2021-05-07T15:17:51-05:00 2020-06-30 131655065 LUTZ AND CARR CPAS LLP 551 FIFTH AVENUE SUITE 400 NEW YORK NY 10176 990 2019-07-01 134167155 WITNESS INC WITN 7187832000 80 HANSON PLACE NO 510 BROOKLYN NY 11217 YVETTE ALBERDINGK-THIJM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 7187832000 2021-05-06 1 JENNIFER COATES P02247728 2126972299 2019 2022-09-23 18:48:47Z YVETTE ALBERDINGK-THIJM 80 HANSON PLACE NO 510 BROOKLYN NY 11217 7085371 0 X WWW.WITNESS.ORG X 2001 DE SEE SCHEDULE O 13 13 41 15 0 0 7194107 6326143 0 0 41407 50860 93772 43683 7329286 6420686 0 0 0 0 2745281 2876488 0 0 472114 1265228 1184282 4010509 4060770 3318777 2359916 6855938 9711613 639317 1048206 6216621 8663407 X WITNESS HELPS PEOPLE USE VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS. 0 0 2226330 TRAINING:THE CORNERSTONE OF WITNESS' PROGRAM MODEL IS BUILDING SKILLS AND CAPACITY WITH MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES USING VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. OUR PRIORITY CROSS-CUTTING THEMES ADDRESS THE WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX AND URGENT CHALLENGES AND FOCUS ON THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS: WAR CRIMES; LAND DEFENSE; AND STATE VIOLENCE. WE FILL CRITICAL GAPS IN THE USE OF VIDEO FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, ENSURING THAT VIDEOS CAN BE TRUSTED AND VERIFIED; THAT ACTIVISTS CAN STAY SAFE AND MANAGE RISK; THAT EVIDENTIARY VIDEOS CAN BE FOUND AMIDST MASS VOLUME; THAT MOVEMENTS AND GROUPS CAN USE VISUAL STORYTELLING IN STRATEGIC AND IMPACTFUL WAYS; (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)AND THAT NEW AND EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES CAN ENABLE GREATER CITIZEN PARTICIPATION.WE HAVE PROGRAM MANAGERS BASED IN FIVE REGIONS (ASIA & THE PACIFIC, LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN, MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, AND THE UNITED STATES) AROUND THE WORLD. EACH YEAR, THEY PROVIDE A SERIES OF IN-PERSON TRAININGS TO POOR COMMUNITIES, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, ACTIVISTS, JOURNALISTS, AND LAWYERS, SHARING CONCRETE RESOURCES, GUIDANCE, AND TOOLS AROUND THE SAFE, ETHICAL, AND EFFECTIVE USE OF VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. BETWEEN JULY 2019 AND JUNE 2020, WITNESS TRAINED MORE THAN 1,300 INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN AT LEAST 25 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, ECUADOR, GUINEA, INDONESIA, LEBANON, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, PERU, PHILIPPINES, NIGERIA, AND THE UNITED STATES. TRAININGS COVERED A RANGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES BEYOND JUST OUR CROSS-CUTTING PRIORITIES ABOVE, SUCH AS ELECTION VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. TRAININGS ADDRESSED KEY SKILL SET AREAS, INCLUDING VIDEO AS EVIDENCE, VIDEO ADVOCACY, ARCHIVING, ETHICS, AND SECURITY. ALL TRAININGS WERE TAILORED TO THE LOCAL CONTEXT. 345885 OUTREACH AND EDUCATION:COVID-19 HAS GREATLY ACCELERATED EXISTING HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES. MEANWHILE, A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO ONLINE SPACES TO MOBILIZE, COMMUNICATE, AND PARTICIPATE. FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, THESE DIGITAL TOOLS MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO SHARE FRONTLINE STORIES OF CRISIS, EXPOSE STATE VIOLENCE, AND PRESSURE THOSE IN POWER. AMID A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WITNESS RECOGNIZES THE STRATEGIC POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TOOL TO WIDELY DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT ACTIVISTS AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE ARE ALREADY TURNING TO THESE PLATFORMS TO COMMUNICATE, ADVOCATE, AND PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)OUR GOAL IS THAT WHETHER A MEDIA ACTIVIST IN GUATEMALA EN ROUTE TO FILM A POLITICAL PROTEST, A SURVIVOR OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN INDIA HOPING TO BRING VISIBILITY TO THE ISSUE AND ACHIEVE ACCOUNTABILITY; OR A MEMBER OF A PERSECUTED POPULATION IN BURMA TRYING TO PRESERVE FOOTAGE OF GENOCIDE, ANYONE, ANYWHERE CAN COME INTO CONTACT WITH OUR GUIDANCE AT THE CRITICAL MOMENT WHEN THEY NEED IT MOST, MAXIMIZING IMPACT AND REDUCING HARM. IN ORDER TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR OUR SUPPORT AND REACH MORE PEOPLE DIGITALLY THAN WE CAN IN-PERSON, WITNESS DEVELOPS EASY-TO-USE RESOURCES, ADAPTS THEM FOR COMMUNITIES FACING SIMILAR ISSUES AROUND THE WORLD, AND DISTRIBUTES THEM AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE THROUGH STRATEGIC USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THROUGH OUR EXTENSIVE RESOURCE LIBRARY AND LANGUAGE-SPECIFIC WEBSITES IN ARABIC, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE, AND SPANISH, WE HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE EASE AND ACCESSIBILITY OF OUR RESOURCES FOR BROAD AUDIENCES. ALL MATERIALS ARE OPEN-SOURCE AND AVAILABLE TO BE VIEWED, DOWNLOADED AND RE-MIXED THROUGH OUR LANGUAGE PAGES AND LIBRARY. THIS YEAR, WE HAD MORE THAN 945,000 MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENTS WITH OUR RESOURCES GLOBALLY. BY KEEPING A PULSE ON WHAT HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT, CONFUSED ABOUT, CONCERNED ABOUT, OR EXCITED ABOUT GLOBALLY, WE ARE ABLE TO TAILOR OUR OUTREACH AND CATAPULT THAT KNOWLEDGE INTO KEY SPACES, GREATLY INCREASING OUR REACH AND IMPACT. OUR GOAL WITH THIS GLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA WORK IS TO ACHIEVE "MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT" WITH ONLINE AUDIENCES; OUR HOPE IS THAT THOSE WHO ENCOUNTER OUR RESOURCES WILL SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE ON AND ALSO FUNCTION AS A RESOURCE WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, WE RELEASED NEW COVID-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE INCLUDING: USING VIDEO TO DOCUMENT EXCESSIVE FORCE DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT, RECORDING A SELF-STYLE VIDEO FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, RECORDING REMOTE VIDEO OR AUDIO FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, AND HOW TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF MISINFORMATION AS INACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRISIS CAUSED FURTHER PANIC. WE ALSO EXPERIMENTED WITH GLOBAL RESOURCE CAMPAIGNS TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE OF WITNESS' GLOBAL WORK THAT CUTS ACROSS REGIONS, INCLUDING AROUND VIDEO AS EVIDENCE RESOURCES AND THE RIGHT TO RECORD. OUR REGIONAL TEAMS SUCCESSFULLY UTILIZED NEW MEDIUMS TO DEPLOY OUR GUIDANCE AND APPROACH. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR AFRICA TEAM DEPLOYED A SERIES OF VIDEOS ADDRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AND HELPING TO BUILD A SENSE OF SOLIDARITY AMONG PARTNERS, AND OUR ASIA TEAM EXPERIMENTED WITH THE USE OF TWITTER THREADS TO 'NUGGETIZE' BITS OF GUIDANCE. 33807 MEDIA PRODUCTION AND ARCHIVESTHE MISSION OF THE WITNESS MEDIA ARCHIVE IS TO COLLECT, DOCUMENT, PRESERVE AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO AUDIOVISUAL HUMAN RIGHTS MEDIA FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADVOCACY, PROSECUTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORICAL RECORD. WITNESS' VIDEO ARCHIVE INCLUDES OVER 1,300 HOURS OF DIGITAL VIDEO AND OVER 5,000 UNIQUE VIDEO TITLES FROM OVER 90 COUNTRIES. IN FY20, WITNESS MOVED ITS HISTORICAL ARCHIVE OF RARE HUMAN RIGHTS VIDEO FOOTAGE TO THE MALMO CITY ARCHIVES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)ARCHIVING