Prague day-1-test

WITNESS uses video to open the eyes of the world
to human rights violations
Making Your Video Advocacy Successful
March 7-10, 2011
Chris Michael, WITNESS
Video Advocacy Training Manager

WHO ARE WE?
Name
Where you live
Why youre here
Experience with video for advocacy
Demonstrate your favorite facial expression

WHAT ARE WE DOING?
Learn WITNESS Video Advocacy Methodology
Review (successful) case studies
Ensure you leave with a Video Action Plan
Practice filming best practices
Develop safety, security and informed consent best practices
What else?

DAY 1
Review our experience of effective video advocacy
Explore strengths and limitations of video
Look at methodologies for using video for change
Introduce the Video Action Plan
Filming exercise

DAY 2
Video advocacy case study review
Storytelling discussion and exercises
Start developing your Video Action Plan
Introduce safety, security and consent
Filming exercises

DAY 3
Explore innovative uses of video for change
Overview of editing and tips to film like an editor
Finalize* your video action plan & share it

WITNESS: VIDEO FOR CHANGE
19years
75countries
250partner organizations
1000s of human rights defenders
4000hours of archived human rights footage

HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
EQUIPPING
cameras & tools
EMPOWERING
training human rights defenders
ENABLING
growing P2P networks

TRAJECTORY OF VIDEO

THE GAME CHANGER

TOOLS FOR A REASON
JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, DOESNT MEAN YOU SHOULD.
- My (most incredible) mom
Tactics that optimally support the advocacy.
Tools that optimally support the tactic.
All should both build and harness power - and be integrated.

VIDEO ADVOCACY
Video advocacy is about effectively using the power of stories, visual evidence and personal testimony as part of a human rights advocacy strategy to engage people to act and create change in human rights law, policy, practice and behavior.

EXERCISE
In a group of three-four persons, share an experience of video being used for human rights advocacy.
Discuss together in the small group what made it effective.
After ten minutes, well hear a sample of the examples.

WITNESS TOP 5
Video made for a reason, not about something
Video made for a specific audience
Video with a clear and doable request for action from the audience
Video with a strong message and the best messengers to move the audience to action
Video that can, and will, be seen by the audience

FOR WITNESS, VA IS NOT
A substitute for other advocacy tools: reports, mobiles, lobbying, etc.
Used primarily as a publicity, educational or training tool
Just for professional filmmakers or journalists or media experts
Necessarily dependent on strong graphic imagery for impact
3/7/11
14

EXERCISE
In a group of three-four persons, use the example of the film and your own experience to discuss the strengths and limitations of video being used for human rights advocacy.
Note your ideas on post-its using no more than 4-5 words try to identify 3-4 advantages and 3-4 limitations
After ten minutes, well gather the post-its on the wall and see what groupings emerge

STRENGTHS
Show or contextualize a violation or its aftermath
2) Put a face on human rights advocacy by telling a personal story
3) Compress, contrast and juxtapose situations
4) Use emotional power to communicate to an audience
5) Detail specific cases or incidents that are emblematic of patterns
6) Be a democratic and participatory medium
7) Serve as a shield
LIMITATIONS/SHORTCOMINGS
1) Depends on access to places and people
2) Limitations in covering structural issues
3) Weak for deep quantitative analysis and complex procedural issues
4) Technological divide still exists and does not change/remove issues of representation, and process can be less participatory during editing
5) Can jeopardize lives
Advocacy and Propaganda?
3/7/11
16

WITNESS: Methodology
Start with the Advocacy Objective
Focus on Audiences
Solutions and a Space for Action
Safety and Security

Landmarks of a Video Advocacy Campaign
Safety, Security & Consent
Advocacy Goal
Target Audiences
Message
Story
Distribution
Archive
Impact Evaluation

Location/Partner: Paraguay, Mental Disability Rights International
Objective: Secure precautionary measures to protect two named individuals; and push for long-term reform with community-based model
Audience: Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, footage sequenced for mass media usage

Advocacy Objective
Audience
Message
Contextualize in/or Create Narratives with Action Opportunities
Circulation, Distribution and Viewing Approach
Evaluate
Participation/Safety

Objective
Audience
Message
Evaluate
Location/Partner: Paraguay, Mental Disability Rights International
Objective: Secure precautionary measures to protect two named individuals; and push for long-term reform with community-based model
Audience: Inter-American Commission for Human Rights
/
Message: Abuses in this facility are breaches of international law, and require immediate action
Story: Told via the emblematic stories of two minors, framed by international law
Timing/Distribution: For usage before Commission; and footage to be used in news coverage of decision
Impact: Presidential action to secure improved conditions for named minors; reform of the psychiatric system

