Human Rights On Film

Human rights documented through the media of film has become an essential tool for those trying to protect the people across the globe from abuse and oppression. Our World, Our Rights (OWOR) aims to promote the use of film as way of documenting, recording and promoting the concept of human rights as outlined the in the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights. OWOR aim to create a collective that will work underneath the mainstream media.

 

Inspired by the peoples of Venezuela and the various collectives they have set up to document the story of the Bolivarian Revolution, we aim to counter the mainstream media’s attachment to private ownership and the undemocratic means by which the news is presented to people. We believe that it is only through organising ourselves that we can break the monopoly that currently exists in Britain and increasingly the entire globe.

 

OWOR do not aim to create a centralised body that offers leadership on any issue or cause. Instead OWOR hope to create a collective alongside many other independent collectives, all with a similar philosophy; the promotion of human rights and its attachment to democracy.

 

In Venezuela people have the support of their government in setting up independent bodies that produce films, documentaries, etc. OWOR do not have the same luxury in this country. This is where we aim to fill the gap. Through the donations of our members and various other fundraising events we hope to create a fund that will buy equipment for the use of all the collectives that we hope will join our aim.

 

This may sound like central control over finances but, as already stated, OWOR aim to de-centralise all decision making. All members of our group and other collectives will be able to join in any decisions that need to be made. OWOR are aware that there are already groups, such as WITNESS, that are well established alternative media sources. However OWOR believe that are group will offer something different.

 

OWOR will not only give technical support and equipment loans to budding filmmakers, we will also support the amateur documenters of human right abuses: People equipped with mobile phone cameras and cheap portable recorders. As recently proved by the recording of a student attacked by security guards at the UCLA in the US[1], this type of media can get the instant images that a filmmaker may not always be able to get.

 

OWOR aims to construct a Youtube style website where people from across the globe can distribute their films for communal use. This will widen the scope of cataloguing human rights abuses to a global level and create a kind of human rights video ‘bank’. This will mean that OWOR can easily link with other collectives who wish to use and/or share information and know-how.

 

This aim; to actively seek to link democratic partnerships with other groups and collectives, is central to our philosophy. OWOR will not dictate terms but work together with others who wish to promote human rights on film.
Our World, Our Rights

Our philosophy is fundamental to the way in which we operate. OWOR believe in direct democracy and empowering people who wish to take responsibility for their own worlds. This means taking control of the means by which news about the world is interpreted and distributed to people.

 

The present situation our group believes the world faces is that private ownership of news corporations necessarily shuts out a large part of peoples views. With the advent of new technologies, which are increasingly cheaper and more readily available, OWOR have the means in which to bypass these large corporations and present the news as it is seen by the people; without capitalist agendas and without government control.

 

OWOR believe that everyone has the right to protect their human rights through whatever means is available to them; irrespective of the ruling ideology or system that the people are in thrall to.

 

Figures such as Noam Chomsky, Rosa Luxemburg, Dimitrios Roussopoulos, C George Benello, Hugo Chavez, Jean-Paul Sartre, Michael Albert, and many other advocates of direct or participatory democracy and the protection of human rights have inspired our group to take action and help people take control of their own lives and not accept what the ruling classes tell them.

 

Above all OWOR have gained inspiration and have formed our philosophy through the actions of people across the globe who are already attempting to do what we are doing; protecting human rights.

 

The sources from which OWOR have drawn our inspirations are wide and varied. However it is possible to pinpoint two main films (and there respective ideological messages) that have given us the grounding on which to base our project. The first film is called ‘Behind the Coup: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’[2] a documentary detailing the vents surrounding the attempted removal of the democratically elected president, Hugo Chavez. The second film is ‘Manufacturing Consent’ [3]by Noam Chomsky. This film, and the ideas behind it, has given us expression and a firm academic base on which we can express the view that the mass corporate media does not represent a true reflection of the views of the people they pertain to represent.

 

‘Behind the Coup: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ is a powerful film, made all the more powerful when you learn that many of the pictures were filmed by amateur Venezuelan filmmakers given access to film the President and his government as they work. This is not a slick, Hollywood production. Nor is it likely to smash box office records. However what it does show is that given the power to document what is going on around them people can produce startlingly effective films.

OWOR has seen two versions of this film; one produced and edited by a Western production team and one by the Venezuelans themselves. Both are equally as effective, thus proving that people with low-budgets and limited resources can produce a film that details abuses of human rights that my otherwise have gone largely unnoticed outside of Venezuela.

