Events Calendar

Video advocacy uses one of our greatest strengths—our stories—to help overcome resource and political obstacles. In particular, video from the frontlines can be invaluable for criminal investigations and court proceedings. In many situations, eyewitnesses and on-the-ground human rights activists are better positioned to collect evidence of human rights abuses than professional investigators because investigators often arrive after-the-fact when the violence has stopped and the evidence has deteriorated or is gone. However, while citizen shot video often provides helpful clues about what took place and who might be responsible, the quality seldom passes the higher bar needed to be used as evidence in a court of law. With slight modifications, the footage frontline documenters often risk their lives to capture can – in addition to exposing injustice and supporting advocacy efforts – serve as evidence in criminal and civil justice processes. Human rights advocates can also employ new tactics and techniques to incorporate video and other media into their work.

This workshop will provide a basic understanding of video advocacy and the WITNESS methodology, including how to make initial decisions about the strategic use of video within your legal campaigns such as a video’s goal, message, audience, story and distribution.