THE CHALLENGE
Videre operates in a dangerous world. Authoritarian governments are rolling back fundamental rights, criminalizing legitimate dissent, harassing, attacking, arresting, and even murdering those who dare to raise their voice in protest.
Local activists are organizing and innovating to face these challenges, however they are not able to keep pace with the wide-ranging capabilities of perpetrators. As a result, many of the world’s most vulnerable populations lack the tools and ability to systematically and safely document the abuses they face. All too often, intimidation and violence, persecution of marginalized groups, and direct attacks on civilian populations go unseen.
The need to expose such abuses with verified evidence has never been more pronounced.
WHAT WE DO
We work in some of the world’s most hostile environments, equipping local activists with the technology and training to capture compelling visual evidence of the human rights violations suffered by their communities. We then put this evidence in the hands of those that can secure accountability and justice, including courts, policymakers, and the media – forcing perpetrators to answer for their actions.
We believe that local communities are uniquely positioned to gather the concrete, verifiable evidence of the gross human rights abuses they face. However, these courageous activists are often under-resourced and overexposed. With the right support the risks they face can be minimized, and they can share their story with the world, exposing what outsiders never could. We stay in the background, ensuring the world focuses on what they film instead of who we are.
As long as there are fearless local activists determined to shine the light on abuses – and challenge those who would cover them up – Videre will be there to support and sustain their extraordinary work.
HOW WE DO IT
Our methodology overcomes a fundamental problem with traditional human rights documentation: its failure to centre and elevate frontline voices and knowledge.
Many communities face significant security challenges when gathering the details of the violations they suffer, and verification and dissemination problems stymie their effectiveness and utility. We overcome this by developing close, enduring relationships with local activists and communities, reaching areas where the most vulnerable live and harnessing the power of local knowledge.
As civic space contracts and physical, digital, legal, and psychological attacks on human rights defenders increase, our responsibility to our partners and team members has never been greater. In-country, we work covertly to protect the identity of the activists we work with as well as our staff, and continuously update holistic security protocols that minimize risk.
TRAIN & EQUIP
We train our local partners on rigorous security protocols, filming techniques and evidence verification, and supply custom-made video cameras and other situation-specific technology and communications tools.
IMPACT & LEARNING
FILM & SUPPORT
We guide our local partners in their efforts to capture compelling visuals from hard-to-access areas, and provide ongoing mentoring and support to all those we work with.
VERIFY & DISTRIBUTE
We strengthen our partners’ information-gathering through rigorous verification, and with additional material. We distribute information to those who can best use it, including courts, lawyers, policymakers, civil society, and the media.
OUR IMPACT
You might have never heard of Videre, but chances are you’ve seen our work. We’ve helped break front page stories on the world’s worst crimes, contributed damning footage to award-winning documentaries, and provided evidence that forced perpetrators to defend their actions in court. But no matter how sensational or important the story, we remain in the background.
We do not publicly share detailed information about current operations. That’s the best way we can protect the identities of our local partners and their sources. As a result, it is difficult to openly discuss our impact. What we can say is that over the past ten years and across three continents, we have found the evidence to expose human rights abuses and hold perpetrators to account.
- We supplied critical visual evidence of mass atrocities, mobilizing international action, establishing fact patterns for prosecutions and leading to arrest warrants
- We provided the UN with clear evidence of collusion between government forces and armed rebel groups, deepening investigations and demonstrating repeated systematic abuses
- We have evidenced widespread patterns of police corruption and violence, revealing extensive criminal behaviour throughout the chain of command, resulting in internal investigations and firings
- We shared proof of hate speech leading to legal action against national politicians
- We exposed flaws in a multi-country certification scheme intended to prevent conflict minerals entering supply chains
- We led the drive for accountability regarding the appropriation of land from local farmers, resulting in formal recognition that the land was legally theirs
- We documented intimidation and coercion by state forces during national elections, countering official government narratives with proof of systematic abuses
We have been centrally involved in BAFTA- and Emmy-winning documentaries, received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and an ‘Honourable Mention’ Fast Company ‘World Changing Ideas’ award.
In an age of increasing manipulated content, mis- and dis-information, Videre plays a critical role in providing ground-sourced, verified information to those with a platform to enact change. Our materials are used to drive meaningful impact by the media, governments and inter-governmental bodies, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, and legal mechanisms.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
For over a decade, Videre has helped persecuted and marginalized communities document, verify, and expose the abuses they face and secure meaningful change. We have put their needs and interests’ front and centre, working with them to ensure their anonymity and security even as they risk their lives to show the world their reality.
Now, against the backdrop of a global pandemic that has surfaced a range of systemic crises – inequality, climate change, populism, and racial and social injustice – we must look to connect our work to the larger global narratives, systems, and policies needed to create a society that places equality, justice, and a livable planet at its core. To do this, we seek to enhance long-standing and valued relationships with our core supporters and reach out to new partners to broaden and intensify our impact.
VIDERE EST CREDERE. UK COMPANY NO. 06706030. UK REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1130375
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Graphic design courtesy of Morin Glimmer – MorinGlimmer.com