Abstract

Pictures from Abu Ghraib showed the power of the amateur image to grab the world's attention. The Asian tsunami, caught on camcorder, brought home the reality of what had happened more than any news report ever could. Around the world the increasing availability and affordability of technology has fuelled the world of social justice video activism. Film-making - at its best - has the power to change the way people think, and create real social change, and now the tools to do it are more accessible than ever before. This book shows how activists and human rights campaigners can harness the power of images and stories for their own purposes - it's a step-by-step guide to the handicam revolution.

Written by leading video activists, and staff of the world-renowned human rights organization WITNESS, this practical handbook will appeal to experienced campaigners as well as aspiring video activists. It combines a comprehensive analysis of what's going on in this growing global field with a how-to primer to doing it yourself.

'WITNESS doesn't just use video to expose human rights abuses for the world. It taps local heart and initiative and empowers those who know their countries best - an indispensable organisation'
Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide and lecturer at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
'This step by step guide to the handicam revolution is the first comprehensive practical guide to human rights and video campaigning'
Festival Eye
'A comprehensive guide to video making, as well as highlighting the need for safety and a clear understanding of the dangers involved'
Suzanne Fane-Saunders, Red Pepper