WIKI WIKI WIKILEAKS!

The right to freedom of speech is something we all take for granted. Then Wikileaks, the not-for-profit whistle-blowing organisation, dared to share important and confidential information to the public, and were caught out in 2010 leaking US Military documents (Ellison,2013)

Wikileaks and Assange have been under investigation by the Justice Department and the US Government ever since. The investigation has involved most of the U.S. intelligence apparatus, the FBI, the State Department, the United States Army (Hastings, 2012) 

 Wikileaks believes access to information will create a more fair and transparent society, creating stronger democracies by scrutinising the powerful of society. (Wikileaks)

• Born in 1971 in Townsville, Queensland, "hacktivist" Julian Assange had an unusual, nomadic and unsettled childhood.
• Spending his early years on Magnetic Island with his mother, before moving to NSW, Julian was largely home schooled, taught ‘not to blindly respect authority figures’.
•  He didn't fit in with other children, spending ages 11-16 on the run with his mother, and he had moved 37 times before he was 14.(Harrell, 2010)
• Assange found solace in his first computer at the age of 16, and started hacking under the name ‘Mendax’, meaning “nobly untruthful”.
• At 20,  Assange helped hack into Canadian telecom company, Nortel. Following police raids, his girlfriend left with their 2 year old son. Assange was charged and pled guilty to 24 charges of computer hacking at 2 universities and 2 telecom companies. He was sentenced leniently.
• After studying at University of Melbourne, Assange founded Wikileaks in 2007. Based in Sweden, Assange and his team took advantage of Sweden's protective anonymity laws. Thanks to Wikilieaks, In June 2010, the Icelandic Parliament unanimously passed the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative (IMMI),  a proposal to turn Iceland into the leading media haven with the strongest protections for journalists and publishers in the world  (Beyer, 2014)
• Assange now acts as spokesperson, editor in chief,  publisher and advisor for Wikileaks and makes public appearances to speak about freedom of the press, censorship, and investigative journalism. The Hacker News

Assange views Wikileaks as a news corporation. Unlike traditional journalists, Wikileaks is not constricted by the fifth estate (time). Knight(2010) describes Assange as ahead of his time, comparing him to Izzy Stone . Assange is a pioneer, suffering for the greater good of journalism. 

From the political messes of Clinton and Lewinsky, to the corporate GFC, Gen Y has learnt that those in positions of power shouldn't be trusted, and is grateful for the global discussions catalysed by Wikileaks (circle research, 2013). Boundaries have been pushed, and many argue that Assange is a threat to National security. But new policies and awareness will be a legacy for the future. (TED talks, 2010) 

The whole saga that is Julian Assange/Wikileaks is the most epic of modern day tales. 
Like something out of Shrek, Assange has spent many days (since December 2012) locked in a brick fortress (Ecuadorian Embassy) in a land far far away (London) after being hunted down by the scared and angry villagers (ie US Government, Brits, Swedes, and Australians) who chased the 'ogre' with pitchforks, claiming destruction (he has been called a rapist, enemy combatant, accused of espionage)

So far Assange has not been rescued, and only time will tell who, if any, will be his saviour...

References:

• Beyer J. L, 2014, 'The Emergence of a Freedom of Information Movement: Anonymous, WikiLeaks, the Pirate Party, and Iceland',  Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19: 141–154. doi: 10.1111/jcc4.12050 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcc4.12050/references 
• Knight, A 2010, 'Wikileaks and investigative journalism', viewed 4 September 2012, <http://alanknight.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/wikileaks-and-investigative-journalism/#more-628>.
• Ellison S, 2013, ‘The Man Who Came to Dinner’, Vanity Fair, Accessed 10th January 2014, http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2013/10/julian-assange-hideout-ecuador  
• Friends of Julian Assange, 2012, Accessed 11th January 2014, http://friendsofjulianassange.wordpress.com/about-us/ 
• Harrell E, 2010, 2 Min Bio: WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange, Time Magazine, Accessed 10th January 2014 http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2006496,00.html 
• Hastings M, 2012, Julian Assange: The Rolling Stone Interview, Rolling Stone, Accessed 11th January 2014,http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/julian-assange-the-rolling-stone-interview-20120118http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/julian-assange-the-rolling-stone-interview-20120118
• Pearson B, 2013, Circle Research, Generation Y: Implications for the workplace, 17th Dec, http://www.circle-research.com/2013/generation-y-implications-workplace/#sthash.NZbfTYi7.dpufCircle Research
• TED Talks, 2010, Julian Assange: Why the world needs WikiLeaks, Accessed 10th January 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNOnvp5t7Do