New Media Advocacy Project
beneath the surface
Community Solutions for the Global Mining Threat
Project Vision: Preventing Human Rights Abuses Related to Mining
The objective of this multi-year project is to build a multimedia toolkit that educates, empowers, and connects communities impacted by extractive industries. The toolkit aims to stop human rights abuses before they occur and to put communities in a strong position to protect their rights and fight for justice. The project uses videos to share stories and practical advice from communities already impacted by mining with communities where mining will soon occur. These stories will form the foundation of a video toolkit that provides communities with strategies and techniques for protecting their rights, and inspires them to action.
Cutting Edge Tools for Community Organizations
All videos will be published with a facilitator’s guide to help maximize the impact of video screenings and support communities in taking meaningful action. Videos will be distributed on DVDs, USBs, and online, along with links to relevant guides and further information on key topics and strategies covered in the videos. Key partners will also be provided with projection equipment and hands-on training to launch their grassroots distribution program.
Video Collection: Year 1
The Impacts of Mining (Peru, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe)
Baseline Data and Environmental Monitoring (Nigeria)
Community Mapping and Resistance to Mining (Ghana)
- Building a Resistance Movement (Peru, forthcoming)
- Negotiating for Environmental Protections (Bolivia, forthcoming)
- Resettlement and Relocation (Zimbabwe, forthcoming)
Iteration & Year 2
The second phase of our project emphasizes distribution, feedback, and iteration. We will hold special screenings with target audiences in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries where mining poses an imminent threat. We are also seeking feedback from experts and practitioners on how to improve the content, and our distribution and implementation strategy.
Get Involved!
If you’re interested in collaborating on the project, hosting a screening, or providing advice or feedback, please contact Jessie Landerman at
Michael Addo
Michael Addo, Vice-Chair of the OHCHR Working Group on Business and Human Rights, speaks with Global Rights’ Lien De Brouckere about the challenges facing civil society organizations engaged in human rights advocacy.
Teklemariam Berhane
Teklemariam Berhane, a human rights activist for ACCA member Human Rights Council-Ethiopia, discusses what challenges his organization faces and how ACCA can help overcome them.