What Now for Human Rights? Accountability through Digital Evidence

Human rights organizations have always been criticized. Because their work is uncomfortable. For those who are held accountable for their crimes. And for those who are willing to tolerate these crimes. In recent years, however, we have seen an increase in criticism that calls into question the entire system of human rights and international law, including here in Germany.

At the same time, the work of these organizations is also changing. With digital research methods, new sources such as open-source data, and crowdsourcing of evidence, they are able to act more quickly and focus even more on affected communities in their work.

In an increasingly fast-moving media landscape and a polarized society, the human rights system faces new challenges. How is the perception of the significance and relevance of statements made by organizations such as Forensic Architecture or Amnesty changing? How are OSINT and other digital and visual research techniques being put to the test when disinformation becomes socially acceptable? And above all: What now?

With:

• Robert Trafford (Assistant Director, Forensic Architecture)
• Marija Ristic (Manager of the Evidence Lab in the Crisis Response Programme, Amnesty International)
• Christoffer Horlitz (Human Rights Researcher)