Location/Partner: Croatia
Association for Promoting Inclusion (API)
Objective:To raise awareness about the rights of people with intellectual disabilities; secure officials commitment to social inclusion and establishment of community-based social care programs.
Audience: Health care, social services, elected officials -> UN
Objective
Audience
Message
Evaluate
/

Location/Partner: Croatia
Association for Promoting Inclusion (API)
Objective:To raise awareness about the rights of people with intellectual disabilities; secure officials commitment to social inclusion and establishment of community-based social care programs.
Audience: Health care, social services, elected officials -> UN
Message: Over institutionalizing persons with intellectual disabilities; challenging stereotypes; policy change is needed
Story: Told via the emblematic stories of two lovers, framed by rights
Timing/Distribution: Key decision makers; direct service providers; UN
Impact: Croatia one of first 5 nations to sign UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Objective
Audience
Message
Evaluate
/

STEP 1: SMART OBJECTIVES
Establish the purpose of the video within broader advocacy strategy
Set clear and specific objectives for the video, specifying what they are, and how they can be achieved

SMART Objectives
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound

NOT Specific: Empower students to do environmental accountability research in Brazil
Specific: Provide technological support to Brazilian film students to help document corporate violations of environmental laws in south and southeast Brazil and place this evidence before national stakeholders including
NOT Measurable: The video screening should evoke more uplifting responses from the public.
Measurable: The video screening will secure a 15% increase in participation in local community dialogue in this location over the next six months.
NOT Achievable: The video will make officials act to push for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
Achievable: During our advocacy briefing, we will provide a video report with accompanying recommendations for interim steps to support the upcoming legislative debate on ratification.
NOT Realistic: Attendance at our video events will quadruple last years attendance.
Realistic: We should aim for a 5% increase in attendance for this years video event while maintaining our routine efforts.
NOT Time-bound: We hope the anti-discrimination law passes as soon as possible.
Time-bound: We aim to have the anti-discrimination law passed by August 1st, 2009.

STEP 2: TARGET AUDIENCES
Who has an influence on your advocacy goal? Who should be reached and persuaded?
What is their perspective or attitude to the issue?
What is their level of awareness?
What is their level of knowledge?
Who are your secondary audiences who can pressure your primary audience?

Evidentiary

Decision-maker lobbying

Interventions in formal HR monitoring

Community organizing offline and online

Solidarity organizing online and offline

Mass mobilization

Mass media attention

.

STEP 3: STRATEGIC MESSAGES
Resonate & Compel
What are the 1-5 key facts / sentences / points that will resonate with your audience and thus must be in your documentary?

KEY QUESTIONS
What is the message you need to get to this audience?
Are you educating, engaging or activating?
What story will be persuasive, compelling or motivating for this audience?
What voices is it important to have in the video in order to have political, ethical, analytical and emotional credibility and impact?

REVIEWING VIDEOS
What is the Objective of the video?
What is the Audience of the video?
What is the Message of the video?
What is the Story of the video?
What is the request for action?

CASE STUDY: On The Frontines
Partner/Location:Ajedi-Ka, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Objective:Reduce voluntary recruitment of children into militia and armed groups
Audience:Community members in eastern Congo in areas at risk of recruitment
Message:
Story/Voices:
Distribution:
Impact:

CASE STUDY: On The Frontines
Objective:Reduce voluntary recruitment of children into militia and armed groups
Audience:Community members in eastern Congo in areas at risk of recruitment
Message: Participation in the militia has short and long-term consequences for children and is not in their best interests
Story/Voices: Young people talk about the impact on them and we see visual evidence from the camps
Distribution: In community screenings across eastern Congo
Impact:Reduction in voluntary recruitment; later videos contribute to prioritization of issue at international level

CASE STUDY: A Duty To Protect
Objective:
Audience:Opinion-formers at international level including ICC investigators themselves
Message:
Story/Voices:
Distribution:
Impact:

CASE STUDY: A Duty To Protect
Objective:Encourage the ICC to prioritize the issue of child soldiers and sexual violence in its investigation in DRC(and also to invest in community outreach)
Audience:Opinion-formers at international level including ICC investigators themselves
Message: i) Child soldiers should be a priority issue for the ICC as well as sexual violence against girl soldiers + ii) More community outreach is needed in eastern Congo iii) Call for US engagement
Story/Voices: Through the stories of two young women framed by an authoritative narrator
Distribution: Shown internationally and to ICC officials
Impact:Contributed to prioritization of issue at international level including at ICC in first prosecution

STEP 4: RIGHT STORY
1. Condense your story to one sentence.
2. How will you tell the story? Knowing your audience you can now choose:
Voices who is included? who is excluded?
Style MTV vs. News vs. ?
Structure beginning -> middle -> end -> ACTION
A/V Elements what sound and visuals are in it?
Length driven by your primary audience(!)
Language driven by your primary audience(!)
SPACE FOR ACTION and clear request for it

