Welcome to the new WITNESS blog! As an organization, we’ve been blogging for about five years now, but now you can find it all in one place.
The blog’s purpose, drawing from the organization’s mission, will be to highlight and discuss effective uses of video in human rights advocacy. At present we’ve organized our content into the following categories (you can see these on the left column of the blog):
- Archiving Human Rights – trends, ideas and discussions about the importance of archiving human rights video and documentation;
- Artists Support WITNESS – about the involvement of artists in campaigns and support of the organization;
- Campaigns – updates and case studies from our own work with partners, but also pointing to innovative and exciting use of videos across the social justice spectrum;
- Knowledge Sharing [now called Video For Change]- a host of training information, toolkits, how-to guides, as well as spotlighting trends in the use of video for campaigning (for example, this post by Chris who shares a recent instance of “viral advocacy“);
- More from WITNESS – here we’ll share institutional updates, items on non-profit management, fundraising and more.
While the blog will mainly be authored by the WITNESS staff, we also plan to have external contributors ranging from our partner organizations to experts in the human rights and video fields. And we’re hoping this space will be one that fosters discussion, debate, feedback, links, sharing and improving. So please, join the conversation by commenting on a post. Also, it’s a work in progress so expect to see some changes over the next couple of months.
I’m pleased to be building on the work of many of my colleagues, most recently the amazing Priscila Neri, to curate and coordinate this new entity as the Blog Editor. Please contact me directly with ideas or feedback related to the blog.
Additional thanks to my colleagues Bryan Nunez and Marianna Moneymaker for their work to bring almost all of our previous blog content onto this platform and for helping to make it accessible through its layout and design. I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves!
(PS: Looking for more background about WITNESS and our activities? Please visit our website for that information and a lot more.)
Please note that we have updated the name one of the categories – Knowledge Sharing- is now called Video For Change.
Very nice write up. Easy to understand and straight to the point. Thanks for sharing here.
BAVC will be following you and hope to share content regularly – looking forward to working together!
Thanks Wendy and BAVC! We're now connected to your blog as well.
Thanks for your comments. Its great to hear from the community and we hope to keep you engaged! Please check back on the blog frequently and as always, keep the feedback coming.
Wow, Witness is amazing. This is the best tool available to human rights professionals. Knowledge is power. This is the tool that can be used to organize nonprofits, advocates, etc. for one cause. We can organize our resources, create information chains. I say this because right now I am looking for a resource list of all the best information and media resources to prevent violence. I am using a holistic approach, looking for evidence based resources, no politics, personal opinion, etc. I am right now organizing other nonprofits in my state, Minnesota, who have agreed to be distributors of this information. I would also like a resource of the best ways for people to participate in promoting nonviolence. This info will be also distributed at a music festival we are creating that promotes nonviolence through service to the community. The festival was designed specifically to demonstrate nonviolence in action. I would like those nonprofits and professionals that are interested to contact me, just send me a link with your organization and any info you may want to contribute. I would like Witness to help post this information also. I basically would like Witness to be viewed as the information supersource for distribution of useful human rights advocacy tools. Please view my festival blog at myspace.com/tinapennballi. I am a person not a nonprofit, so I would appreciate is info sent is marked specifically with your intent. Please also post your info on the Witness blog so that everyone can see what we are doing. Thanks to everyone for their support. Please realize that preventing violence is preventing human rights violations.
Great addition to your email newsletter!
What got me into video initially was the efort to meaningfully address an urgent need for legislative change and to expose the plight of prisoners with HIV/AIDS in state prisons in NY during the mid-80's and early 90's. I believed that images could move minds, hearts, and the political process. It happened.
I now see the growing impact from addressing unemployment and under-employment through video that I have been producing for public access television since November/December 2009. The power to touch lives, build coalitions, and create change is boundless.
Thanks again.
Bev
I am looking forward to following the Witness blog & will be looking to join your conversation now and then.
Thanks Matisse!