IS A CRITICAL GAP IN THE RECORD OF THE HORRIFYING AND WIDESPREAD HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BEING COMMITTED AND REMAINS A CRUCIAL STEP TO COUNTER VARIOUS ACTORS' ATTEMPTS TO DISPUTE THE CLAIMS OF LEGITIMACY OF THESE VIOLATIONS AND PRESERVE MATERIAL OF POTENTIAL EVIDENTIARY VALUE. IN ORDER FOR FOOTAGE TO BE USED AS EVIDENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES YEARS DOWN LINE, IT NEEDS TO BE PROPERLY DOCUMENTED, MANAGED, AND PRESERVED. RECOGNIZING THIS GAP, WITNESS WORKS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN ACTIVISTS RISK THEIR LIVES TO DOCUMENT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, THEIR VIDEOS ARE PRESERVED SO ATROCITIES CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN OR DENIED OVER TIME. WE CREATED THE ACTIVISTS' GUIDE TO ARCHIVING VIDEO, WHICH PROVIDES PRACTICAL STEPS FOR MANAGING, STORING, SHARING, AND PRESERVING VIDEOS. THIS NOT ONLY EXPLAINS HOW TO MANAGE AND STORE FOOTAGE SO IT REMAINS INTACT AND UNDAMAGED, BUT HOW TO CREATE AND PRESERVE THE METADATA SO VIDEOS CAN BE FOUND AND AUTHENTICATED EVEN IN A COURT OF LAW. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AFFECTED COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE ALSO SEEDED ITERATIONS OF LOCAL ARCHIVES TO SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECT VISUAL MEDIA EVIDENCE OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING THAT MEDIA CAN RETAIN ITS VALUE - EITHER FOR ADVOCACY, REPORTING, OR INVESTIGATORY PURPOSES. THESE PROJECTS BUILD ON WITNESS' 28 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS THE GLOBAL LEADER IN THE ARCHIVING AND PRESERVATION SENSITIVE HUMAN RIGHTS FOOTAGE. 256984 ADVOCACY TO TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES AND ADDRESSING EMERGING THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES:WITNESS' WORK WITH TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS AIMS TO EQUIP THE DIGITAL RIGHTS AND TECHNOLOGY WORLDS WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE THAT IS ROOTED IN THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCES OF POOR COMMUNITIES AND ACTIVISTS RATHER THAN IN ABSTRACT IDEAS. OUR WORK SUPPORTS THE VOICES AND AGENCY OF ACTUAL MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN DEBATES AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES - PARTICULARLY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CONTENT MODERATION, MISINFORMATION, AND MACHINE LEARNING. OUR THEORY OF CHANGE IS ROOTED IN LIVED EXPERIENCES, HARM REDUCTION, AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE. WORKING CLOSELY WITH MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD, WITNESS KNOWS THAT THESE VOICES ARE OFTEN LEFT OUT OF THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNOLOGY. IN RESPONSE, OUR TECH ADVOCACY PROGRAM ADVOCATES DIRECTLY TO COMPANIES, BRINGING A CRUCIAL, GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE THAT IS ROOTED IN THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCES OF AT-RISK USERS. THROUGH ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH PLATFORMS, WE MAKE CONCRETE AND PRAGMATIC SUGGESTIONS OF CHANGES TO PRODUCTS, GUIDANCE, AND POLICIES THAT SUPPORT THE AGENCY AND PARTICIPATION OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. WE ALSO PUSH COMPANIES TO IMPROVE STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH BY ENGAGING IN MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION WITH THOSE MOST AFFECTED BY THEIR TOOLS, FACILITATING INTRODUCTIONS BETWEEN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND PLATFORM REPRESENTATIVES. THIS YEAR, WITNESS HELPED PRESERVE CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONTENT BEING REMOVED DUE TO MACHINE LEARNING, AND INFLUENCING GLOBAL NORM-SETTING AROUND HOW TO HANDLE THE INADEQUACY OF CONTENT