Oren Yakobovich

Land/Region: UK
Organisation: Videre
Arbeitsfeld: Menschenrechtsarbeit, Medien

Oren Yakobovich is exposing human rights abuses in remote areas, bringing justice to victims who would otherwise remain unheard, and distributing trusted information in order to prevent perpetrators from acting with impunity.

Through Videre, Oren is building networks of local human rights activists proactively capturing human rights abuses on video, allowing patterns of abuse and violence to be detected. Videre then distributes strategically selected footage to the most relevant stakeholders in order to bring about change.

Oren applies his methodology to areas where traditional media can’t or won’t go, combining the rigor of traditional journalism with the efficiency of new media technology. Videre is building a unique and powerful media type, which sits between citizen journalism on the one hand, where information flows are unregulated, and therefore often of low impact, and traditional media on the other hand, which is controlled by outsiders who have limited and biased information of real conditions on the ground.

By putting cutting edge technology into the hands of those who can benefit most from its use – oppressed communities and minorities in remote areas – Oren is creating a trusted communication channel bridging to decision-makers to affect lasting change.

Von eigener Website: „Driven to raise awareness about the inequalities that he saw in the world, Oren Yakobovich has been working at the intersection of human rights and filmmaking for 20 years. Prior to co-founding Videre in 2008, he led the video department at the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem.

At B’Tselem, he developed ‘Shooting Back,’ a video project that has trained hundreds of citizens in the West Bank to use cameras to fight for justice. The project won several awards, including the BBC’s One World Media award and the International Media Award’s Cutting Edge Prize. Oren’s work has been screened at Berlin and Sundance among other festivals.

A sought-after expert on using technology to expose human rights violations, Oren is frequently called upon to brief civil society, government, international organisation and media decision-makers.“

LINK:
videreonline.org

Ahmed Edilbi

Land/Region: United Arab Emirates, Syria
Organisation: Dubarah
Arbeitsfeld: Empowerment for refugees, social entrepreneurship

Ahmad Edilbi is introducing a new way to empower, integrate and build social capital in scattered, immigrant populations that have been affected by a political crisis or natural disaster. Using diaspora networks, he enables refugees to play an active and productive role, thus changing their status from helplessness to independence and promoting positive perceptions of refugees. By regaining their self-confidence and becoming financially independent, refugees are able to be active and contributing members of their communities, thus changing the negative perception and stereotype that refugees are a burden and only bring problems to a community. This transition opens the doors for unity, constructive exchange and channels of mutual support.

The prolonged Syrian political conflict and its resulting violence, destruction, devastation and armed assaults, have forced millions of Syrians to flee their homeland, most taking only their personal savings and leaving behind their professional careers, education, families and homes. When the Syrian conflict broke out, Ahmad was married, father of three children and had a good job. His life took a drastically different turn when he lost all his belongings, had to leave Syria and was separated from his family. Out of his own experience as a refugee he later developed the idea to help others who have been displaced.

In 2013 he launched Dubarah (“solution”), the first service network working on supporting Syrians wherever they are and providing them with suitable solutions for the obstacles they are facing. In just one year, Dubarah impacted 250,000 Syrian refugees around the world, with an average of 500 solutions and consultations provided per day with a total of 25,900 opportunities secured covering jobs, investments, start-up advice, housing, legal consultations and educational opportunities.

Ahmad is a Creative Director, Branding Specialist and Social Entrepreneur with skills in journalism, public relations and visual communication. He is an RSA Fellow and Ashoka Fellow and has plans to replicate his work, which already spans 36 countries that have large communities of Syrian refugees, to other geographical areas and communities beyond Syrians that have suffered from post-disaster displacement.

Links:

Ashoka:

https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/ahmad-edilbi

Dubarah:

http://dubarah.com/en/

on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Abu.Jad.Creative

Derek Brown

Land/Region: USA
Organisation: Peace Appeal
Arbeitsfeld: Moderation von Friedensverhandlungen, Entwicklung von Friedensstrategien

The mission of the Peace Appeal Foundation is to assist national stakeholders in the design and implementation of peace and national change processes. The aim of this work is to achieve agreed, fair and just outcomes, ending violent political conflict.

The Peace Appeal Foundation works by invitation. In collaboration with local and international partners, we help stakeholders develop peace and national change processes that are long-term and multifaceted.

These processes involve a multiplicity of interdependent individual and institutional actors, initiatives and ideas, a veritable “ecosystem of peacebuilding.” We believe peacemaking has three essential elements: courage, compassion and the ability to create collaborative change.

LINK:
peaceappeal.org

Fahim Hakim

Fahim Hakim, Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), Afghanistan

Commissioner Fahim Hakim is a qualified social, development and human rights advocate. He enjoys 20 years of experience of working as a grass-root peace builder and advocate for community empowerment and human rights. Before joining the AIHRC, he was director and founding member of Co-operation for peace and Unity (CPAU), as Afghan network for peace.

AS an active member of Afghan civil society, he attended the Bonn Conference in 2001. Mr. Hakim completed his MA studies at PRDU, the University of York, York, UK, in 1998. In 2009, he was a commissioner and member of the Electoral complaints Commission (ECC) to deal with challenges and complaints related to presidential and provincial council’s elections.

LINKS:
Interessantes Interview mit Fahim Hakim