1. 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

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

3. 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?

4. 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

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

6. 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

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

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

9. TRAJECTORY OF VIDEO

10. THE GAME CHANGER…

11. TOOLS FOR A REASON JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, DOESN’T 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.

12. 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.

13. 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, we’ll hear a sample of the examples.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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, we’ll gather the post-its on the wall and see what groupings emerge

17. 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

18. BREAK…

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

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

21. 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

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

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

24. 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 Contextualize in/or Create Narratives with Action Opportunities Circulation, Distribution and Viewing Approach Evaluate Participation/Safety /

25. 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 Contextualize in/or Create Narratives with Action Opportunities Circulation, Distribution and Viewing Approach Evaluate Participation/Safety /

26. 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

27. SMART Objectives Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-bound

28. 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 year’s attendance. Realistic: We should aim for a 5% increase in attendance for this year’s 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.

29. 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?

31. Decision-maker lobbying

32. Interventions in formal HR monitoring

33. Community organizing – offline and online

34. Solidarity organizing – online and offline

35. Mass mobilization

36. ‘Mass’ media attention.

37. 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?

38. 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?

39. 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?

40. 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:

41. 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: 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

42. CASE STUDY: ‘A Duty To Protect’ Partner/Location:Ajedi-Ka, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Objective: Audience:Opinion-formers at international level including ICC investigators themselves Message: Story/Voices: Distribution: Impact:

43. CASE STUDY: ‘A Duty To Protect’ Partner/Location:Ajedi-Ka, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo 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

44. 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

45. 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:

46. 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: 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

47. 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”

48. 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

49. CAPTURING ABUSES

50. DOCUMENT: LIVESTREAMING

51. USER-GENERATED SWARM

52. USER-GENERATED SWARM

53. NOT SO FAST…

54. WHO’S AT RISK HERE?

55. EGYPT

56. IRAN

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

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

59. WITNESS.org WITNESS.org/training chris@witness.org

60. CASE STUDIES

61. 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, we’ll hear a sample of the discussions

62. 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:

63. 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

64. 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

65. 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

66. 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

67. 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: 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

68. Case Study: Duty to Protect Location/Partners: DRC with Ajedi-Ka, P.E.S. Objective: Encourage ICC Prosecutor’s 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

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

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

71. 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

72. Location/Partner: Burma, Burma Issues Objective:Support the push to refer Burma to the UNSC under ‘threat to the peace’ Message: Actions of Burma’s 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

73. 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

74. 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

75. 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:

76. 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)

77. 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

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

79. 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