Case Study: Missing Lives
Location/Partners: Chechnya with Memorial Human Rights Center offices in the North Caucasus (Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, North Ossetia)
Objective: Push for official action to end impunity and provide redress for the crimes of enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Audience: Government of the Russian republics in the North Caucasus; Prosecutors' Offices; Ombudsman of the Russian Federation; Federal and local government officials; European and international policy makers; solidarity groups
Message:
Story:
Voices:

Message: Need to break through the system of lawlessness surrounding the crimes of disappearances
Story: Insight into damage done in the lives of people whose loved have vanished; A survivor of abduction and torture speaks about his ordeal at the prison site
Voices: Relatives of the missing people, a torture survivor
Distribution approach: Used in public screenings in Chechnya, Russia, and international advocacy fora

STEP 5: STRATEGIC DISTRO
Who are your distribution allies?
Timing: Is there a key premiere date?
Sequencing: What are your distribution opps?
Choosing the right messenger

5 NEW(ISH) USES OF VIDEO
Pocket-power: Mobile Phones
Immediate: Livestreaming video
Amplify: User-generated voices
Geo-specific: Location-mapped video
Remixing advocacy videos

CAPTURING ABUSES

DOCUMENT: LIVESTREAMING

USER-GENERATED SWARM

NOT SO FAST

WHOS AT RISK HERE?

SPOTLIGHT: FIVE TRENDSaffecting human rights advocacy
Accessibility
Participation
Accountability
Amplification
Mobilization

STRONG FOUNDATION
Good Stories & Storytelling for Change
Know Your Audience
Message -> Story -> Action
Use & Enhance Best Practices
+ Safety & Security
+ Informed Consent

WITNESS.org
WITNESS.org/training
[email protected]

CASE STUDIES

Watch the video as a critical viewer, thinking about its objective, audience, message, story and voices.
After watching the video take ten minutes to discuss it with your neighbors what do you identify as the message, story and voices?
After ten minutes, well hear a sample of the discussions

Case Study: Books Not Bars
Location/Partners: California with Ella Baker Center For Human Rights
Objective: Mobilize support around initiatives to confront the prison-industrial complex
Audience: Youth activists
Message:
Story:
Voices:
Distribution approach:

Case Study: Books Not Bars
Location/Partners: California with Ella Baker Center For Human Rights
Objective: Mobilize support around initiatives to confront the prison-industrial complex
Audience: Youth activists
Message: You are directly affected by this system, you need to challenge it, and have the power to win
Story: Told through a series of narratives of youth activism including success stories
Voices: Primarily youth and supportive activists and academics
Distribution approach: To be screened in organizing settings often alongside music and spoken word; paired with teaching pack for use in schools

Case Study: CEMIRIDE Evidentiary Video
Location/Partners: Kenya with CEMIRIDE and Minority Rights Group
Objective: Secure ruling from African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights on displacement of Endorois people from their ancestral lands in Kenya
Audience: African Commission, to be followed up with a public engagement campaign using a different version of video
Message: Endorois people have suffered violations of their rights under specific articles of the African Charter
Story:
Voices:
Distribution approach: Screened at African Commission alongside legal submission and in-person advocacy

Case Study: CEMIRIDE Evidentiary Video
Location/Partners: Kenya with CEMIRIDE and Minority Rights Group
Objective: Secure ruling from African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights on displacement of Endorois people from their ancestral lands in Kenya
Audience: African Commission, to be followed up with a public engagement campaign using a different version of video
Message: Endorois people have suffered violations of their rights under specific articles of the African Charter
Story: Focused on showing the daily life of Endorois today contrasted to specific treaty obligations of Kenya government
Voices: Lead by young man, with voices of other ages
Distribution approach: Screened at African Commission alongside legal submission and in-person advocacy

Case Study: Crying Sun
Location/Partners: Chechnya with Memorial Human Rights Center office in Grozny
Objective: Secure the return of villagers to their homes in the Caucasus Mountains; Push for the establishment of programs to restore the cultural heritage; Investigate the abduction of four Zumsoy residents and prosecute the perpetrators
Audience: Chechen government officials and administrations of local districts; Prosecutors and Ombudsmans; European and international policy makers; solidarity groups
Message: War is destroying the unique aspect of Chechen culture - secure return of villagers to their ancestral homes
Story: Told by Zumsoy villagers and portrays their struggle to preserve cultural identity and traditions in the context of military raids and enforced disappearances
Voices: Chechen villagers, local school principal, teacher
Distribution approach: Used in communal and individual screenings in Chechnya, Russia, and international advocacy fora

Message: Need to break through the system of lawlessness surrounding the crimes of disappearances
Story: Insight into damage done in the lives of people whose loved have vanished; A survivor of abduction and torture speaks about his ordeal at the prison site
Voices: Relatives of the missing people, a torture survivor
Distribution approach: Used in public screenings in Chechnya, Russia, and international advocacy fora

