An overview of the exhibit experience current and previous design

                                                                    Create a Universal Language Exhibit Guide

Welcome

        This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations after WWII. Yet for millions of people on our planet, these rights are not respected and can result in tragic loss of life.

        A global campfire offers a place to learn about human rights and discover ways you can be involved in preventing their abuse. A place where you can share stories and include your voice to help create a language of hope.

       Begin your adventure by touching the sign that reads, “Every Human has Rights.” The sign links to a video presenting some of the people who are bringing attention to the importance of human rights, such as Nelson Mandela. If the link doesn’t go through try http://hub.witness.org/en/node/5294

       Then turn on the black video screen where you can see a public service announcement from the Witness organization. They help people learn to use cameras to film stories about human rights violations and put them on the Internet, encouraging people to find ways to change these atrocities. To play it, click the play bottom on the bottom right of your screen. (You may need to see  if you have allowed streaming video on your preferences.) If this doesn’t work go to;  http://hub.witness.org/en/node/2217 and see the video there.

        Find a place near the fire and find what environment preferences you prefer. The sign on the ring surrounding the fire that reads “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” displays some of the names of the human rights adopted by the United Nations. (Zoom into the sign.) To see the complete declaration click the sign or go to; http://html.knowyourrights2008.org/en/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.html

      The videos illustrate the different kind of choices a person can make to protect or violate human rights. Ways of discovering the essential qualities of being human we all share, while appreciating different ways they can be expressed needs better understanding. Today’s media technology may not only help document how we treat each other, but allow us to create new ways to represent and express our ideas about human rights.

        To explore ways of being involved in helping to respect human rights, the ring in the center of the exhibit presents images and text illustrating some of the different points of view we might have of ourselves and each other, and how they could lead to prejudice or tolerance of a person’s right to live with freedom and dignity.     

       If your experience at the exhibit inspires ideas about human rights, share your story about what rights you believe are important and how to prevent their violations. Anytime you want to interact with others in real time while you are at the exhibit, go to the sign on the ring that reads “Twiddla.com” and link to the interactive web site. And, you can create a postcard and send it to others who might want to be involved. To create the postcard, take a screen shot of you at the exhibit, attach a note and email it anywhere you want.

        Your story can also be added to the stories at Witness.org by going to

 http://hub.witness.org

 Thank you for visiting

Previous design

                                                                   Overview of Exhibit Experience

A sign introduces the exhibit;     Create A Universal Language

                                                   To Help Respect Human Rights

      The visitor sees three media screens surrounding a touch screen computer shaped like a large drum. The floor of the exhibit shows a picture of a spiral galaxy with the computer above its glowing center. The setting suggests a universal campfire where people come to tell their stories.

      The stories are about human rights, how they are being violated through out the world, and how media technology could help people explore alternatives.  

      The interactive experience offers a chance for people to become involved in human rights issues; learning about the international rights adopted by the United Nations after WWII, creating and sharing their own ideas and images, seeing how the concepts a person uses to define human rights can influence the choice to treat people with respect or prejudice.

The center media screen reads;

     “Listen to stories about human rights and learn how international organizations like Witness try to protect these rights. Touch screen to play.” 1.http://hub.witness.org/en/node/5294 Every Human Has Rights (4 minutes)

2.www.hub.witness.org/en/node/2217 Witness Organization (1 minute)

Text following video;

       “Imagine you are trying to protect your rights and those of others. You would need some kind of guidelines, a way to decide what rights people should have. The touch screen computer is a place to explore those guidelines as images, as pictures that help see ways of respecting human rights.”

The computer has three concentric rings with text to explain the interaction with each ring; (Text is available on the ring itself, and as a notecard.)

       “Touch the camera to take a picture of your Avatar, and locate your picture on the outer ring. Imagine the picture represents you as a person who has certain rights. If there are others at the exhibit, you can share your ideas and create an image together. As you create your image, it will appear on a media screen”

       “The center ring gives the names of the human rights adopted by the United Nations sixty years ago. You can choose the rights you believe people should have, and place them in your image by touching or typing their names.”

        “Between your picture and the center ring, are images of different colors that represent possibilities a person might be. For example, people could have different skin colors, shapes and sizes, cultures and beliefs. Choose a range of skin colors you believe people can have and still be treated with respect. The range of colors will be shown on the media screen along with the picture of your Avatar and the names of the human rights you have chosen. Now the image represents an individual, the possibilities they can be, and the kind of human rights they should have.”

     (Note: This image could be animated and have sound to show that the skin colors can change, while the names of the human rights remain constant.)

      “To see how your image can help guide actions to protect your rights and those of others, a special kind of copy can be made by touching the media screen showing the picture you have created.”

       (The copy will now be transparent except for the choices the person has made, and can be used as a guide, like the lens of a camera that can offer different points of view of the same situation.)

         See how your Avatar and others look when you use your image as a lens to look through. Imagine if you increase or decrease the range of possibilities for a person’s skin color, how this changes who can be included as deserving the human rights you have chosen. You can take this picture with you, or continue to add other possibilities.”

“To see different ways of representing ideas about human rights, touch the media screen that shows the spiral galaxy.”

    “Creating a universal language to help respect human rights involves deciding what is essential to keep about ourselves and each other, what really makes us human, and what can change without changing our right to be treated with respect.”

       Slide 1. To help decide what these qualities are, we can look at ourselves and each other from different points of view. For example, we can imagine ourselves and the billions of people on planet Earth as part of a larger universe, as a community, an individual. (Series of pictures going from the larger view of the universe to one person.)

        Slide 2. The number of possibilities we can allow people to be, while still seeing them as deserving human rights can be shown in the images we create such as abstract designs and an exact copy of an event. (Show examples of these kinds of images, like a geometric design and a photograph of a person.)

         Slide 3.  When people share common goals, they may create extraordinary experiences. (Show pictures of people working together, and using technology to help achieve their goals, such as astronauts on the international space station, sailing, physicians performing surgery, telling stories around a campfire, drumming, The Tech Avatars on Second Life, and people at The Tech in San Jose.)

         Slide 4.  Examples of images created at the exhibit.

    “Using technology to invent new ways to see each other, to share stories that can help respect human rights is just beginning. You can be involved and make a difference. We are all here at the same time, in a universe where we can dream and imagine worlds we cannot yet see. Perhaps someday there will be one that accepts that all people have rights.”