It was 1991. A plumber planning to record the Los Angeles marathon with his newly acquired Sony Handycam was trying it out when he heard a commotion outside and saw flashing sirens below his apartment window. He pressed the record button and began filming the brutal beating of Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department. Within 12 hours, it had been seen around the world. The video sparked outrage and brought a new focus onto police conduct and brutality, racial injustice and human rights.

A couple of years earlier, I had a life-changing experience as part of Amnesty International’s Human Rights Now! tour. I was profoundly shocked by my conversations with many victims of human-rights abuses, both by the extent of their suffering but also by how often their horrific experiences were denied and buried.

I believed then what I still believe today — that people armed with cameras can create change. With cameras in our hands, we all can protect and defend human rights.

And so in 1992, I helped found WITNESS. The organization is based on the idea that technology can transcend all borders and that information is power. Change flows when the right tools are in the right hands with the right skills.

In 2014, a Staten Island grand jury declined to charge a New York City police officer in the death of Eric Garner. His death and last words “I can’t breathe” became a rallying cry for a new generation of activists fighting to end police misconduct. Mr. Garner’s death was captured on cell-phone video and circulated widely on social media and news outlets around the world. The prevailing opinion was that the officers in charge would face justice and be held accountable for their misdeeds. That was not the result.

Examples like these may leave us at a loss. Crimes were documented — and the footage captured circled the globe many times over. Sometimes, documenting a human rights crime doesn’t directly lead to justice. But it can galvanize a movement. It can be proof regardless of what a jury decides. Most importantly, it can transform public opinion as well as national and international policies.

We may not see the outcome we want when we want it, but there is power in arming truth with evidence.

The reality is that human-rights crimes happen all around us, and most of us have the tools to document them. We need to not only show the truth, but to verify and prove it. We need to know how to save, protect and curate our video footage, because in most cases the road to justice is long and difficult.

At times, it seems like we live in the post-truth age. Propagandists sit alongside those in power who see our world as theater, in which shocking news stories are rapidly countered by fabricated accounts suggesting that the opposite happened. We end up stunned and subdued, unsure of what we can and cannot believe. When you factor in that we only end up seeing the news that is increasingly chosen for us through algorithms and our own filter bubbles, the truth appears elusive.

One way to counter this is to empower, protect and champion the storyteller and the human rights activist. History shows us time and time again the power of truth. The most effective way to counter Holocaust deniers was by diligently assembling the stories and first-hand accounts of survivors. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained about the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in the wake of South Africa’s apartheid, letting people have their stories seen and heard is an act that itself is empowering and is the foundation for justice.

I still believe that seeing is believing. The value of video footage lies not just in its existence, but in the inability to deny what is captured for posterity.

Timely, accurate and impartial information is the most powerful force we have to protect the fundamental rights of all people. Now more than ever, there are more bystanders willing to step forward and speak truth to power. And, as ever, they need your help to do it.

Photo Credit: John Molloy – Getty Images

Berta Cáceres at the banks of the Gualcarque River where she, COPINH and the people of Rio Blanco have maintained a two-year struggle to halt construction on the Agua Zarca Hydroelectric project.

Two months ago Berta Cáceres, a Honduran environmental activist and human rights defender, was assassinated. Cáceres was the coordinator of the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), headquartered in La Esperanza, Intibucá in western Honduras.

On May 2nd, the Honduran government announced the arrest of four suspects, including an active member of the Honduran military police; a member of Desarrollos Energéticos S.A. de C.V. (DESA) – the Honduran company responsible for the construction of Agua Zarca, a hydroelectric dam that COPINH has long resisted for violating the human rights of hundreds of indigenous Lenca people; and two former members of DESA and the Honduran army respectively. The four are being held in prison but have not yet prosecuted.

For Berta’s family and COPINH, these arrests confirm DESA’s responsibility for the murder and show collusion between the Honduran government and the company, which they have always denied. However, these four names represent only a small part of the long list of those responsible for Berta Caceres’ murder, according to Berta’s family and COPINH. They report that the Attorney General has not conducted a comprehensive and thorough investigation to identify the masterminds of the crime. Moreover, they doubt the consistency of the investigation as the Attorney General has not allowed them to participate and hasn’t kept them informed of their progress.