Case Study: Duty to Protect
Location/Partners: DRC with Ajedi-Ka, P.E.S.
Objective: Encourage ICC Prosecutors Office to prioritize issues of child soldiers and sexual violence in its initial charges in DRC
Audience: Officials and prosecutors at the ICC, international audiences concerned about DRC and ICC
Message: Need for focus on sexual violence within ICC investigations; need for ICC outreach offices in eastern DRC; call to US for engagement
Story: Told through stories of two young women affected by sexual violence
Voices: Young women, and voice of a human rights advocate
Distribution approach: Used in communal and individual screenings in US, and at ICC, as well as worldwide subsequently

Drafting a Video Action Plan
You will need to identify:
Objective?
Audience?
Message?
Timing/Sequencing?
Strategy for Participation

Location/Partner: India, Chintan with IMAK and Video Volunteers
Advocacy objective:Support the rights to livelihood of waste-pickers in Delhi

CASE STUDY: Counterbalance
Location/Partner: India, Chintan with IMAK and Video Volunteers
Human rights advocacy objective:Support the rights to livelihood of waste-pickers in Delhi
Message::An alternative model exists that provides for workers livelihoods and is cost-effective
Story/Voices: :Waste-pickers from New Delhi Municipal Council and Municipal Corporation of Delhi; public health professional
Distribution: To be shown individually to key members of the Delhi.
Impact: To be determined

Location/Partner: Burma, Burma Issues
Objective:Support the push to refer Burma to the UNSC under threat to the peace
Message: Actions of Burmas military regime in eastern Burma are a threat to the peace
Story/ Voices:Condensed summary of situation, with emblematic story of one older woman
Timing/Distribution: :Used in solidarity organizing and shown to officials in Indonesia, UK, USA and at UN, alongside presentations. Also viewed almost a million times on YouTube.
Impact:Supported organizing work; ultimately no referral to UNSC

CASE STUDY: Bound by Promises
Location/Partner: Brazil, CPT and CEJIL
Human rights advocacy objective:Propose and support a series of national and state level solutions to challenge use of forced labor including better enforcement, stronger penalties and economic opportunities for workers
Message:
Story/Voices:
Distribution:
Impact: units

CASE STUDY: Bound by Promises
Location/Partner: Brazil, CPT and CEJIL
Human rights advocacy objective:Propose and support a series of national and state level solutions to challenge use of forced labor including better enforcement, stronger penalties and economic opportunities for workers
Message: Forced labor continues in rural areas, and solutions are on the table
Story/Voices: A composite of voices from forced laborers and their families, as well as key experts
Distribution: Screenings alongside advocacy to policymakers at state and national level; broad public attention via television broadcast
Impact:Reinstitution of mobile monitoring units

CASE STUDY: An Age for Justice
Partner/Location:National Council on Aging, USA
Objective:Secure passage of Elder Justice ACT
Audience: Key members of US House of Representatives and direct service providers
Message:
Story/Voices:
Distribution:
Impact:

CASE STUDY: An Age for Justice
Partner/Location:National Council on Aging, USA
Objective:Secure passage of Elder Justice ACT
Audience: Key members of US House of Representatives and direct service providers
Message: Elder Abuse is prevalent; it is preventable; Elder Justice Act is primary solution
Story/Voices: Affected persons; service providers; legislators
Distribution: Direct screenings with key decision makers; mass distribution with 100 unique videos
Impact:Contributed to passage of Elder Justice Act (part of Health Reform Act, 2010)

Think like a Human Rights Advocate and a Video Activist
Find a compelling story that you can tell visually, and through testimony
Identify compelling individuals who want to tell their story
Look for telling details that highlight your story and advocacy goals
Be truthful and ethical
Make the process empowering for people involved with the video and maintain the integrity of your footage
Build the story within a human rights framework and ensure the video can be used as an advocacy tool

Case Study: Hear Us: Women Affected by Political Violence in Zimbabwe Speak Out

STRENGTHS
Show or contextualize a violation or its aftermath
2) Put a face on human rights advocacy by telling a personal story
3) Compress, contrast and juxtapose situations
4) Use emotional power to communicate to an audience
5) Detail specific cases or incidents that are emblematic of patterns
6) Be a democratic and participatory medium
7) Serve as a shield
LIMITATIONS/SHORTCOMINGS
1) Depends on access to places and people
2) Limitations in covering structural issues
3) Weak for deep quantitative analysis and complex procedural issues
4) Technological divide still exists and does not change/remove issues of representation, and process can be less participatory during editing
5) Can jeopardize lives
Advocacy and Propaganda?
3/7/11
72

Prague day-1-test

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