Here are the key elements of an effective story for this advocacy objective:
- Voices: Workers who have experienced forced labor firsthand, telling their stories in their own words. This helps audiences connect emotionally.
- Structure: Profile specific cases to illustrate the systemic issues and challenges faced, while also showing hope through existing or potential solutions.
- Audio/Visual: Compelling footage of the human impact that moves audiences and highlights the dignity of workers.
- Style: Respectful yet urgent tone to raise awareness and call decision-makers to action.
- Ethical Representation: Anonymize or obscure identities as needed to protect sources.
- Space for Action: Provide clear calls or models for solutions at
9. 'L'&2+.'$$
In a group of three-four persons, share an
experience of video being used for human rights
advocacy.
Discuss together in the small group what made
it effective.
After ten minutes, we’ll hear a sample of the
examples.
WITNESS.org
12. 'L'&2+.'$$
In a group of three-four persons, use the
example of the film and your own experience to
discuss the strengths and limitations of video
being used for human rights advocacy.
Note your ideas on post-its using no more than
4-5 words – try to identify 3-4 advantages and
3-4 limitations
After ten minutes, we’ll gather the post-its on
the wall and see what groupings emerge
WITNESS.org
13. STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS/SHORTCOMINGS
1) Show or contextualize a
violation or its aftermath 1) Depends on access to places and
people
2) Put a face on human rights
advocacy by telling a 2) Limitations in covering structural
personal story issues
3) Compress, contrast and 3) Weak for deep quantitative
juxtapose situations analysis and complex procedural
issues
4) Use emotional power to
communicate to an audience 4) Technological divide still exists
and does not change/remove
5) Detail specific cases or issues of representation, and
incidents that are emblematic process can be less participatory
of patterns during editing
6) Be a democratic and
participatory medium 5) Can jeopardize lives
7) Serve as a shield
Advocacy and Propaganda?
10/10/11 WITNESS.org 13
21. .)'M$3/$.=%&)$#P<'2)+0'.$
• Establish the purpose of
the video within broader
advocacy strategy
• Set clear and specific
objectives for the video,
specifying what they are,
and how they can be
achieved
WITNESS.org
23. NOT Specific: Empower students to do environmental accountability research in Brazil
Specific: Provide technological support to Brazilian film students to help document
corporate violations of environmental laws in south and southeast Brazil and place this
evidence before national stakeholders including …
NOT Measurable: The video screening should evoke more uplifting responses from the
public.
Measurable: The video screening will secure a 15% increase in participation in local
!
community dialogue in this location over the next six months.
NOT Achievable: The video will make officials act to push for ratification of the Kyoto
Protocol.
Achievable: During our advocacy briefing, we will provide a video report with
accompanying recommendations for interim steps to support the upcoming legislative
debate on ratification.
NOT Realistic: Attendance at our video events will quadruple last year’s attendance.
Realistic: We should aim for a 5% increase in attendance for this year’s video event
while maintaining our routine efforts.
NOT Time-bound: We hope the anti-discrimination law passes as soon as possible.
Time-bound: We aim to have the anti-discrimination law passed by August 1st, 2009.
WITNESS.org
25. .)'M$^/$)%&-')$%]*+',2'.$
• Who has an influence on your advocacy goal?
Who should be reached and persuaded?
• What is their perspective or attitude to the issue?
• What is their level of awareness?
• What is their level of knowledge?
• Who are your secondary audiences who can
pressure your primary audience?
WITNESS.org
26. " Evidentiary
" Decision-maker lobbying
" Interventions in formal HR
monitoring
" Community organizing –
offline and online
" Solidarity organizing –
online and offline
" Mass mobilization
" ‘Mass’
WITNESS.org media attention "'
28. Storytelling puts the human
into human rights.
Story is at the heart of video …
without a compelling story,
your audience will not be moved to act.
WITNESS.org
29. What
… is visual storytelling for human rights
DEFINED: The strategic use of images,
pictures, and sounds to tell stories that can
pressure, shame, move or compel key
audiences to take action that will protect,
defend and uphold human rights.
GOAL: The story inspires the action you want
from the audience.