 

In Venezuela there are numerous projects that have been set up to promote human rights and to document the ‘Bolivarian Revolution’ that is said to taking place there. In the Barrios of Venezuela people have begun organising themselves into filmmaking collectives such as the ‘Calle y Media’  (Street and Media) collective[4]. Groups like these are producing many films and documentaries.

 

Katrina Kozarek, a member of the collective says of Calle y Media “We have a film screening every Friday. There is a small community newspaper and we’re trying to raise money for a printing press to make T-shirts and fliers. There are various classes as well. I teach theatre, others teach printing, photography, internet skills and video. If people want to borrow equipment, they can do so and if they don’t know how to use it, we teach them.”[5]

 

It is from groups such as these - collectives of people organising themselves - that we wish to start in the UK. Venezuela is a relatively poor country compared with Britain, and an inspiration to all who wish to promote the ideals of human rights.

 

There are many examples of film being able to educate people to happenings across the globe. Film is a medium that can have the impact that no newspaper column or news soundbite can have. Neither do films simply pass over as purely educational/entertaining entities. Take for example the film ‘Bought & Sold: An Investigative Documentary about the International Trade in Women’ by Gillian Caldwell of Witness[6], a group involved in human rights filmmaking. This film received global recognition and directly contributed to policy change in many countries. 

 

OWOR hope that films produced with our help can have the same effect as this film and others like it. Films such as Behind the Labels, In the Name of God and Torture Trail offer an invaluable source directly concerned with the promotion of human rights[7]. These films offer an alternative view of the world that would simply not be broadcast if it was left up to the corporate media. How do we know this? Noam Chomsky and his film ‘Manufacturing Consent’ offers ample reason and detailed analyse of how the corporate media work.

 

‘Manufacturing Consent’ is based around the book by Edward. S. Herman and Noam Chomsky of the same title. In this book they explicitly spell out how they believe the mass media works. Their work - a thorough analyse of the way the media works in a free market economy - postulates that the mass media uses a “propaganda model” that serves to “mobilize support for the special interests that dominate the state and private activity”[8]. Their startling illumination of the inner-structures of the media’s operational systems is fascinating an inspiration for anyone who believes in democracy.

 

 

OWOR believe that in order to protect human rights we must protect democracy. This means having a democratic media accountable to democratic recall. This is the model that OWOR aspire to creating, of course, with your help!
What are our Human Rights?

 

OWOR plan to base our operations and definitions of what human rights are on the United Nations (UN) ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’. For a full description of what our human rights are OWOR advise you to visit the UN’s website at un.org.

 

Through the work of the UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and many other organisations, the abuses that humans inflict on each other are more widely reported than at any other time in human history. However we at OWOR believe that we should not stop this tireless campaigning by such groups but must extend and expand the protection of human rights. 

 

Our modus operandi is not to educate people as to exactly what human rights are, however we do believe in educating people to abuses we are sure are occurring. This means opening a democratic space in which people can discuss their views on what human rights are. Therefore OWOR plan to have an open ‘human rights forum’ on our website that will invite everyone to post comments (on OWOR and in general), debate and discuss what you believe human rights are.

 

To help this debate remain focussed we plan to invite academics involved with human rights to contribute to this debate. We will also talk to Universities and their human rights societies about what they and the students at the universities believe human rights are.

 

This debate, OWOR believes, is essential to the protection of human rights and to maintenance of a democratic way of operating.
How OWOR plans to operate

 

OWOR plan to operate on two levels. Firstly we plan to operate as a kind of bank or trust that will give out monetary grants, equipment loans, technical assistants, etc. The second level of operations will be entirely run through our website. This website will be a kind of ‘Youtube’ for human rights. Anyone from across the globe, armed with a mobile phone, mini-camcorder or even still photography, can post any visual evidence of human rights violations. We will separate these operations and define them as; ‘pro members’ and amateur ‘video members’.

 

 

At this level OWOR will play no active role in the actual making of films. This will be entirely up to the groups and collectives that approach us for help. These other collectives are our inspiration, people OWOR hope to help make the next generation of human rights films.

 

OWOR will require each group to submit a plan of action concerning the content of the film and how they plan to do this. All the information needed to start a film will be on our website so it is up to the prospective filmmakers to do the necessary background work for the film.

