What image opened your eyes to human rights?

UPDATE (12.24.08): This video has been viewed over 350,000 times and had over 1,000 video and text responses. Now, please watch our report-back video with your responses below - and join the conversation!

Hello and welcome to the WITNESS Hub!

For 16 years, WITNESS has harnessed the power of video to advance human rights. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10th, we've put together this short video with different WITNESS staff talking about images that opened their eyes to human rights abuses around the world. To learn more about the images mentioned in this video, click here. Now we want to hear from you: 

What video or image opened your eyes to human rights?

 

Whether it's a photo or a video, whether it gave you hope, inspired you to take action, or showed you how far we still have to go, we'd like to know - join the conversation now!

1) Respond with video here on the Hub

If you are a member and have your video ready, you can upload now. Make sure to tag your video "UDHR60" If you are not a member, join now - it is free and easy - then you can upload. Check out our new Top 5 Upload Tips to help save you time and get more views of your video. (On YouTube? If so, add your video as a response to our video.)

2) Respond with text here on the Hub

If you cannot respond with video, join the conversation by leaving a comment below. Add a text comment and if you can, link a video (maybe from the Hub), image or article so readers can learn more.

3) Help Spread the Word!

In addition to emailing your friends, you can also join the WITNESS Cause and invite your friends to participate by changing your status to this question: What image opened your eyes to human rights?  


Bloggers & Vloggers!

Help us spread the word - please blog about WITNESS' UDHR 60th Project and embed a response video for human rights on Dec 10th...See the bloggers that are participating here

Speak another language?

We would love for you to share your stories in the language(s) of your choice. If you could help translate, join our volunteer team!

Visit the UDHR 60th Anniversary group page to watch more responses


Comments

Woman in jungle hiding babies

The image that stirred me the most was the video of the woman living in the jungle who was trying to stop her babies from crying at night so that they would not be taken away from her.


I believe we see images all

I believe we see images all the time and how it affects a person probably depends on a person's perspective.


Images of Injustice

for me it was the viewing of the heartbreaking images of the Tibetan Photo Project as well as those of the Darfur Photo Project. It moved me to tears looking upon their faces seeing their pain reflected in their eyes and knowing of the unspeakable injustices that they have suffered and continue to endure..


south osetia

That's a pity, but I must admit that we live in the times when human rights abuses are everywhere. Some people think it's impossible to survive without humiliating another person. I had an opportunity to download a video where the tragic events in the South Osetia are vividly depicted. I couldn't quit crying. Watch it and many unknown truths will open to you!


when my eyes opened

it was July 12, 2006 when Israel attacked S. Lebanon. I watched TV in horror as Israel went in and began the most murderous campaign I have ever been made aware of. I thought to myself wow, president Bush is going to come on TV and show our outrage...and instead the US sent Israel state of the art weapons to make sure the people were pulverized, burned, gassed etc. I listened to the lies that I have heard a thousand times, which is when I realized they were lies. You can't just repeat the same old stuff and expect it will work every single time. It didn't work this time with me. It was a rude awakening. Now I pay attention to everything. I can smell a rat a mile away just because I am aware. It keeps going and the world is helpless against the thugs in power, that's the bottom line and that has to change.


operation desert storm

The image that first made me really think about human rights violations was back during the operation Desert Storm when the actions of the Saddam Hussein regime were made public. The way that he ruthlessly murdered people really opened my eyes to what was happening in many places around the world.


Just recently two human

Just recently two human rights officials were killed by the police after a report by the UN investigator about extra police killing of the youths.They were killed a day after the government sporsman said that they will deal with them.I cant believe how humans life have nowadays become easy to day like flies.


Schindler's List

It was definitely Schindler's List for me. That movie is so powerful.


Human rights violations

The image that first made me really think about human rights violations was back during the operation Desert Storm when the actions of the Saddam Hussein regime were made public. The way that he ruthlessly murdered people really opened my eyes to what was happening in many places around the world.


The image that made me

The image that made me decide human rights is what I wanted to focus my life's work on was watching a documentary about the genocide in Rwanda. When the narrator says the conflict poured into neighbouring countries the camera pans a river, at first you think they are taking a moment to be artistic, then suddenly you start to see body after body and you realize the river if full of people who were killed. It was that moment I knew I had to study human rights.


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