Here are some sessions that we will be a part of:

• Anti-oppression Principles for Global Internet Freedom and Human Rights Work – Monday, March 5, 2:30-4:45 p.m. with Dia Kayyali, (WITNESS),  Kaustubh Srikanth (Totem), Elizabeth Rivera (IFEX/Global Voices/WITNESS), Sarah Aoun, (Mozilla Open Web Fellow/ Tandem)

This 2-hour long workshop will focus on finding solutions to the ways in which we recurringly see various privileges – such as being from North America or Europe, having light skin, or being a man–exert themselves in the human rights and internet freedom community.

Full description can be found on the IFF schedule here.

• Going beyond Values Statements: Prioritizing Healthy Organizational Cultures – Tuesday, March 6, 12:15-1:15 p.m. with Nicolas Sera Leyva of (Social Media Exchange/SMEX), Dragana Kaurin (Localization Lab) Nathalie Marechal (PhD Candidate, USC Annenberg) Dia Kayyali (WITNESS)

This panel will be “an intentional conversation about the impact of organizational working cultures on the ability of individuals to go about their work in a healthy, positive, constructive manner. The ultimate goal of this session is to ignite a conversation which leads to a series of collaboratively developed standards – standards which organizations of all shapes and sizes in our community should embrace to demonstrate their commitment to we the individuals who advance their causes and serve our communities.”

Full description can be found on the IFF schedule here.

• Right to Record – Wednesday, March 7, 10-12 p.m. with Dia Kayyali and others.

What is the right to record? We’re glad you asked. We see the right to record as the right of everyone, not just credentialed press,  to film the police and military when they are carrying out their duties.  If you are interested in learning more about the right to record or our research so far, want to join this work, or want to share your experiences with filming the police, please stop by!

• WITNESS the Apps – Thursday, March 8, 12-2 p.m. with Dia Kayyali and the Guardian Project

We will be discussing the Android apps we have been working on with the Guardian Project. We will provide demos, and we would also love your feedback. We’ll have some special treats for folks who take a few minutes to chat with us about our apps. You can download ProofMode here and ObscuraCam here.

See you in Valencia!

When you, Mr. Trump, and your team take office, rest assured that we and millions with us around the world will be watching your every move.

At WITNESS, that’s what we do.

For 25 years now, we’ve been working alongside communities and individuals who have experienced their (un)fair share of violence, discrimination, and restrictions on their freedom of expression. We’ve collaborated with poor and marginalized minorities to counter abusive practices that target them. Together, we’ve changed laws, policies, and behaviors by adding a powerful tool to the equation: video (a tool whose impact you know all too well after your “locker room talk” was broadcast to the world).

Your promise to violate the Constitution is nothing new for our global team, allies, and partners. We’ve cut our teeth in places where governments control the media, where dictators perpetrate gross abuses, and where those in power deny the wrongdoings of corporations. We know exactly how to support and stand with millions of ordinary citizens to break through barriers and create powerful counter-narratives.

Together, we have honed our skills to make violations of our precious rights and freedoms visible, even in the most hidden corners of the earth. Our mission is not only to enable anyone to shine a light on the wrongs of the world, we also work to ensure that when the truth is exposed, accountability follows.

In the United States, we will be doubling down on our efforts to ensure that hateful, oppressive acts are captured and countered. That means supporting millions across the U.S. to be effective witnesses for human rights. We will expand on our existing work with LGBTQ, immigrant, and minority communities to promote justice and equality.

At this very moment, our connected, global network is sharing valuable guidance and tips on how to use communication technologies for good, not for evil.

So here is the beauty in the midst of this otherwise ugly moment: there are millions, if not billions, of us who are ready to see it, film it, share it, and change it. From Cairo to Manila to New York, we are connected to each other in solidarity and joined by the fight for universal human rights.

And we won’t let you get in the way of that.

To a just future,

Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, Executive Director & the entire WITNESS Team