training Archives - WITNESS https://www.witness.org/tag/training/ Human Rights Video Fri, 19 Apr 2019 18:02:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 76151064 INDIGENOUS VOICES: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS https://www.witness.org/indigenous-voices-effective-strategies-for-dealing-with-human-rights-violations/ Mon, 15 Apr 2019 14:33:13 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=2196709 Are you attending this year’s United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)? Join us for a workshop on Wednesday, April 24 from 12pm-2pm offering practical guidance on using video to advocate for human rights and justice. This side-event is co-hosted by the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous People’s and Indigenous Advocate, Sandra Creamer.

This two-hour workshop will cover our basic video advocacy methodology, basic practices for filming interviews and some hands-on activities. We will also share examples of how Indigenous groups around the world are effectively using video in their work.

If you’re interested in learning how to use video to raise awareness, share important stories, or document violations against Indigenous peoples and territories, this will be a great introductory workshop! If you can’t make it, check out our Indigenous Voices webinar from last year.

DETAILS

Wednesday, April 24, 12-2pm
Bahai International Community Centre
United Nations Office
866 United Nations Plaza
Suite 120
Open to the Public
]]> 2196709 WITNESS and Immigrant Defense Project cohost Webinar: Eyes On ICE https://www.witness.org/witness-immigrant-defense-project-cohost-webinar-eyesonice/ Wed, 24 May 2017 15:03:52 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=2192472 Join WITNESS and Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) Tuesday, June 13th from 3-4pm EST to learn important “know your rights” and tactical information around documenting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE continues to surveil, target, and harass immigrant communities, often showing up at homes in nondescript clothing, identifying as police officers, or using fabricated stories to gain entry. In an escalating climate of fear and uncertainty for immigrant communities, WITNESS and IDP remain committed to protecting immigrant communities and supporting activists and organizers. 

Filming these encounters on a cellphone or other device, if possible, can help expose illegal activity and human rights abuses committed by ICE officers, deter violence, substantiate reports and serve as evidence. However, if footage isn’t captured and/or shared safely and ethically, there can be unintended harm to both the person being filmed and the person filming.

Join our webinar to learn more about the opportunities and perils for filming ICE, and how to safely, ethically and effectively document encounters. Register to attend #EyesOnICE here!

Stay tuned for information about our next webinar on July 18th that will cover community responses to ICE and documentation efforts already being deployed.

For general Know Your Rights information on encounters with ICE, check out IDP’s website (available in multiple languages). And check out our tip sheet for filming ICE below (also available in Spanish).

 

Webinar Presenters:

Michelle Paris is the Staff Attorney, Training & Resources Director at IDP. She brings to the work several years as a public defender in the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, where she developed a keen understanding of the challenges of representing immigrant clients. Michelle was previously awarded an Equal Justice Works Fellowship focused on indigent defense for defendants with mental health issues. Michelle is a graduate of Stanford Law School where she was a student attorney with Stanford Law’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic. She was also Board Member of the Stanford Black Law Students Association, a coordinator and translator for the Housing Pro Bono Program, a Juvenile Detention Facility Teacher for Street Law, an Editor for the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and a member of the Stanford Latino Law Students Association.

 

Palika Makam is the Program Coordinator for WITNESS’ US work. She supports activists and communities to use video safely, ethically and effectively to document human rights violations involving police and immigration officials, and protect the rights of LGBTQ, minority, indigenous and vulnerable communities around the country. Palika brings to the work several years of training activists to use video for change in New York, Ferguson, Cape Town and The West Bank. Media she’s helped produce has been used as evidence in human rights abuse court cases, utilized for human rights campaigns, and screened in classrooms and at the UN. Palika was previously awarded an Emerging Activist Fellowship with The Social Change Initiative. She holds a BA in Journalism and Social and Cultural Analysis from NYU, and MA in International Development concentrating in human rights and media from The New School. She is a board member of The Truth Telling Project based in Ferguson, MO, and a youth board member of the ACLU Illinois Chapter.

Update: WITNESS would like to thank the Immigrant Defense Project and the over 300 people that logged on for the Eyes on Ice Webinar on June 13th. If you were unable to catch the webinar live, video and audio from the full presentation has been made available below via WITNESS’ YouTube. Find additional resources from the webinar here.