WITNESS.org
30. How ''''''''''''''''
'
… can you Tell a Good Story, part 1, the philosophy
Andy Goodman’s 10 Rules for Storytelling
1. Stories are about people
2. Stories need to be fixed in time and space
3. Stories speak the audience’s language
4. Stories stir up emotions
5. Stories don’t tell. They show.
6. Stories have at least one “moment of truth”
7. Stories have clear meaning
8. The people in your story have to want something
9. Let your characters speak for themselves
10. Audiences bore easily so stories need challenges/
obstacles WITNESS.org
31. "#!$
The 6 Guiding Principles of Story:
1. VOICES: The people (or text) who tell the story
2. STRUCTURE: The way in which your film is organized
or in other words, the backbone
3. AUDIO/VISUAL ELEMENTS: What you hear and see
on screen
4. STYLE: What your films ‘looks & feels’ like
5. ETHICAL REPRESENTATION: How you honor a
person’s dignity and respect their privacy
6. SPACE FOR ACTION: A concrete and specific act your
audience can take to create change
WITNESS.org
32. '..',)+%:/$2&'*+P+:+);$
– Emotional: The voices that speak to the viewer’s
heart
– Analytical: The voices that support the facts
– Ethical: The voices that must be included for
ethical reasons and agency
– Political: The voices your audience trusts and
needs to hear from
WITNESS.org
35. Case Study: CEMIRIDE Evidentiary Video
• '
Location/Partners: Kenya with CEMIRIDE and Minority Rights
Group
• Objective: Secure ruling from African Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights on displacement of Endorois people from their
ancestral lands in Kenya
• Audience: African Commission, to be followed up with a public
engagement campaign using a different version of video
• Message: Endorois people have suffered violations of their rights
under specific articles of the African Charter
• Story:
• Voices:
• Distribution approach: Screened at African Commission alongside
legal submission and in-person advocacy
WITNESS.org
37. CASE STUDY: ACHPR Evidentiary Video
Location/Partner: Kenya, CEMIRIDE and
Minority Rights Group
Human rights advocacy objective: Secure
ruling from African Commission on Human /
Peoples’ Rights on displacement of Endorois
people from ancestral lands in Kenya
Audience: African Commission, followed up
with a public engagement campaign using a
different version of video
Message: Endorois people have suffered
violations of their rights under specific articles
of the African Charter
Story/Voices: Focused on showing the daily
life of Endorois today contrasted to specific
treaty obligations of Kenya government
Distribution: Screened at African Commission
alongside legal submission + in-person
advocacy (first use of video at Commission)
Impact: Groundbreaking African Commission
ruling
WITNESS.org
38. .)'M$7/$.)&%)'-+2$='..%-'.$
Resonate & Compel
• What are the 1-5 key facts / sentences / points
that will resonate with your audience and thus
must be in your documentary?
WITNESS.org
39. Q';$_]'.)+#,.$
• What is the message you need to get to this
audience?
• Are you educating, engaging or activating?
• What story will be persuasive, compelling or
motivating for this audience?
• What voices is it important to have in the video in
order to have political, ethical, analytical and
emotional credibility and impact?
WITNESS.org
40. &'0+'!+,-$0+*'#.$
1. What is the Objective of the video?
2. What is the Audience of the video?
3. What is the Message of the video?
4. What is the Story of the video?
5. What is the request for action?
WITNESS.org
45. .)'M$9/$&+-")$.)#&;$
1. Condense your story to one sentence.
2. How will you tell the story? Knowing your
audience you can now choose:
– Voices – who is included? who is excluded?
– Style – MTV vs. News vs. ?
– Structure – beginning -> middle -> end -> ACTION
– A/V Elements – what sound and visuals are in it?
– Length – driven by your primary audience(!)
– Language – driven by your primary audience(!)
– SPACE FOR ACTION – and clear request for it
WITNESS.org
46. .)'M$N/$.)&%)'-+2$*+.)&#$
• Who are your distribution allies?
• Timing: Is there a key premiere date?
• Sequencing: What are your distribution opps?
• Choosing the right “messenger”
WITNESS.org