In order to ensure complete impartiality in the investigation, Berta’s family and COPINH are demanding the creation of an independent, reliable and professional group of international investigators led by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). However, to date, the Honduran government has not responded to this demand. Berta’s family and COPINH demand that the government recognize the political nature of the crime because Berta was murdered for her fight against the Agua Zarca project and the extractive industry model in Honduras, as well as her defense of the rights of the indigenous Lenca people. They are also calling for a comprehensive and impartial justice process and the definitive and immediate cancellation of the hydroelectric dam project Agua Zarca, which stands accused of violating rights such as the right to consultation of indigenous peoples, as stated in Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Agua Zarca project is funded mainly by three banks: the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE), The Netherlands Development Finance Company and Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation.

In their struggle for truth and justice, COPINH members have received a single response from the Honduran government: repression. On May 9, during a peaceful action organized in front of the Presidential Palace in the capital Tegucigalpa the group was assaulted by the Honor Guard of the president. A minor was seriously injured in the attack and had to be hospitalized for a cerebral concussion. 

Without local and international pressure on the Honduran government, it is unlikely that these demands will be met, which is why celebrities like Peter Gabriel and Susan Sarandon have joined the campaign to demand the Honduran government bring justice for Berta and satisfy all the demands of her family and COPINH.

Watch their video messages and add your voice to the call for justice by tweeting the messages below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdagNdQ4_I4?w=560&h=315

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-xHVQ3BSMs?w=560&h=315

Berta was murdered 2 months ago. Join us today asking President @juanorlandoh for #Justice4Honduras http://bit.ly/Justice4Honduras

Demand President @JuanOrlandoH bring #Justice4Honduras + cancellation of #AguaZarca http://bit.ly/Justice4Honduras

.@JuanOrlandoH: Conduct transparent investigations and ensure accountability for crimes #Justice4Honduras http://bit.ly/Justice4Honduras

.@SusanSarandon “I’m calling on the Honduran gov to conduct a thorough/transparent investigation” http://bit.ly/Justice4Honduras

.@itspetergabriel “Stop the persecution of Lenca community” Join us asking for #Justice4Honduras http://bit.ly/Justice4Honduras

Honoring Philippe Dauman, Viacom President & CEO

New York, November 2, 2015 –  The 2015 Focus for Change Benefit dinner and concert for WITNESS, the international human rights organization, will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at ArtBeam.

A combination of musical performances, inspiring stories from human rights activists, and a community of supporters representing the arts, journalism, philanthropy, tech and more come together for one of most inspirational events in New York City.

WITNESS trains and supports people to use video safely, ethically, and effectively for human rights worldwide. More people than ever are using video to expose the truth, yet they often lack the tools and skills to turn their videos into justice. Too often their footage is difficult to verify, lost completely, or simply does not contain the information needed for a court of law. This year’s Benefit theme “Video for Justice” highlights WITNESS’ work connecting activists and lawyers to ensure they understand each other’s needs and challenges in order to increase the potential of video as a tool for justice.

For more information about the event, visit http://focusforchange.org. More about WITNESS https://www.witness.org

WHAT: 11th Annual Focus For Change Benefit and Concert for WITNESS

WHO:

• Host: Peter Gabriel, musician, human rights advocate and WITNESS co-founder
• Performances By: Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, Black Violin, DJ Scribe & OP!
• Honoree: Philippe Dauman, Viacom President & CEO, for his dedication to amplifying stories of social change and in doing so inspiring Viacom audiences to take action around issues that matter to them.
• Featured Speaker: Kevin Moore, WeCopwatch Baltimore Activist who filmed the arrest of Freddie Gray
• Red Carpet Host: Tai Beauchamp

WHEN: Thursday, November 12, 2015, 6:30pm: Red carpet arrivals and cocktail. 7:15: Program, paddle raise and performances. *Press check-in at 6 PM.

