Following the Rodney King riots of 1992 in L.A, Peter Gabriel (yes, that Peter Gabriel, formerly of Genesis) started an activist group known as Witness. He introduced his own "Youtube" style video community network of awareness, focusing on human rights. With the aid of camera equipped cell phones, everyday people all over the world have a way to film and share human right violations.
The Hub, as it is called, allows anyone to upload, watch and share this information, through a central site, and activists can then take appropriate action.
"We empower people to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools for justice, promoting public engagement and policy change."
We all know the internet provides lots of fun and entertainment, but it is always inspiring to see it used for global change and good.
We should all aspire to give back.
Rock Star Human Rights Campaigns
Peter Gabriel's "The Hub"
Trend Themes
1. Video Activism - The trend of using video content to raise awareness and advocate for human rights issues, as exemplified by Peter Gabriel's The Hub, presents opportunities for leveraging technology to create impactful change.
2. Crowdsourced Documentation - The rise of platforms like The Hub, which allow everyday people to document and share human rights violations using their camera-equipped smartphones, opens up opportunities for creating a global network of documentation and advocacy.
3. Citizen Journalism - The Hub's model of enabling citizens to become journalists by reporting and sharing human rights abuses online highlights the potential for disruptive innovation in the journalism industry, where traditional news organizations can tap into citizen-generated content.
Industry Implications
1. Activism - The use of The Hub and similar platforms presents opportunities for activists and human rights organizations to collaborate and mobilize global communities for meaningful change.
2. Technology - The development and advancement of video-sharing platforms and smartphone technologies play a crucial role in facilitating online activism and empowering individuals to document and share human rights violations.
3. Media - The media industry can explore partnerships and collaborations with platforms like The Hub to enhance their reporting capabilities by incorporating citizen-generated content, thus revolutionizing the way news is gathered and shared.