A little more than 2 years ago, media and human rights NGO Video Volunteers started their India Unheard programme.

The belief that the democratic technology of today – video and the internet – can be harnessed in a way that millions of the most marginalised people in India can make their constructive ideas, their local knowledge and their aspirations heard by those in power. It is an alternative to the top-down approach of the mainstream in which those in power are allowed to ignore the voices of the majority which often leads to systemic human rights violations.

Twenty five of us were selected for the first round of training. Through an intensive grounding in video, journalism and activism, we were trained to be ‘video activists’. We were equipped with a camera and given an identity, a skill, a livelihood and a responsibility. We returned to our communities and started making videos on the issues and concerns of our people. We did not just make the news, we lived it and articulated it through the voices of our people. We not only challenged the status quo but also strived to bring social change.

One of us, CC Amita Tuti, a tribal from the marginalised Khunti district of Jharkhand says that through her camera her community has started speaking out on long-standing issues and concerns like the poor quality of healthcare in the local health centres which has put the future of hundreds of pregnant mothers and infants in jeopardy. ‘Earlier, there was no one to hear us out and we did not know whom to speak to about our problems’, says Amita.

CC Amol Lalzare from the Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar slum of Mumbai sees mainstream journalists flitting in and out of his slums every week but the reportage almost always leaves him dissatisfied. ‘The slums are either an "issue" or a "curiosity". They’re either the source of all Mumbai’s problems, or a representative of ‘the indomitable spirit of Mumbai’, says Amol. His videos are powerful documents of the slum as a city within a city. His city is one where basic amenities like water, shelter, health and sanitation are denied to the citizens. His city is one where a number of small factories which support the livelihoods of thousands operate. His city has its own politics, economics and culture which find no representation in the mainstream. ‘How would you know if you have never really lived in the slums?’ asks Amol. ‘And if you are not aware of what is at stake, how can you pass laws and dictates that disrupt our life and expect us to obey them?’

Our proximity to our issues will take you to unimaginable places.

Mine-blasted villages, bodies of innocents tortured by the police under the pretext of apprehending insurgents, videos documenting caste practices prevalent in today’s India, mass graves in Kashmir, people’s movement fighting against all odds for their rights to land and livelihood, the ground level failures of ambitious government schemes, victims, martyrs, unassuming heroes and unheard stories that lie beneath today’s headlines.

The mainstream is like three blind men trying to describe an elephant. What use is knowledge, if there is no realisation and no awakening?

While making our videos we try to take into account and reflect the change it aspires to bring. Sometimes just the fact that the community is participating and speaking out together for a video has been enough to bring about an impact.

Paul Malto, our colleague from a remote village in Sahibganj district concurs. ‘Once in four years during election time aspiring politicians visit our village,’ he says. ‘We used to put in our meager savings and hold a feast to propitiate them in the hope that they would bring change. We did this for over a decade in the hope of getting one water well which would solve our water issues.’ Paul recently made a video on the situation. Hearing about the villagers speaking out to Paul’s camera, the concerned officials got their act together. The much anticipated well is now being constructed.

We also rely on you for your support.

Sometimes it is not easy to get the attention of authorities even by knocking on their doorstep with the video. We actively use social media not just to promote our videos but also to promote social change. We will take care of the offline activism, the nitty-gritty, if you can give us your online support.

We petition the government authorities responsible by using online petitions and asking like-minded people to sign up and show their support. If you feel outraged at the situation documented in our videos, you can even call the government officials on their cell phones and ask for change. Just like us, we realise that you have the desire to be involved. We all have dreamed of a brighter, equitable and more sustainable future. Together, there have been instances when you have helped us make it possible.

CC Sunita Kasera’s video on continuing untouchability practices in Dangariya village, Karauli, Rajasthan was petitioned. It got over 5000 signatures in three days. The local collector was forced to act under pressure. He organised a public meeting in the village where he and the Superintendent of Police cautioned the people that such practices will be dealt with severely under the law. The practices have come to a stop and Sunita continues to monitor the situation.

CC Chunnu Hansda’s video on two teachers in rural Jharkhand who had not received their wages for over four years became popular on the internet. A public petition was put out. In just 3 days, over 4000 people signed up. Within a week, the District Collector personally intervened. The teachers not only began to receive wages but also received compensation.

Our videos are used within our communities to bring about awareness and empowerment.

One of our videos was successfully used by a local organisation to spread awareness in six villages about the benefit of organic farming. In a village in Maharashtra, where 600 women farm labourers were being paid lesser wages than their male counterparts, a community video got them to hold a collective strike. Within three days, for the first time in years, they received equal pay.

Our videos are a great and diverse source of knowledge.

All that we produce is creative commons. We encourage that our content be used by students, researchers, academics, film festivals and any other forum. It is encouraging to see our alternative content being picked up by mainstream news channels like News X and CNN-IBN. It is satisfying to see our communities and our issues featured on TV.

In the next few years, we will be 650 Community Correspondents - one in every district across the nation.

As one of us memorably put it, we are more than a person with a camera. We are our people’s media.

The multitudes will no longer be silenced and denied. We will assert our stake in the issues concerning us. We will be heard.

Around the world, video is being used as a powerful tool for enabling social change. The cost of a camera has plummeted from $100,000 US ten years ago to less than $500 today. Suddenly, changemakers around the world can shoot high-quality video, and distribute it globally via the Internet. By offering NGOs cost-effective training and models of video production, Video Volunteers aims to make video a ubiquitous tool in the work of social change. q