The power of citizen video to create undeniable truths

I wrote this after a spate of terror attacks across the Middle East and France in late 2015 when it seemed that we were seeing the worst in humanity. But as I discuss in this blog post, I believe that those of us who are committed to peace, equality, and dignity outnumber those who would have us believe otherwise.

This New York Times Magazine features our work supporting one of our most innovative partners. Coletivo Papo Reto is a collective of residents-turned-activists in one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favelas, the Complexo do Alemão. They document rampant state and police violence with mobile phones and messaging apps and are using their documentation to push for transparency and accountability in a system that enjoys near total impunity

We work hard with tech companies who are responsible for the platforms that we all use and that activists rely on to share their human rights content. Too often these products are not particularly safe for activists or their content. We successfully partnered with YouTube to create an editing tool that allows users to blur faces and other important details, so they can share important stories while worrying less about putting themselves or the subjects of their videos at further risk.

The writer Ta-Nahisi Coates wrote about police violence in the United States: “It’s not the violence that is new, it’s the cameras that are new.” In this project, we looked at cases of police violence where eyewitness video played a role. We surfaced some of the reasons why video didn’t have as large an impact as people thought it might. And we also created some guidance for filming police encounters more safely and tips and considerations for sharing footage.

In an era which defines effectiveness by measures of whether or not a video goes viral, it’s important to remember that sometimes it’s who sees your video not how many people see it that can make a big difference. This example comes from the mountains of Guerrero State in Mexico. The indigenous Júba Wajiín community used video in their advocacy targeted at the country’s federal judiciary in their fight against mining companies who had been granted illegal access to the community’s lands. And in July 2017, they won. Small audience with big results.