Bolstering social activism with video

Ushahidi
Dec 9, 2016

As the technology in our pocket continues to evolve, we've seen a steady rise in instances of eyewitness accounts through video. The world has watched through the lens of a mobile phone as unimaginable injustices occur, as movements rise to bend the arc of justice, and as our leaders lose sight of their citizens' needs. Video persists as one of the most valuable tools for transparency and citizen reporting.

As of our latest release, Ushahidi deployers and contributors can now embed videos from Youtube and Vimeo into posts. Simply go to your survey settings and add a video embed field.

While video itself is not new, measuring the effects of video on social activism is just beginning. While it can bolster an activist's campaign, it's important to first understand legal guidelines, privacy issues, and ethical dilemmas, among other considerations.

We've created a list of helpful resources for using video in citizen reporting campaigns, and recommend the following general guidelines from WITNESS, an international human rights organization that trains and supports people using video in their fight for human rights:

Filming Video as Evidence

Verifying Eyewitness Video

Ethical Guidelines: Using Human Rights Video in Reporting and Advocacy

Using the YouTube Blur Tool

Best Practices for Uploading Human Rights Videos

Activists Guide to Archiving Video

Video Vault (for downloading online videos)

Try adding a video embed field to any of your surveys, or sign up for a free deployment to kickstart your social activism campaign.