WHERE: ArtBeam, 540 West 21st Street (at 11^th Ave) New York, NY

*PRESS: Must RSVP in advance to cover event. To RSVP and to request interviews in advance of the event please contact Matisse Bustos-Hawkes at WITNESS via Press@witness.org or 718-783-2000 ext. 306 or Erica Gerard at PMK via Erica.Gerard@pmkbnc.com or 212-582-1111.

Law, like language, has to reflect the needs of the times. Justice systems in the United States and around the world urgently need to consider comprehensive appraisal of video as a potentially reliable form of evidence. Technology and the individuals using it can help make this happen…

The introduction of verified videos could be as critical as the introduction of forensics in criminal investigations and trials.

Peter suggests that ideas like WITNESS’ “proof mode“, which enhances the verifiability of digital video footage and allows better tagging options so that it might be more easily discovered and cataloged, could go a long way to help citizen video be used as evidence. He concludes:

From Syria to Staten Island citizens are exposing the truth with video. These citizen witnesses are bringing victims’ stories directly to our screens, revealing names and images that we might otherwise have never known…

Putting cameras in phones has put them directly into the hands of billions of people around the world, empowering billions of potential witnesses.

To ignore their experiences—and their evidence—is to ignore the foundation of real justice, the truth.

Read the entire article here. To learn more about WITNESS’ work on video as evidence, follow the series on our blog from the forthcoming Video as Evidence Field Guide. 

While today’s mobile technology has enabled millions upon millions to be video witnesses, a special group of people purposefully put their lives at risk to document human rights abuses, bring those images and stories to light, and affect change. Focus For Change is our small part to honor them.

“With cameras everywhere, we can document and share what is really going on,” said WITNESS Co-Founder Peter Gabriel in opening remarks to the evening. “We can build campaigns with millions — even billions — of others, and we can leverage those numbers to create real change.”

Peter Gabriel speaking at WITNESS’ 10 Annual Focus For Change Benefit.

WITNESS has trained activists for over 22 years in safe filming techniques and how to create videos that can drive positive change. Take Rami Jarrah, an award-winning citizen journalist from Syria and this year’s Focus For Change special guest.

Rami became active in Syrian protest groups early in 2011. He quickly became a trusted spokesperson and was interviewed frequently by international media. He also spoke out via social media using the pseudonym Alexander Page for about six months before his identity was discovered by the Al Assad regime and he narrowly escaped Syria. Rami co-founded the Activists News Association (ANA) to help professionalize citizen journalism efforts in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. ANA organizes video databases, circulates citizen reports to the media, human rights organizations and the International Criminal Court.

Visa issues kept Rami from joining us in New York but in prepared remarks he had this to say:

When brutal things happen in far-off places, they are hard to imagine. Even for me, having seen the atrocities in Syria myself, the brutality is sometimes beyond my grasp.

But thanks to media activists, we do not have to imagine. Thanks to the millions of ordinary people who are filming what is happening: We can ALL witness.

And once you are a witness, you feel an urge to do something. I believe all people share that urge. It is why we flood the streets and join protests. It is why we pick up cameras when we see persecution.

It is why we are all here tonight. We know our neighbors are suffering, and so we come to celebrate the courage of those who are telling us their stories.

“I am speaking on behalf of all of us at WITNESS,” said Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, WITNESS Executive Director, “when I say it is people like Rami, the men and women we work with, who inspire us every day.”

More About Focus For Change

Visit Focus For Change for photos and other coverage of the event. Read Rami’s complete remarks on the WITNESS Blog. And, importantly:

On the new album, artists covered by Peter on Scratch My Back return the favor and cover his songs. They include Peter Burn, Arcade Fire, Regina Spektor, Lou Reed and Paul Simon among others. Here’s a sampler:

“The songs came alive in new clothes,” Peter tells the Wall Street Journal about having others take control of his songs. “Once I let myself go, I realized the kids have to go off and stand on their own two feet.”

You can read the Wall Street Journal’s review here: Friends Who Finally Scratch Back.