14. Protecting the mental health of human rights workers

Decades of police impunity against black citizens in the US were interrupted this year with a rare conviction for murder of Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed George Floyd. What changed? A bystander filmed the crime with her smart phone and made a cover-up impossible. All over the world, citizens and activists are using their phones the same way, to document violent repression. But what is the impact of capturing and processing such footage on the mental health of the person doing the filming, or the activist who views and uses it to campaign for justice? The organization “Witness” works with frontline defenders sometimes in dangerous and emotionally searing conditions, helping to secure video evidence. Witness’ director, Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, talks about the impact of secondary or vicarious trauma on her staff. 

In this episode:

•The trauma that comes with witnessing human rights abuse

•And in the Coda –A song about a much-loved bar in Argentina 

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