 

]]> 2192472 Highlighting WITNESS’ Work In Asia-Pacific Region https://www.witness.org/asia-pacific-region-update/ Mon, 19 Dec 2016 21:04:48 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=2191719 Over the past few months, we have been working on widening our reach in the Asia-Pacific region by providing trainings focused on sharing tools and tips to enhance activism highlighting human rights abuses. Through our Resource Library and our social media platforms, we share a number of critical resources that will assist activists in the work they do, all of which are available for free and are created with easy access and sharing in mind.

Here are some highlights from our latest video advocacy trainings led by WITNESS’ Asia-Pacific Program Manager, Arul Prakkash:

Workshop on Video as Evidence for Bersih 5 Rally
 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

In solidarity with the Malaysian movement for clean and fair elections, WITNESS provided training for a group of videographers to document the Bersih 5 rally held on November 19th. To help mobilize members of the public and citizen journalists, Prakkash created the ‘10 Tips Penting Jika Merakam Video Di Bersih 5′ (Top 10 Tips for Filming Bersih 5) tip sheet, which was adapted from this WITNESS tip sheet (in English). Over 15,000 protesters took part in the Bersih 5 rally in the streets of Kuala Lumpur calling for institutional reforms for a new Malaysia. Bersih’s 5 demands include clean elections, a clean government, a strengthening of parliamentary democracy, the right to dissent, and the empowerment of the states of Sabah and Sarawak.

Workshop on Storytelling for Advocacy for Indigenous People
 Gua Musang, Malaysia

In November, Prakkash delivered a brief training on storytelling for video to a team of activists who are members of the Indigenous Peoples’ Network of Peninsular Malaysia (JKOASM). The workshop took place in Gua Musang in the state of Kelantan where indigenous people have been protesting illegal logging in their ancestral lands. Prakkash trained participants on how to safely and effectively use mobile phones and GoPro cameras to highlight their struggles. He emphasized the importance of the use of the first-person narrative for video for higher impact. This training workshop was conducted together with our partners, KOMAS.

Series of Workshops for Human Rights Defenders
Comoro, Timor-Leste

Activists, human rights defenders, and NGO staff from South Asia and Southeast Asia working on a range of human rights issues attended a one and a half day training by WITNESS on October 18th and 19th. The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) is an independent Australian NGO committed to advancing human rights by empowering civil society through education and skills training. WITNESS and DTP strategized with participants on how to include video in their various advocacy initiatives and trained them on storytelling using video. Participants were able to produce short videos on a range of issues by the end of the workshop.

Within the same month, WITNESS and Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) trained around 30 human rights activists and NGO staff on the use of video for advocacy work. Participants went through an intensive training process on video documentation of human rights abuses, storytelling for video and digital security. Through workshops such as these, we hope to inspire and support more activists working in Timor-Leste in their advocacy efforts.

An Encounter with Max Stahl

Prakkash also took some time out of his training schedule to meet with British film-maker Max Stahl, whose documentary In Cold Blood: the Massacre of East Timor contributed to changing the destiny of the nation of Timor-Leste. The Max Stahl Audiovisual Archive Center for Timor-Leste (CAMSTL) is home to a repository of documentary heritage comprising of over 5,000 hours of audiovisual material since November 1991. The Center today is a training ground for young filmmakers and activists who engage with struggles of resistance and who want to communicate their stories to the world.

To read more, check out this recent blog post by our Asia-Pacific Engagement Consultant, Meghana Bahar, about the Santa Cruz massacre which occurred 25 years ago.

To stay updated on all of our work in the Asia-Pacific region, follow WITNESS Asia on Twitter and Facebook!

]]> 2191719 New WITNESS Tip Sheet for Filming Acts of Hate https://www.witness.org/filming-hate/ Mon, 21 Nov 2016 22:38:55 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=2191626 While the election of Donald Trump will pose significant setbacks for everyone working in the field of human rights and social justice, we remain committed to supporting people to use video as a tool for documentation and advocacy. And we know that support is needed right now. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has documented over 700 acts of hate across the United States since the presidential election on November 8th.

WITNESS is doubling down on our work in the U.S. We are continuing our support of people documenting police violence, and we are expanding to support at-risk groups such as immigrants, refugees and LGBT communities to use video as a tool to expose abuses and amplify personal narratives.

Right now, we know that people are witnessing and reporting acts of hate. Below we share tips to documenting these acts more safely and effectively. Filming hate can expose abuse, substantiate reports, deter violence and serve as evidence.