MODERATION RESPONSES. WE WERE INVITED TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THE UNITED NATIONS AS A MEMBER OF THE CHRISTCHURCH CALL'S ADVISORY NETWORK, EXPLAINING THE DANGERS OF RUSHING TO ERADICATE THIS CONTENT. IN OCTOBER 2019, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SYRIAN ARCHIVE WAS FEATURED IN A VIDEO OP-ED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT DISCUSSES THE IMPACTS OF AUTOMATED CONTENT MODERATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION. OUR EMERGING THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ACCENTUATE BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR TRUSTWORTHY INFORMATION, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS. OUR CURRENT PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON PROACTIVE RESPONSES TO HOW AI AND DEEP LEARNING SYSTEMS ARE INCREASINGLY ABLE TO CREATE CONVINCING SIMULATIONS OF AUTHENTIC MEDIA, INCLUDING SOPHISTICATED AUDIO AND VIDEO MANIPULATIONS CALLED "DEEPFAKES AND MORE SUBTLE MANIPULATIONS. ACROSS ALL EFFORTS, OUR STRENGTH LIES IN OUR ABILITY TO DRAW UPON EXPERIENCES WORKING ALONGSIDE BOTH MARGINALIZED VOICES AND TECH GIANTS, UPHOLDING THE POSITIVE USES OF TECHNOLOGY AND COMBATING NEW THREATS POSED BY TODAY'S LANDSCAPE. WE ARE PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON INCLUDING EXPERTISE FROM A NON-U.S./WESTERN PERSPECTIVE, AND WITH A FOCUS ON LISTENING TO HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH - TO AVOID REPEATING MISTAKES THAT WERE MADE IN EARLIER RESPONSES TO DISINFORMATION CRISES. SINCE INITIATING THIS WORK, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED OURSELVES AS A CRITICAL CROSS-SECTOR CONVENER AND THOUGHT LEADER, BRINGING A SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED, GLOBAL, AND HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE TO INFLUENTIAL CONVERSATIONS. THIS YEAR, WE CONVENED A RANGE OF ACTORS (RESEARCHERS, JOURNALISTS, FACT-CHECKERS, GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS, MOVEMENT LEADERS, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, AND POLICYMAKERS) IN A SERIES OF DEEPFAKES PREPAREDNESS MEETINGS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH AND INTEGRATED PERSPECTIVES AND PRIORITIES ON MEDIA LITERACY, DETECTION, AND PLATFORM POLICIES INTO OUR GLOBAL WORK. DRAWING ON OUR COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AND THIS SERIES OF EXPERT MEETINGS, WE DIRECTLY INFLUENCED FACEBOOK AND TWITTER'S PLATFORM POLICIES. FACEBOOK'S POLICY CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION. OUR WORK WAS ALSO FEATURED WIDELY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW, VICE, AND WIRED. 256984 2863006 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 21 0 1 41 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 13 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 NY DE IL CA X X SONALI THIMMAYA 3475238970 80 HANSON PLACE 5TH FLOOR BROOKLYN NY 11217 REGAN RALPH PRESIDENT 1.00 X X 0 0 0 PETER GABRIEL CHAIRMAN 1.00 X X 0 0 0 HELEN ENRIGHT TREASURER 1.00 X X 0 0 0 MICHAEL HIRSCHHORN SECRETARY 1.00 X X 0 0 0 MONICA ALEMAN BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 MIKA EL-BAZ BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 POLLY FIELDS BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 JOHN HASS BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 DAVID MENDELS BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 CESAR RODRIGUEZ-GARAVITO BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 LEKHA SINGH BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 ELINOR TAPPE BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 NICOLE WONG BOARD MEMBER 1.00 X 0 0 0 YVETTE ALBERDINGK THIJM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40.00 X 176711 0 14968 SAMUEL GREGORY PROGRAM DIRECTOR 