Universal ID Council

UIDC Chair Dr. Mariana Dahan spoke with Penny Crosman on the American Banker podcast on the importance of proof of identity and the possible solutions that can be found in emerging technologies such as blockchain. Coming from a small farming village in the Soviet Union, Mariana herself lacked the necessary documentation to pursue a life beyond her borders. Once her mother was able to secure her proof of identity, Mariana set out on a path that ultimately led her to study in France and eventually pursue PhD at MIT, in the United States. Inspired by the opportunities that identification had given her, Mariana aspired to free others around the world. While at the World Bank, Mariana and her colleagues built the Identification for Development (ID4D) program, which would eventually grow to operate in 50 countries worldwide, aiding communities that lacked the infrastructure necessary to register children’s identities at birth. For Dr. Dahan, a central pillar of effective identification is that it is self-sovereign in nature. Self-sovereign methods of identification are only possible “because the technology today allows us this opportunity to give control to the user of an identity system by allowing him or her to access their own identity data and release it only to those that he or she decides has the right to access it,” she said in the podcast. Dr. Dahan knows that with all new technologies comes a fair share of implementation chaos, and she asserts that there is a “need for education and people to get up to speed and more of these trials and pilots to be implemented so everyone can have access to the system and learn how to use it.” Dr. Dahan also asserts that while a lack of identification is most prevalent amongst underdeveloped communities, it is an issue that is globally pervasive, even in the US. “This can happen to anyone. It can touch any of us … So I think we need to rethink this approach to how we improve our existence on this planet.” Listen to the full podcast here: https://lnkd.in/g-tGNu9J

Today, at the Festival de Cannes, the Universal Identity Council held the world premiere of “Shadows in the Dark: Our Global Identity Crisis”. “We spent years interviewing undocumented migrants and refugees. Telling their stories with the utmost care, precision, and nuance, was a tremendous responsibility, and we could not be happier with the final result,” says Dr. Mariana Dahan, Chair of UIDC. The documentary offers a compelling analysis of the dire consequences of lacking common identity documents as well as the digitally grounded solutions that could empower these individuals in today’s modern world. Watch the documentary now on Amazon Prime Video: https://lnkd.in/gRfZKpt4

Shadows in the Dark delivers a raw, unfiltered view of the realities faced by those who lack means of identification. From devastating wars in Syria and Ukraine, to impoverished communities in Northern Africa, to refugees trying to eke out a life in France, Mariana Dahan follows human journeys fraught with tragedy and strife so that we can better understand the rampant abuses happening invisibly all around us. “In many ways, this film is a culmination of my life’s work,” states Dr. Dahan. “Having been born without a birth certificate in a village in the Soviet Union, I know firsthand how crucial proof of ID is to the ability to exercise our basic human rights. I encourage everyone to watch the film and learn more about this global issue impacting millions. Identity is the cornerstone of human civilization” Watch “Shadows in The Dark: Our Global Identity Crisis” out now on Prime Video: https://lnkd.in/eCcCD5kW

Did you know that nearly 1 billion people in the world today are unable to legally prove their existence? There is human suffering happening all around us – but there is also, hope. “Shadows in The Dark: Our Global Identity Crisis” is a testament to the power of our shared humanity, revealing the true stories of those forced to live in the shadows – so that we can understand just how critical it is to protect the right to prove who you are. Watch the full documentary, out now on Prime Video: https://lnkd.in/eCcCD5kW Follow Mariana Dahan as she steps out of the shadows and into the light.

Shadows in The Dark: Our Global Identity Crisis, is a groundbreaking saga following the stories of undocumented individuals across the world. The documentary shines a light on those born in the shadows of the Western world, lacking common identity documents. “Releasing this film to the public is a moment of great triumph for our organization,” says WIN - World Identity Network Founder, Dr. Mariana Dahan. “We spent years interviewing undocumented persons and refugees. Telling their stories with the utmost care, precision, and nuance was a tremendous responsibility, and we could not be happier with the final result.” https://lnkd.in/e3eRXmBg

The Chair of UIDC, Dr. Mariana Dahan, brings her experience from The World Bank and the previous organization she has established, the World Identity Network Foundation (WIN - World Identity Network ). Working with collaborators from around the globe, Dr. Dahan and her team produced Shadows in The Dark, a documentary series focused on the stories of individuals around the world whose struggles are intrinsically tied to a lack of identity. She has partnered with United Nations agencies, governments, NGOs, and the private sector on high-tech pilot programs, fact-finding missions, and on-the-ground work with refugees – to develop solutions to provide a resilient proof of identity for every human being on the planet. The Council builds on this extensive expertise to further that goal.

This International Women’s Day, take some time to consider that despite considerable progress on gender equality over recent decades, key gaps remain in health and education, access to economic opportunities, and in voice and agency. Having official personal identification (ID) is an important step for women and girls – enabling them to access services, claim their rights as citizens, and make their voices heard through participation in voting and other politics. Learn how accessible personal identification is essential to women and girls by watching Shadows in the Dark, produced by our Chair, Dr. Mariana Dahan, which examines the struggle individuals across the globe face without accessible means of personal identification. Read more on the documentary here: https://lnkd.in/dqn9e9hZ

Given the ongoing humanitarian crises in Gaza and Ukraine, in addition to the border, we were proud to recently promote the launch of an important new documentary, "Shadows in the Dark: Our Global Identity Crisis" on Fox News Media A new foundation connected to the movie, Universal ID Council (UIDC) also launched, shining a light on one of the most overlooked human rights in the world: access to proof of identity. Thank you to Fox Editor Cortney O'Brien for spotlighting this important topic! Watch the official trailer for "Shadows in the Dark" here: https://ow.ly/rKp150QFG4N #HumanRights #DocumentaryFilm #UniversalID #FoxNews #SocialJustice #GlobalCrisis

UIDC is shining a light on one of the most overlooked human rights in the world – access to proof of one’s identity – and is articulating the need for a global, decentralized universal ID program that securely provides and augments the value of this proof. Lack of proof of identity leaves billions invisible to basic societal systems, vulnerable to abuse, and unable to meet their basic needs. We are a group of human rights activists, identity experts, and technology innovators with decades of experience around critical issues tied to identification rights and responsibilities – and we have come together to provide real hope to the world's most vulnerable.