We also encourage you to check out these resources from the SPLC: Ten Ways to Fight Hate – A Community Response Guide and the ACLU: Feel like you’re at risk?

FILMING HATE

If you witness a hateful act, let the victim know you are there to help. If you feel that filming could make the situation worse, don’t do it.

Take Action Now:

      • Enable auto backup on your phone
      • Free up space on your device
      • Protect your device with a passcode

BE SAFE!

Your camera can protect you or put you and others at risk. Could exposing the identity of a victim, such as an immigrant or trans person, endanger them or others in their community? Ask yourself: Does anyone’s identity need to be protected? Who can I call for help? Do I have an escape route? Could someone take my camera? Are there others around? Can I film without being seen?

FILM SO OTHERS UNDERSTAND

Show what happened with details like injuries, torn clothing, blood stains, hateful chants, slurs, threats, license plates, threatening symbols, graffiti, spray paint cans, property damage and weapons. Talking to someone on camera can help capture important parts of the story, or cause harm by making them a target or revictimizing them.

PROVE IT’S REAL

Film (or say) the time and date. Show street signs, landmarks, others filming and nearby surveillance cameras to help prove your location. Film without stopping if you can. If sharing online, include a clear, factual description.

DON’T SHAKE

Keep your camera steady and hold important shots for at least 10 seconds. Film multiple angles from different distances. Getting good video in low light can be hard, but the audio can still be valuable.

THINK BEFORE YOU SHARE

Uploading your video or livestreaming on a public channel can turn you – or the victim and their community – into a target. Once it’s online, you lose control of who sees the video and the context it’s shared in. Before sharing publicly, ask for advice from a lawyer, the victim, a trusted friend, local activist or journalist.

BACK IT UP

Save the original file in a safe place. Don’t delete the original file or change the filename. Ever. If you do edit, do it from a copy.

WHO TO TELL

Many non-profit and state organizations are recording reports of hate-related incidents. Look for a group near you to file a report and find additional support for the victim.

Download these tips here and learn more about filming safely and effectively at library.witness.org. Also available in Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish.

]]> 2191626 Video Activism in Chile, from Temuco to Valparaíso https://www.witness.org/video-activism-in-chile-from-temuco-to-valpaiso/ Mon, 09 May 2016 15:10:04 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=2119098 Leer en español

Last month WITNESS’ Victor Ribeiro traveled to Chile to conduct a series of video advocacy and video evidence workshops. Here are a few highlights from the workshops and the people he met along the way:

Workshops on Personal Safety and Video as Evidence in Temuco

These workshops provided guidance and practical skills around the use of video for human rights, and brought together human rights defenders and activists from indigenous Mapuche communities who are organizing to fight the rise of extractive industries in their region.

“Communications are an integral part of the struggle.” 

“Communications are an integral part of the struggle.”

In Temuco, Victor met with Alfredo Segue, founder of MapuExpress, who provided a short video summary about the struggles of the Mapuche peoples and the human rights violations they continue to face today.

He also met with Zuny, a woman who is dedicated to collecting and preserving seeds from indigenous crops in the region, and is also a member of ANAMURI: the National Association of Rural and Indigenous Women.

The visit coincided with the 4th Annual March in Defense of Water and Land, so the workshops included guidance on organizing in protests and working with legal observers. 

IMG2

In Santiago and Cañete, Victor also hosted workshops on audiovisual memory at the Mapuche Museum, the Audiovisual Institute at the University of Chile and with Pikete Informativo – a Chilean independent media collective.

 

“We understand that this is a super important moment for independent media and alternative communication outlets because by disputing memory we are shedding light on these situations, we are countering the norms of the hegemonic press and mainstream media outlets.”

It was an intense week of video activism that brought WITNESS’ work from Temuco to Valparaíso to Santiago.  The trip finished off with a protest in support of Felipe Duran, a Chilean photographer who was arrested for documenting violations against the Mapuches.

“It’s necessary to prevent and generate security protocols … especially in this region which has invested heavily in militarization.”

]]> 2119098 WITNESS and FiSahara Train Human Rights Defenders and Video Activists from Western Sahara https://www.witness.org/witness-and-fisahara-train-human-rights-defenders-and-video-activists-from-western-sahara/ Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:19:49 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=2089599 By Isabelle Mbaye

Disponible en français ici. 