40.00 X 135925 0 28983 TANYA KARANASIOS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM 36.00 X 117598 0 3352 430234 0 47303 3 0 1 0 0 6326143 20885 6326143 51923 51923 4550 0 4550 4550 4550 663622 664685 -1063 -1063 -1063 1970 0 1970 1970 MISCELLANEOUS 900099 37163 34284 2879 37163 6420686 36254 0 58289 194639 116783 19464 58392 2167249 1478629 422720 265900 56501 38599 11080 6822 272958 185070 51902 35986 185141 125137 34751 25253 676 676 47548 47548 7905 7905 360021 348381 11640 35209 20221 10749 4239 126458 89440 21988 15030 204232 147047 32677 24508 161887 155622 4790 1475 44107 31757 7057 5293 52624 37889 8420 6315 STAFF AND OTHER PROGRAM 108600 65238 32216 11146 EVENT EXPENSE 18377 6622 11755 PROGRAM EQUIPMENT 16571 16571 67 67 4060770 2863006 725650 472114 336313 385354 1095305 2552347 3469088 3870852 10484 28052 112805 64178 829238 741011 61646 88227 1716811 2681717 53486 40886 6855938 9711613 176379 217953 397222 462938 433031 639317 1048206 X 1867916 2722136 4348705 5941271 6216621 8663407 6855938 9711613 X 2359916 49325 37545 X 0 1 X 1 0 X 2777078 3129291 3901768 7194107 6326143 23328387 2777078 3129291 3901768 7194107 6326143 23328387 12056867 11271520 30406 18182 50533 41511 56473 197105 46256 70920 50096 86887 37163 291322 23816814 14799 0.47330 0.49960 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 249537 249537 0 547051 458824 88227 32650 32650 0 88227 CAPITAL LEASE OBLIGATION 33031 REFUNDABLE ADVANCE 400000 433031 7019787 49325 520136 37545 607006 6412781 7905 7905 6420686 4573001 520136 520136 4052865 7905 7905 4060770 PART XI, LINE 2D - OTHER ADJUSTMENTS: FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE GAIN 37,545. EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 0 1 PROGRAM SERVICES SEE PART V 102925 EUROPE 0 10 PROGRAM SERVICES SEE PART V 144770 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 0 1 PROGRAM SERVICES SEE PART V 8902 NORTH AMERICA 0 3 PROGRAM SERVICES SEE PART V 93789 SOUTH AMERICA 0 6 PROGRAM SERVICES SEE PART V 118061 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 0 6 PROGRAM SERVICES SEE PART V 86704 SOUTH ASIA 0 2 PROGRAM SERVICES SEE PART V 11684 0 29 0 0 0 29 566835 0 566835 0 0 0 0 0 0 PART III ACCOUNTING METHOD: SCHEDULE F, PART 1, LINE 3, COLUMN E CAPACITY BUILDING, SOLIDARITY WORK, AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM SERVICES X X X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 YVETTE ALBERDINGK THIJM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 175226 0 0 0 1485 0 5185 0 9783 0 191679 0 0 0 SAMUEL GREGORY PROGRAM DIRECTOR 134909 0 0 0 1016 0 4388 0 24595 0 164908 0 0 0 FORM 990, PART I, LINE 1 WITNESS HELPS PEOPLE USE VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS. WITNESS OPERATES GLOBALLY IN FIVE REGIONS: SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, ASIA AND THE PACIFIC, LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA, AND THE UNITED STATES. OUR GLOBAL TEAM DESIGNS SOLUTIONS, PROVIDES GUIDANCE, AND DEVELOPS STRATEGIES THAT ENABLE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND ORDINARY PEOPLE TO HOLD THE POWERFUL TO ACCOUNT AND STAND UP FOR JUSTICE. WITNESS AIMS TO ENSURE THAT VIDEOS CAN BE TRUSTED AND IMPACTFUL, THAT HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS CAN BE SAFER, AND THAT MANY MORE PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. CO-FOUNDED IN 1992 BY ADVOCATE AND MUSICIAN PETER GABRIEL, TO DATE, WITNESS HAS PARTNERED WITH MORE THAN 570 HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS REPRESENTING 135+ COUNTRIES AND TRAINED 11,350+ HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND CIVIC ACTIVISTS. IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE, WE REACHED OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE WITH WITNESS RESOURCES. AS A RESULT OF