Project Description

This human rights organization was established to bridge the technological divide that separated civil rights advocates from global audiences with the power to affect change. WITNESS empowers its partners to harness the collective power of the global human rights movement through the most universal, forceful communication technology tools that have ever been invented (video).

Problem Addressed

In many parts of the world, the voices of civil rights defenders are still being silenced by government-controlled media, by the chaos of conflict, or by geographic and cultural isolation. For these marginalized groups, it is difficult to make their stories of abuse known. In order to turn this trend around, the human rights community needs to exploit the most effective communications tools available: video technology, the Internet, and satellites.

Technology Solution

Distributing small VHS and digital cameras to global partners, WITNESS makes video documentaries of serious abuses. A sophisticated web page distributes training documents, archives videos, and brings abuses worldwide to the public's attention, thereby helping to create political change.