About WITNESS

Mission

WITNESS uses video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations. We empower people to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools for justice, promoting public engagement and policy change.

Values and Vision

We envision a just and equitable world where all individuals and communities are able to defend and uphold human rights.

We value:

• The fundamental principles of human rights and creating positive change that defend and uphold those rights for individuals and communities
• Collaboration and partnership that ensures the greatest levels of participation, inclusiveness, and responsiveness;
• Access to resources and strategies that empower and engage the voice and agency of communities and individuals; Continued learning and sharing of knowledge to promote innovation and to advance human rights; and Diversity of voices in all aspects of our work.

We seek to uphold and respect these values in our operations and governance and to:

• Be guided in our daily work by human rights principles of dignity, equality and non-discrimination in all internal and external relationships;
• Encourage participation from all levels of the organization and be as open as possible to collaborative engagement with a diverse range of allies;
• Explore and implement new technologies and make an effort to counter the challenges of access and equity that still exist in relations to these tools;
• Strive to create an environment that promotes voice and agency, in a world characterized by discrepancies in access to opportunity and power;
• Be ethical and responsible in our use of visual media;
• Remain open-minded to new ideas and change in all aspects of our work, and share –without holding ownership — new strategies and innovations for social change;
• Embrace a diverse representation among our staff, board members, volunteers; and Refuse sources of finance deriving from activities that conflict with our vision, values and goals as an institution.

[To download an electronic version of our press kit, visit the Press Room.]

History

WITNESS was founded in 1992 by musician and activist Peter Gabriel and the Reebok Human Rights Foundation as a project of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (now Human Rights First). In 1988, Peter was part of Amnesty International’s Human Rights Now! Tour. He was struck by the stories he heard from survivors of human rights abuses and the lack of attention these stories received. Peter had brought along one of the first camcorder models and realized the potential of video as a tool against abuse; he noted that perpetrators of abuses were often brought to justice when photographic or video evidence of abuses existed.

In 1992, not long after video of Rodney King being assaulted by four Los Angeles police officers catalyzed interest in the use of video for concrete human rights change, WITNESS was born. Today, WITNESS is an independent nonprofit organization with offices in Brooklyn, New York, and human rights partners based around the world.

WITNESS partners fight for the rights of indigenous people, for an end to systemic gender violence and the use of children as soldiers, and for environmental protection where human communities are at stake. We work with diverse groups from all over the world, carefully selecting our partners based on the strength of their human rights work, the clarity of their mission, and the ability of video to enhance their campaigns. We make sure their voices are heard. Even more important, we help empower them by mobilizing a response to right the wrongs they document.

WITNESS is much more than a provider of technology. We know that images are important, but footage alone is not enough to stop human rights violations. WITNESS makes a difference because we train our partners to turn compelling testimony and images into powerful human stories and strategic advocacy campaigns that make a difference.

WITNESS videos have been used:
• to promote grassroots education and mobilization
• to corroborate allegations of human rights violations
• as a resource for news broadcasts
• to catalyze human rights advocacy via the worldwide web
• as evidence in court and quasi-judicial hearings
• to complement official written reports of human rights abuses
• as a deterrent to further abuse

WITNESS partner footage has appeared on major networks around the world, including CNN, ABC, CBS, PBS, and BBC. It is carried by satellite networks and film distribution companies and is frequently featured in film festivals worldwide. WITNESS also organizes like-minded coalitions to create powerful, wide-reaching campaigns. This approach enables many of WITNESS’ videos to have an impact far beyond the modest resources we can provide.

WITNESS works with human rights groups through two initiatives: Core Partnerships, which are intensive 2-3 year collaborations built around specific issues, and the broader Seeding Video Advocacy initiative which consists of shorter term trainings conducted worldwide.