WITNESS' GUIDANCE, ACTIVISTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO USE VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY MORE SAFELY, ETHICALLY, AND EFFECTIVELY TO DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS AND REALIZE OPPORTUNITIES, PROTECT RULE OF LAW, FIGHT OPPRESSION AND INEQUALITY, HOLD GOVERNMENTS ACCOUNTABLE, AND FULLY PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY. HIGHLIGHT ACTIVITIES FROM THE LAST YEAR INCLUDE: COVID-19 RESPONSE: IN MARCH 2020, WITNESS LAUNCHED OUR RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, LED BY WHAT WE WERE LEARNING AND HEARING FROM COMMUNITIES OF ACTIVISM, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND JOURNALISM GLOBALLY. AT THE HEART OF OUR RESPONSE, WE LAUNCHED A COVID-19 RESPONSE HUB TO PROVIDE TAILORED GUIDANCE, CASE STUDIES, SAMPLE VIDEOS, AND TOOLS FOR ACTIVISTS, CIVIC MEDIA MAKERS, FRONTLINE WITNESSES, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. BY THE END OF JUNE, THE HUB YIELDED SIX BRAND NEW RESOURCES, 10,000+ DOWNLOADS, AND A MULTILINGUAL LANDING PAGE GENERATING 12,000+ READS FROM USERS IN 67+ COUNTRIES. THE LANDING PAGE WAS TRANSLATED INTO ARABIC, PORTUGUESE, AND SPANISH AND QUICKLY BECAME A GO-TO RESOURCE FOR ACTIVISTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AROUND THE GLOBE. THIS CENTRALIZED RESOURCE DISSEMINATION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY LOCALLY-GROUNDED RESPONSES. OUR AFRICA TEAM COLLECTED AND CURATED VIDEOS OF ABUSES CARRIED OUT BY SECURITY FORCES UNDER THE PRETENSE OF LOCKDOWNS AND RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT. OUR BRAZIL TEAM ORGANIZED WEEKLY LIVE STREAMS WITH OUR PARTNERS TO BRING ATTENTION TO GRASSROOTS REALITIES, SUCH AS COVID-RELATED MISINFORMATION AND THE NEED FOR IMPROVED HEALTH POLICIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. AS TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES QUICKLY ROLLED OUT NEW GUIDELINES, WE KEPT A CLOSE EYE ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR RESPONSES. WE CO-LED ON A PROCESS TO BRING TOGETHER 75 CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN AN OPEN LETTER CALLING FOR PLATFORMS TO PRESERVE CRITICAL DATA DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND REVIEWED KEY TRENDS IN PLATFORM RESPONSE TO MIS- AND DISINFORMATION AND HARMFUL SPEECH. ARCHIVING AND PRESERVATION: WITNESS CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN A SUSTAINABLE FIELD OF PRACTICE AROUND ARCHIVING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. AS FRONTLINE VIDEO DOCUMENTATION CAPTURED BY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES SURGES GLOBALLY, WE ARE DISSEMINATING GUIDANCE AT SCALE, SHARING LEARNINGS BETWEEN REGIONS, AND SEEDING LOCAL ARCHIVES WITH PARTNERS BASED IN COUNTRIES PLAGUED BY CONFLICT AND WAR CRIMES. THIS MARKED OUR THIRD YEAR OF ENGAGEMENT IN BURMA, COLLECTING AND VERIFYING VISUAL MEDIA EVIDENCE DEPICTING CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. IN ADDITION TO ONGOING PRESERVATION, WE ARE BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN LOCAL ACTIVISTS AND SYSTEMS-LEVEL STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY, MEMBERS OF THE ROHINGYA COMMUNITY, AND OTHER RELEVANT ACTORS CAN USE THE COLLECTION FOR ADVOCACY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. LESSONS LEARNED IN THE BURMA CONTEXT ARE INFORMING SIMILAR ARCHIVING PROJECTS IN YEMEN AND WEST PAPUA, AND HELPED SUPPORT PARTNERS IN CHILE AND ARGENTINA GRAPPLING WITH PRESERVATION DURING ACUTE MOMENTS OF PROTEST. AS PART OF OUR ONGOING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IN THE FIELD, SENIOR ARCHIVIST YVONNE NG CONTRIBUTED A CHAPTER ABOUT PRESERVING OPEN-SOURCE INFORMATION TO THE GROUNDBREAKING NEW BOOK DIGITAL WITNESS: USING OPEN-SOURCE INFORMATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATION, DOCUMENTATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT WAVE OF MIS- AND DISINFORMATION THREATS AND SOLUTIONS: FOR THE LAST DECADE, WITNESS HAS EXPLORED HOW INTERNET PLATFORMS MEDIATE TRUST, FILTER EVIDENCE ONLINE, AND AMPLIFY OR SUPPRESS MARGINALIZED VOICES. FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON RESEARCH, CONVENING, AND ENGAGEMENT AROUND PROACTIVE APPROACHES TO PROTECTING AND UPHOLDING MARGINALIZED VOICES, CIVIC JOURNALISM, AND HUMAN RIGHTS AS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS AI INTERSECT WITH DISINFORMATION, MEDIA MANIPULATION, AND AUTHORITARIANISM. AMID THE ESCALATING PANIC AROUND SOPHISTICATED AUDIO AND VIDEO MANIPULATIONS CALLED "DEEPFAKES," WE HAVE FOUND THAT PROPOSED SOLUTIONS LARGELY ORIGINATE IN WASHINGTON DC AND SILICON VALLEY - EXCLUDING GLOBAL COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN AFFECTED BY SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES. THIS YEAR, WE HOSTED A SERIES OF EXPERT PREPAREDNESS MEETINGS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH (BRAZIL, SOUTH AFRICA, AND MALAYSIA) TO INFORM A GLOBALLY INCLUSIVE, HUMAN RIGHTS-LED DISCUSSION ABOUT DEEPFAKES AND OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA MANIPULATION. THESE CONVENINGS BROUGHT TOGETHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF EXISTING PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS RESEARCHERS, JOURNALISTS, FACT-CHECKERS, GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS, MOVEMENT LEADERS, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, AND POLICY MAKERS. INSIGHTS GLEANED FROM THESE CONVENINGS (E.G. THE THREAT OF WEAPONIZATION BY STATE ACTORS, "ZERO TRUST" SOCIETIES, AND GAPS IN RESPONSE CAPACITIES) HELPED US PRIORITIZE THREATS AND SOLUTIONS, INFORM PLATFORM POLICIES AT FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, AND INFLUENCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTHENTICITY INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED OURSELVES AS A CRITICAL CROSS-SECTOR CONVENER AND THOUGHT LEADER, BRINGING A SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED, GLOBAL, AND HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE TO VISIBLE, INFLUENTIAL CONVERSATIONS. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B SENIOR MANAGEMENT REVIEWS AND EVALUATES THE INFORMATION BEING COMPILED FOR THE 990 IN ADVANCE OF PREPARING A DRAFT, AND REVIEWS THE FINAL 990 PRIOR TO IRS FILING. THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS REVIEWS A FINAL DRAFT OF THE 990, AND THEN THE FINAL 990 IS CIRCULATED TO THE FULL BOARD PRIOR TO IRS FILING. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C AS PART OF ONBOARDING, ALL NEW MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO SIGN A CONFLICT OF INTEREST FORM. ADDITIONALLY, ALL BOARD MEMBERS MUST COMPLETE A NEW CONFLICT OF INTEREST FORM AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH FISCAL YEAR. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 15 BASE SALARY AND SALARY INCREASES FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION, AND STAYING WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S SALARY STRUCTURE. THE SALARY STRUCTURE WAS LAST UPDATED BY AN EXTERNAL COMPENSATION CONSULTANTING FIRM IN 2019, AND IS NOW ADJUSTED ANNUALLY BY HUMAN RESOURCES. THIS SALARY STRUCTURE INCLUDES SALARIES FOR ALL STAFF, INCLUDING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND OTHER KEY STAFF. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 THE ORGANIZATION'S CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. THE ORGANIZATION'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON ITS WEBSITE, WWW.WITNESS.ORG, AND BY REQUEST. FORM 990, PART XI, LINE 9: FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE GAIN 37,545.