In February 2016, WITNESS and FiSahara conducted a week-long intensive training on how to use video as a tool for human rights advocacy, in the Sahrawi refugee camps located in the Tindouf province of Algeria.

WITNESS has been working in partnership with the Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara) for the past 3 years on training video activists and human rights defenders from Western Sahara occupied territories and the refugee camps to raise awareness on the human rights abuse regularly committed by the Moroccan Authority.

Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco since 1975 after Spain renounced control of the territory. Morocco immediately annexed the area leading to a war between the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi national liberation movement, and the Moroccan Government. In 1991 a truce was reached. As part of the agreement the Moroccan government agreed to allow for an independence referendum in Western Sahara. 25 years later Saharawis are still waiting to vote.

Following the war, thousands of Saharawi fled to southwest Algeria and have been living since then in harsh conditions in refugee camps in the Sahara Desert. For those who stayed in Western Sahara, many continue to protest against Moroccan occupation, and can be subject to violent human right abuses such as beatings, torture, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment. Morocco heavily restricts the presence of journalists and international human rights monitors in the occupied territory, meaning many of these abuses go undocumented.

Click to view slideshow.

From February 15 to 22, 2016, this intensive workshop gathered 15 participants from different human rights organizations that use video to promote human rights and document abuses by the Moroccan authorities.

The aim of this training was to work with participants from refugee camps and from the occupied territories to improve their skills on video advocacy for human rights and to learn to train others on these skills. Some participants were already trainers and this workshop gave them the opportunity to strengthen their abilities.

Throughout the training WITNESS covered different areas in video advocacy. These areas included creating a video action plan for change, storytelling, ethical filming, and editing. Participants also discussed and provided input on the WITNESS Media Lab’s ongoing project verifying and curating eyewitness videos of abuse in Western Sahara.

The training served also as a platform to teach the future trainers to share the skills that they have learned to empower others in their communities who want to use video for social and political change. You can hear from the participants directly in the video below.

 

Interested in learning more about using video for change? WITNESS materials on video advocacy are available for free download here.

]]> 2089599 WITNESS Organizes Video Advocacy Training for HIV Advocates in Zambia https://www.witness.org/witness-organizes-video-advocacy-training-for-hiv-advocates-in-zambia/ Fri, 20 Nov 2015 15:50:11 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=1898278 Original title: Video for Change Training for Advocates

This post originally appeared on The International Treatment Preparedness Coalition’s (ITPC) website. ITPC trains activists to advocate for improved treatment access for HIV patients. WITNESS organized a training with ITPC on video advocacy in fall 2015 in Zambia.

WITNESS partnered with us to support a day’s video for change training, for 11 of our partner organizations in Africa. The initiative is part of a joint project of International Treatment Preparedness Coalition and AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa, funded by Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund.

WITNESS

WITNESS is an international non-profit organization that empowers human rights defenders to use video to fight injustice, and to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools that can pressure those in power or with power to act.

The training session covered the basics to help participants consider when video might be most effective to support their advocacy strategy. It focused on the elements of video for change, such as strategy and filming techniques, including how to interview for storytelling.

The Trainers

The trainer, Isabelle Mbaye, is a WITNESS consultant based in Botswana. Isabelle was supported by three experienced Video for Change practitioners, who shared their experience during the session.

  • Delight, Felistus and Sylvere paying close attention at video 4 change training.

    Catherine Musola (featured in the top photo) is a well-known Director in Zambia, and is part of Award Winning, Vilole Images Productions.

  • Otim Patrick is the Video Advocacy Manager at the Refugee Law Project, in Kampala, Uganda. He heads up the Media4Social Change Program for the organization, and is an active member of the V4C Africa Network.
  • Elaine Maane works at STEPS South Africa, in Cape Town. STEPS makes documentaries for social change and has used video for advocacy to campaign on HIV/AIDS.

What is Video for Change or Video Advocacy?

Participants trying out the cameras.

Video advocacy is the use of video to bring about change in attitudes, behavior and policies. It is made for a specific reason. It is not simply video about a topic. “It is about the process of bringing about change in policies, law or people’s behavior and attitudes. Video advocacy is about using visual media as a strategic tool to engage people to create change. Making an advocacy video requires setting specific objectives, identifying target audiences and developing a strategic plan for production and distribution to ensure the video has impact. Remember that video is the medium, advocacy is the purpose, and change is the goal.”

Featured image via ITPC.

