Ubiquitous Witnessing in Human Rights Activism

Abstract

Contemporary human rights activism and witnessing include a range of new participants operating at the intersection of established and emerging forms of documentation and advocacy. Two current paradigms of citizen witnessing show how existing professional norms and activist practices are being disrupted. Citizens are first-hand responders on the scene of human rights violations in places like Syria, documenting massive quantities of video for potential evidentiary value. In Brazil, on-the-scene witnesses livestream video to others who are watching from other locations as “distant witnesses.” Using documented practices from Syria and Brazil as well as the methods of media collectives and human rights groups such as WITNESS, this paper explores the characteristics of these witnessing contexts, how they relate to established human rights practices, and the emergent “pain points” that create tension with those existing norms. Finally, it speculates on the evolution of these witnessing approaches and discusses the surrounding ethical questions.

Within this paper I draw on the experience of WITNESS, the human rights group that aims to support millions to safely, ethically, and effectively use video for human rights. I also draw on research done while a visiting fellow on the future of human rights activism at the Institute for the Future. Earlier version of this manuscript appeared in Information, Communication & Society, Volume 18, Issue 11.