-
Transforming Human Rights Reporting: Merging Mainstream News and Citizen Content
Human rights issues were never easily portrayed or understood in conventional news paradigms. Few news agencies can allocate sufficient resources to effectively depict these ongoing complex issues. Even with substantial budgets and protection, journalists often face life-threatening risks while reporting these stories.
WITNESS
September 5, 2012
-
You Are Being Watched: What Faceprints Mean for Generation Y
On July 18, YouTube launched a new tool that would enable users to blur the faces in the videos they uploaded, thereby protecting the identities of people featured in them. The platform explicitly identified the human rights threat as a primary motivator for this online technological development.
WITNESS
August 21, 2012
-
The (Virtual) Bystander Effect: Witnessing Human Rights Abuse Online
When a video goes viral, millions of people become witnesses. Whether it is a clumsy kitten, an adorable child, or a gruesome protest, we as viewers are transported to that moment. We see everything. We hear everything. But we change nothing.
WITNESS
July 20, 2012
-
Osama Bin Laden is Dead but the “War on Terror” Lives On
This week marked the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. President Obama marked the event by making an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to sign a treaty with President Karzai establishing post-war relationship.
Matisse Bustos Hawkes
May 3, 2012
-
What Facebook’s Acquisition of Instagram Could Mean for Activists
“Conclusion: Occupy Facebook!” A recent analysis of Occupy Wall Street web analytics found that because Facebook users are an engaged community, those who come to www.occupywallst.org from Facebook spend more time on the website and interact with it more.
WITNESS
April 13, 2012
-
A Small Step for Democracy in Burma but More Attention Needed For Ethnic Minorities
Burma held parliamentary by-elections for a portion of the entire parliament body yesterday. By most accounts, the polling went relatively smoothly with some incidents of irregularities being reported.
Matisse Bustos Hawkes
April 2, 2012
-
Kony 2012: Juggling Advocacy, Audience and Agency When Using #Video4Change
"Kony 2012" is now the most rapidly disseminated human rights video ever. In six days it reached an aggregate 100 million views – faster than other pop culture phenomena like Susan Boyle (9 days), Rebecca Black (45 days) and ‘Charlie Bit My Finger’ (445 days).
Sam Gregory
March 17, 2012
-
Lubanga Verdict Brings Justice To Child Soldiers in DRC – Tomorrow The Work Continues
Bukeni Waruzi, Program Manager for Africa and the Middle East at WITNESS, and a long-time advocate for children's rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reacted with relief and hope to the guilty verdict of former rebel leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo announced at the International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier today.
Matisse Bustos Hawkes
March 14, 2012
-
Will the Lubanga Verdict at the ICC Bring Justice for Child Soldiers?
Tomorrow the first trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) will come to an official close with the rendering of a verdict in the case against former rebel leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Matisse Bustos Hawkes
March 13, 2012
-
Understanding #Kony2012 as #Video4Change
Over the past several days, there’s been a flurry of activity and online discussion around “Kony 2012” the now-ubiquitous video on Joseph Kony created by the U.S.-based group Invisible Children.
WITNESS
March 9, 2012
-
Videos Critique (Un)Democratic Election and Educate Voters in Yemen
Earlier this month, I spent some time in Yemen's capital, Sana'a. Last year I spent four months covering the pro-democracy movement that has forced the three decade old despot, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over power to his deputy and current vice president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Raja Althaibani
February 27, 2012
-
WITNESS Is LIVEstreaming From Tahrir Square In Egypt
Today marks the one year anniversary of Egypt’s awakening. People all over Cairo are preparing to celebrate a year of great accomplishment. A year ago today, a massive movement demanding change exploded throughout the country.
Raja Althaibani
January 25, 2012
-
10 Years of Guantanamo Bay: A Human Rights Nightmare
Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the first detainees being brought to Guantánamo Bay in the Bush administration's "war on terror." Amnesty International is organizing a day of action to call for the detention center's closing.
Matisse Bustos Hawkes
January 10, 2012
-
Elections in Egypt and the DRC: Hope for A Better Future
Today is very special to the African continent with two major election days taking place in Egypt and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In these two big African countries, WITNESS has two very active campaigns.
WITNESS
November 28, 2011
-
Top 10 Tips for Filming #Occupy Protests, Arrests & Police Conduct
We have seen some great videos coming out from the Occupy movement around the country - from documenting mass actions to capturing police misconduct and abuse. Many courageous filmmakers, first timers and experienced professionals, are using best practices to record what is happening, and it is paying off. See this most recent example of video being used to help hold a Dallas officer accountable for shoving a protester off a ledge:
WITNESS
November 14, 2011