]]> 1898278 WITNESS Around The World https://www.witness.org/witness-around-the-world-2/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 16:02:57 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=1583211 Our staff is always on the go, sharing resources and knowledge from Brooklyn to Turkey, South Africa to Ukraine, and everywhere in between. “WITNESS Around the World” is where you can get the latest on events and trainings and learn more about how you can get involved.

 

  • Senior Program Manager for the Middle East and Africa, Bukeni Waruzi, conducted a training for LGBTQI activists in Johannesburg, South Africa May 4-10. The training brought together 25 activists from South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Swaziland for a week-long training on advocacy, filming, storytelling and distribution for the promotion of LGBTQI rights.
  • Thursday, June 4, Program Manager Madeleine Bair will be participating in the Personal Democracy Forum in New York City. The conference, that runs June 4-5, brings together  opinion makers, political practitioners, technologists, and journalists to explore the intersection of politics and technology. Madeleine will be participating on the panel, “Check It Before You Wreck It”, discussing video verification. Find out more about the conference and Madeleine’s panel here.
  • Matisse Bustos-Hawkes, Senior Communications Manager, will be participating in the Greenwich Film Festival, speaking on the panel, “Social Impact”. The conversation will explore why some social issues garner more media attention than others, and discuss the role of film and media in proliferating social issues around the globe. The panel is free and open to the public— come check it out!

 

]]> 1583211 WITNESS Around the World https://www.witness.org/witness-around-the-world/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 17:32:47 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=1391497 WITNESS staff has been on the move the last few weeks traveling around the world conducting trainings, taking part in conferences and connecting with activists.

Prakkash at RightsConWITNESS’ Program Manager for Asia and the Pacific, Arul Prakkash (Prakkash), travelled to the Philippines to attend RightsCon 2015 along with Program Director Sam Gregory.  While in Manila, Prakkash also took part in the Responsible Data Forum, an event that brought together human rights defenders, technicians, and front-line activists to discuss human rights documentation. Additionally, Prakkash met with local groups and NGOs to WITNESS materials and lead short workshops. Despite the city traffic and his tight schedule, Prakkash was able to make the most of his ten days in Manila!

Following his time in the Philippines, Sam Gregory journeyed to Sweden in early April to participate in Defender Days, an annual event put on by Civil Rights Defenders. The event was attended by over 150 European human rights defenders and 160 human rights defenders from outside of Europe. Sam led sessions on video advocacy, video as evidence, and video verification. Check out a Storify from the conference below.

Meanwhile, Jackie Zammuto, WITNESS Engagement Coordinator, rocked it at The University of Texas at Austin.  Jackie conducted a workshop titled, “From Brazil to Ferguson: Using Video to Support Human Rights Advocacy”, and participated in a panel hosted but the Department of Eurasian and Slavic Studies, titled “Social Media + The Dynamics of Dissent.” The panel discussed the role of social media in recent conflicts and revolutions throughout the world including in Ukraine, Russia, Brazil and the Arab Spring. Upon her return to New York, Jackie held training sessions for youth, tailored to address concerns and needs of young people who want to learn about engaging in activism safely and effectively.

Stay tuned for more WITNESS updates from around the world!

[View the story “WITNESS at Defenders’ Day in Stockholm 2015” on Storify]
]]> 1391497 WITNESS training in Ukraine: Video as Evidence https://www.witness.org/witness-training-in-ukraine-video-as-evidence/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 16:55:10 +0000 https://www.witness.org/?p=1338630 Senior Attorney and Program Manager, Kelly Matheson, is in Ukraine this week to lead a three day training on Video as Evidence for Human Rights defenders in Kyiv. The training is part of the Docudays Human Rights Film Festival, which is taking place around Kyiv between March 20 to 27.

This Video as Evidence training comes on the heels of a recently launched preliminary investigation into crimes against humanity in Ukraine by the ICC.

The training is bringing together a range of human rights defenders who have a stake in using video as evidence including citizen journalists, activists, community reporters and human rights investigators. Through case studies, practical exercises and discussions, participants will learn basic legal principles that will inform what and how they film as well as practical step-by-step guidance on how to capture, share and store video with enhanced evidentiary value. The end goal is to ensure the footage activists often take great personal risk to film, will be more helpful for human rights investigations and justice proceedings.

Learn more about WITNESS’ work to develop Video as Evidence guidelines, in collaboration with the ICC, here.

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