Stopping Human Rights Abuse With Video

A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but to the people at WITNESS, a video is worth a lot more.

WITNESS, the human rights advocacy group, encourages organizations around the world to use video to expose human rights violations. WITNESS provides equipment and training to help people tell their own stories of abuse, then partners with media outlets to get the videos wide recognition.

After years of calling attention to human rights violations in other parts of the world, this month at a fundraiser near Los Angeles, the organization announced a new North American program focused on elder abuse.

"It doesn't just happen in Africa — human rights abuse; it happens right here in your backyard," Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, Executive Director of WITNESS said.

Kelly Matheson, the program coordinator for North America, noted that there are 76 million baby boomers entering retirement. She reminded the group that little to no Federal legislation has been passed to protect older Americans, so it was time for WITNESS to fight for justice on their behalf.

WITNESS videos not only illuminate concerns, they play a significant role in holding people accountable. In fact, according to Alberdingk Thijm, the International Criminal Court's trial against Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was brought about, partially, by a WITNESS video documenting his enlistment of children in warfare.

During WITNESS' trip to southern California, the New York-based organization trained 18 human rights advocates, including one 78-year old man to tell their elder abuse stories. The first videos for the project are set to go up on their video site, The Hub, on Monday, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Update: WITNESS' World Elder Abuse Awareness Day video, Break the Silence, is below.