Programs

  • Program 1 [2018]

    TRAINING:WITNESS COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITIES ON THE FRONT LINES OF ABUSE TO USE VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION AND PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS CHANGE. AS A RESULT OF OUR WORK, SOME OF THE POOREST AND MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE ABLE TO BETTER AND MORE SECURELY USE VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY TO DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS, HOLD GOVERNMENTS ACCOUNTABLE, AND FULLY PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2017 – Jun 30, 2018
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $2M

  • Program 2 [2018]

    OUTREACH AND EDUCATION:WITNESS RECOGNIZES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IMPACT AS A RESULT OF THE VAST NUMBER OF NEW WITNESSES EMPOWERED BY VIDEO-ENABLED CELL PHONES AND INTERNET ACCESS. AT THE SAME TIME, WE UNDERSTAND THE RISKS THESE WITNESSES FACE AND THE NEED FOR ON-THE-GROUND INTENSIVE TRAININGS ON HOW TO USE VIDEO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY AS DESCRIBED IN PROGRAM 1- TRAINING.HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE OVERWHELMING NEED FOR VIDEO-ACTIVISM TRAINING, IN ORDER TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR OUR SUPPORT, WITNESS DEVELOPS EASY-TO-USE RESOURCES (TIP SHEETS, VIDEOS, GUIDES, ETC.), TRANSLATES AND ADAPTS THEM FOR USE WHERE THEY ARE MOST NEEDED, AND DISTRIBUTES THEM AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE. THROUGH OUR RESOURCE LIBRARY CONTAINING OUR FULL SUITE OF TRAINING MATERIALS AND THE CREATION OF LANGUAGE-SPECIFIC WEBSITES IN ARABIC, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE, AND SPANISH, WE HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE EASE AND ACCESSIBILITY OF OUR RESOURCES FOR BROAD AUDIENCES. IN THE REPORTING PERIOD, OUR RESOURCES WERE ACCESSED OR VIEWED 750,000 TIMES ONLINE. ALL MATERIALS ARE OPEN-SOURCE AND AVAILABLE TO BE VIEWED, DOWNLOADED AND RE-MIXED THROUGH OUR LANGUAGE PAGES AND LIBRARY.DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, WITNESS LAUNCHED NEW INITIATIVES IN THE U.S. FOCUSING ON THE NATIONWIDE ISSUES OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, AND LGBTQ RIGHTS. WE ALSO LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR A NEW PROJECT CALLED "EYES ON ICE" WHICH WILL REACH A WIDE RANGE OF AUDIENCES WORKING ON IMMIGRANT RIGHTS FROM THE UNITED STATES AND LATIN AMERICA WITH RESOURCES RANGING FROM TIP SHEETS TO ONLINE WEBINARS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.WE WORKED WITH GROUPS DEFENDING SIOUX LANDS FROM THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION, TAILORING OUR VIDEO AS EVIDENCE FIELD GUIDE TO SUPPORT THE DOCUMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION AND OF POLICE ABUSE AT STANDING ROCK.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2017 – Jun 30, 2018
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $234.2K

  • Program 3 [2018]

    ADVOCACY TO TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP:WITNESS WORKS WITH A RANGE OF ACTIVISTS AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LEARNING ABOUT CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE FROM ORDINARY USERS, OFTEN USERS AT RISK, ON THE GROUND. WE NOT ONLY BRING THESE SPECIFIC, REAL-LIFE USER EXPERIENCES TO COMPANIES, BUT ALSO SYNTHESIZE AND ADVOCATE AROUND BROAD ISSUES THAT AFFECT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. WE ADVOCATE FOR THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND THE SECTOR AT LARGE VOICES THAT ARE COMMONLY LOST AND UNABLE TO GET ANY RESPONSE FROM THE PLATFORMS.WE HAVE DEVELOPED SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMPANIES SUCH AS GOOGLE AND YOUTUBE, ENGAGING IN REGULAR CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH THE POLICY, PRIVACY, NEWS, AS WELL AS OTHER TEAMS AT THE COMPANIES. WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOUTUBE AND HUMAN RIGHTS PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT COMPANY CONTENT MODERATION RESPONSES PROTECT NOT ONLY CRITICAL PUBLIC INTEREST CONTENT, BUT ALSO CURTAIL ON- AND OFF-LINE VIOLENCE FOR MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS. THIS YEAR, WHEN GOOGLE ANNOUNCED A NEW INITIATIVE TO USE MACHINE LEARNING TO DETECT SO-CALLED "EXTREMIST" CONTENT, OUR PARTNERS THE SYRIAN ARCHIVE CONTACTED US WHEN THEY NOTICED THE MASSIVE TAKEDOWNS OF VIDEOS DEPICTING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN SYRIA A RESULT OF THE FLAWED IMPLEMENTATION OF GOOGLE'S MACHINE LEARNING STRATEGY. IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE TAKEDOWNS, WE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH GOOGLE TO RESTORE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIDEOS.WITNESS IS ENSURING THAT VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY CAN PROMOTE VERIFIABLE CIVIC MEDIA AND SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS. AMID THE WIDESPREAD DISTRUST OF CITIZEN IMAGES, FRONTLINE ACTIVISTS NEED THEIR FOOTAGE AND ACCOUNTS TO BE FOUND AND TRUSTED. IN RESPONSE, TOGETHER WITH THE GUARDIAN PROJECT, WITNESS CREATED THE PROOFMODE APP, WHICH COMPILES AND CREATES VALUABLE METADATA ABOUT A PIECE OF MEDIA - AND CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY SIGNS IT - MAKING IT EASIER TO VERIFY CRUCIAL DETAILS ABOUT WHEN, WHERE, AND BY WHOM IT WAS CAPTURED. WE HAVE ALSO ADVOCATED FOR MORE ADVANCED SECURITY TACTICS, SUCH AS FACE BLURRING FUNCTIONALITIES, THAT ADDRESS PRIVACY AND SECURITY CONCERNS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS USERS, AND THAT OFFER BETTER GUIDANCE FOR VULNERABLE USERS. THIS YEAR, YOUTUBE RELEASED ANOTHER UPDATE TO THEIR CUSTOM BLURRING TOOL. A PRODUCT OF OUR ONGOING ADVOCACY AND COLLABORATION WITH THE COMPANY, THE UPDATED TOOL ENABLES USERS TO SELECT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL FACES TO BLUR, AND TRACKS THE BLURRING OF THESE FACES ACROSS A VIDEO--A GREAT IMPROVEMENT THAT ALLOWS USERS TO BLUR FACES AND ALSO ENSURES THE CONSISTENCY OF THE BLUR ACROSS A SCENE. THE WITNESS MEDIA LAB SERVES AS AN INCUBATOR DEDICATED TO UNLEASHING THE BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL OF CIVIC MEDIA AS A POWERFUL TOOL TO REPORT, MONITOR, AND ADVOCATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE LAUNCHED A GROUNDBREAKING PROJECT CALLED "PROFILING THE POLICE," WHICH EXPLORES METHODS OF ORGANIZING, ANALYZING, AND PRESERVING COLLECTIONS OF POLICE MISCONDUCT FOOTAGE AS A WAY TO MOVE BEYOND THE NARRATIVE OF SINGLE VIDEO AND EXPOSE BROADER PATTERNS OF ABUSE. IT SERVES AS A USE CASE STUDY FOR ADVOCATES, JOURNALISTS, LEGAL EXPERTS AND ARCHIVISTS INTERESTED IN NEW FORMS OF STORYTELLING THROUGH ANALYSIS AND CURATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIDEOS.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2017 – Jun 30, 2018
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $235.3K