Reason.tv: Using Cameras to Fight Human Rights Abuses - Yvette Alberdingk Thijm of WITNESS

In 1988, musician and activist Peter Gabriel traveled the world with Amnesty International's "Human Rights Now!" tour. He brought a big, bulky camcorder with him and used it to interview victims of human rights abuses. Gabriel realized that capturing those stories made it harder for them to be forgotten, and that's what spurred him to found WITNESS, a Brooklyn-based human rights organization.

"The aim is always to turn a personal story of abuse into a powerful tool for justice," says Executive Director Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, who sat down with Reason.tv to discuss how WITNESS uses the power of video to fight human rights abuses around the world.

See Jesse Walker's article on Witness, "Little Brother is Watching," here.

Approximately 6 minutes.

Interviewed by Hawk Jensen who also edited. Shot by Jim Epstein. 

Additional footage provided by: WITNESS.ORG. Photo Credit: Kate Glicksberg

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Comments

[BakedPenguin]

Good for Gabriel. Maybe they can do some work filming cops here in the US.

[Extended Warren T]

It looked like someone collapsed onto the keyboard before they finished typing out her name.

[CatoTheElder]

Wow, a story about something good for a change!

[BakedPenguin]

Yes. Also, I should have included all the people who work for WITNESS in my props to Gabriel.

The sad thing is, every Tucson thread gets 100-300 posts, half of which complain about there being so many Tucson posts, yet this thread currently has 4, 2 of which are mine.

[Jason S.]

I'm impressed by how well-spoken and passionate she is about their project. Much respect.

[Graphite]

Human rights, just another area in which Peter Gabriel totally rules.

[Todd Frye]

That's not a name, it's a bad Scrabble hand.

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is good

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is good

[tory burch]

Not bad,good solution to the problem.

[feng]

like

[Nike Dunk High]

thanks

[alipay]

ThAnK

[wubai]

ThAnK