Pledge: On Camera - FAQs
What is a collaborative video?
A collaborative video is a video you create with other chapters using footage you all upload to a central location online. Thanks to our partnership with Witness, we have access to an online collaborative video editing service (which will be available soon), as well as tons of great ready-to-use footage you can include in your video.
When you sign up to participate in collaborative video editing, your Regional Outreach Coordinator will connect you with other participating chapters in your state so you can develop a plan of action for collecting footage and creating your video. For an overview of the process, check out our five steps.
“Creating a video” can mean a number of different things. STAND and WITNESS are creating a “core” video that can be customized using this footage you collect. Using that, you can simply replace the intro and/or conclusion to the core video, re-mix it, or completely make it your own.
I don't have a chapter but still want to participate. Is there anything I can do?
Absolutely. The simplest way to get involved with Pledge On Camera is to film your friends, family, classmates, or random people on the street asking your Senator to pass comprehensive genocide prevention legislation. You can also take pictures of people holding signs with statements of support. Click here for sample scripts and sign messages.
When you upload these short videos and photos to YouTube and/or Flickr, they will be compiled with others from your state and distributed via various online mobilizing tools (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, blogs) to demonstrate the breadth of support for genocide prevention. Just make sure you tag your videos and photos exactly like this so they can be easily pulled together with others from your state.
How do I sign up?
You can get started right away on collecting photo and video “calls to action” in your community. Just let your Outreach Coordinator know so we know you’re on board!
If you want to participate in collaborative video editing, just enter your information into the sign-up form here. Your Outreach Coordinator will connect you with other chapters in your state so you can start planning.
Do I need to come to the Pledge2Protect conference in Washington, DC to participate in the Pledge On Camera initiative?
You can still participate in Pledge On Camera even if you can’t make it to the conference in DC. Anyone can collect video and photo calls to action and upload them onto YouTube and Flickr. Those participating in collaborative video editing can help plan and collect footage for videos that will be shown to senators during lobby meetings on the November 9 lobby day.
However, the conference is the second phase of the Pledge2Protect campaign and a great opportunity to make your voice heard and network with fellow activists, so we do strongly encourage you to attend!
What is the difference between the calls to action and the collaborative video?
Collecting “calls to action” is an easy starting point for anyone who wants to get involved. These are short film clips and photos of people in your community urging your senator to support genocide prevention legislation. You can use these sample messages to get you started. Once you upload your video clips and photos onto YouTube and Flickr using these instructions, they’ll be compiled with others from your state and distributed through many different avenues (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, blogs) to demonstrate the breadth of support for genocide prevention your community.
Collaborative video editing is a more intensive project you’ll do in conjunction with other chapters in your state. The idea here is to create a video that is uniquely tailored to your senator and that features particularly influential individuals in your state. After reaching out to these “influentials,” you’ll upload your footage onto a collaborative video editing platform and use it to customize a “core” advocacy video produced by STAND and Witness (or combine it with pieces of that video and other footage to make a completely new video). These videos will be shown by chapters attending lobby meetings at the Pledge2Protect Lobby Day on November 9 in Washington, DC.
Who can I film for the calls to action?
Anyone! Your friends, family, classmates, or people you meet on the street…the goal is to get as many people as possible on the record urging your senator to support genocide prevention legislation.
What kinds of people should I look to include in collaborative videos? What should I tell them when reaching out?
Chapters participating in the collaborative video initiative should be strategy in who they select for their videos. These are short, so we want to get the people who have the most influence over our senators on camera supporting our cause. This can be your senator’s faith leader, biggest donor, or even their middle school science teacher. The first step in finding these people is to do some very thorough web searching on your senator.
Click here for some great tips on locating “influentials” and for information you can use when reaching out to them.
Why are we targeting Senators and not Representatives?
Legislation based on the recommendations of the Genocide Prevention Task Force report will most likely be introduced in the Senate before it is introduced in the House of Representatives, so this fall we are focusing on the Senate.
I don’t have any experience with video editing. What resources are available to help me?
Witness, our partner in the Pledge On Camera project, has put together an awesome Online Advocacy Video Training Guide to walk you through equipping, filming, and editing advocacy videos. Check it out here!
If you have video editing experience and want to help provide other participants with editing support, contact your Outreach Coordinator.
What will the citizens’ “calls to action” be used for?
When you upload these short videos and photos to YouTube and/or Flickr, they will be compiled with others from your state and distributed via various online mobilizing tools (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, blogs) to demonstrate the breadth of support for genocide prevention. Just make sure you tag your videos and photos exactly like this so they can be easily pulled together with others from your state. You can also feel free to incorporate your calls to action in your collaborative videos if you want.
What are we lobbying for?
Genocide Intervention Network and its partners are working to get legislation introduced in the Senate to implement some of the Genocide Prevention Task Force Report's most important recommendations, including requiring the Administration to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent genocide, instituting a mechanism for reporting on the status of escalating conflicts, and authorizing funding for genocide-prevention activities. At this point, no legislation has been formally introduced, and the specific legislative “ask” delivered by students at the Pledge2Protect Lobby Day on November 9 in Washington, DC will depend on the status of the legislation at that time.
For purposes of the video project, we are focusing on the general need for a comprehensive genocide prevention strategy based on the recommendations of GPTF and asking Congress to take the lead in making that happen. Check out our key messages for more specifics.
