logo

WITNESS

Brooklyn, United States
Joined October 2013

WITNESS trains and supports activists and citizens around the world to use video safely, ethically, and effectively to expose human rights abuse and fight for human rights change.

Focus: Community / Customary Land Rights, Criminal Justice, Environmental Justice, Gender-based violence, Governance, Accountability & Transparency, Right to Information

Activities:

VIDEO AS EVIDENCE
WITNESS identifies ways for citizens to capture and preserve footage to improve its chances of it being used in the courtroom. Through tools, training, and advocacy efforts, we aim to help activists capture and use video as evidentiary material.

CRITICAL & SURGE RESPONSE
WITNESS responds to crisis situations around the globe by providing on the ground trainings, coordinating with local citizens and organizations, and making online resources available in multiple languages. Our aim is to help human rights defenders film more safely and effectively in dangerous and unpredictable environments.

TECHNOLOGY ADVOCACY
Our team works to ensure the media, policy and technology landscapes allow video to realize its full potential as a human rights tool. In a world where an unprecedented number of people are becoming citizen witnesses, we believe technology companies should recognize their needs.

WITNESS MEDIA LAB
The WITNESS Media Lab is dedicated to addressing the challenges of sourcing, verifying, and contextualizing eyewitness video to advance its use as a powerful tool for human rights documentation and advocacy. Visit the Lab for curated footage, analysis, cases studies, and resources.

VIDEO ARCHIVING
WITNESS trains activists to archive and preserve their video so that human rights abuses cannot be denied or forgotten over time.

TRAINING RESOURCES
We develop guides and toolkits appropriate for both individuals and organizations that are new to video, as well as experienced video advocacy activists who want to improve their existing skills.