@healthyswimmer, I think both are needed and equally important. It is not an either/or choice. On the one hand civil rights (see the Digital Human Rights Declaration project idea) to lay the foundation, and ideas and projects similar to what @micheleminno proposes, to build the tools that comply to these same rights.
Note: Also I think both of these initiatives are too big to handle for our community, but that we can be the facilitators, the connecting / communication medium for them, and laying groundwork for furtile discussions.