 

Most importantly OWOR expects each group to submit a plan as to how they plan to make the film safe and not endanger the lives of others. The people we expect to apply for the funding for a professional film to professionals so any danger they put themselves in is up to them.

 

The decision as to whether a prospective group will receive money will a democratic decision from within the members of OWOR. Each subscribed member of OWOR will have a password to enter the ‘voting chamber’ and can vote on any decisions that are to be made concerning the OWOR. This democratic process spreads across all decision making.

 

When a group or collective has been passed for a grant we will not stipulate any more conditions. They will have complete control over the film. Any profits or copywriting issues will be up for negotiation. Any profits made by OWOR will go into the central trust fund to help new films and new ventures.

 

Once a group has been passed they will also have access to all the videos and technology that OWOR has at its disposal. This includes any videos sent in by our amateur human rights filmmakers.

 

 

 The second level of operations will be entirely run through our website. On our website will be a kind of ‘Youtube’ for human rights. Anyone from across the globe, armed with a mobile phone, mini-camcorder or even still photography, can post any visual evidence of human rights violations.

 

There will of course be abusers of this service but OWOR hope to safeguard against this as much as possible by passing each video through a screening panel. The people on this panel will be elected by all other members of OWOR and will be reviewed to the suitability annually. If a video is deemed offensive by the panel we may give it an 18 rating and restrict viewing. We may need to delete the video entirely. All decisions made will give a reason for the judgement the panel makes.

 

To protect any users of this sight from over-extending their capabilities we will offer guidelines on how to be vigilant. We do not wish users of this service to become investigative journalists. Instead we will advice that this service is for those moments where you see an abuse taking place and have the capabilities to record it safely.

 

OWOR will ask the permission of those who send in this footage to use it in professional films, if we see that it could be used in a one. All people downloading videos must sign a declaration confirming that what they filmed is not faked or staged but a genuine abuse of human rights.

 

OWOR hopes that this new and inventive way of producing human rights films will in someway go towards producing real and tangible changes to the peoples lives

Further to the main ideas already outlined OWOR hope to operate a website with all the information needed to help prospective filmmakers. This will include links to various other organisations already helping filmmakers, including; The Committee to protect Journalists, Reporters Sans Frontieres and International Federation of Journalists. These all offer excellent advice on how to go about your work safely and responsibly.

 

 

Along with cross collaboration with other organisations OWOR will also be setting up a weekly Pod cast. This Pod cast will vary in theme in which but will include; discussions on human rights, interviews with human rights filmmakers and activists, discussions on how to be a better filmmaker and much more. OWOR hopes this will help people better understand exactly what we are trying to achieve.

 

In order to operate to our fullest potential it is important OWOR collaborate with as many other established groups as possible. Their expertise can only benefit OWOR and our members. As well as just having links on our website to other organisations we hope to collaborate directly.

 

To do this OWOR will offer other organisations the chance to benefit from our services; video bank, grants for films, etc.

 

OWOR will also try to involve other organisations in any events we organise. This will have the dual purpose off promoting our groups and fostering a partnership of ideas.

 

 OWOR will also promote the idea of forming an umbrella organisation that reflects all our views and aims. This could enable us to gain national and international recognition, together with establishing a lasting, concentrated body capable of lobbying parliaments and international bodies such as the UN.

 

Fund raising is one of the most important aspects of OWOR campaign and must be done correctly. Therefore we have planned various ways to finance the operations we have outlined in order to put them into practice.

 

 

These are just some of the

 

It is also important to make the campaign sound very important and attractive to people who are willing to support us. We must understand we are asking for support from different types of individuals. The campaign must be presented in a different manner to different demographics. For example, if we are asking individuals for small amounts of money we should make the campaign presentation short and simple. On the other hand when we are asking other organization for a donation we must make the presentation much more informative; either way, we should make sure donors are involved in the campaign.

OWOR would like to thank the reader for taking the time to hear our views on the issues of human rights and film. OWOR would like to reiterate our intentions of creating a meaningful and lasting group committed to extending the boundaries upon which we fight for human rights.

 

OWOR believe that we can help develop the human rights community with fresh ideas and impetus. Through democratic ideals and the pursuit of a better world OWOR believes we have a vital contribution.

 

Film and other medias are central to the fight for human rights. OWOR wishes to be central to that fight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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