funded by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and, in the NewT world, a workshop held in the UK, on the political economy of surveillance.
Thank you to all involved, at every level, in the SSC during 2010. The coming year holds a number of key events in store, from more high profile workshops to the Surveillance Studies Summer Seminar in May. Collaborative research continues in many venues and with many cross-linked researchers. As well, there is great promise for international research too. The Latin American group is embarking on a major research thrust, for example.
May you, with your families and friends, enjoy some real relaxation and fun over the break, wherever you are and whatever the weather, and return refreshed and ready for more Surveillance Studies activities in the New Year.
David Lyon FRSC
Director, Surveillance Studies Centre
PI, The New Transparency Project
The Surveillance Studies Centre
c/o David Murakami Wood
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Canada