Yvette Alberdingk Thijm

Executive Director

Yvette is a human rights activist who envisions a citizen-driven human rights movement. She is a global advocate for collaboration between media, technology and human rights to create an ecosystem for social change. Before becoming its ED, Yvette served on the WITNESS Board and worked in start-ups and established companies in media, content and new technologies. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation Center, a leading authority on organized philanthropy, and serves on the Board of Access, a global movement for digital freedom.

Yvette Alberdingk Thijm recent tweets

Latest About yvette alberdingk thijm

Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, WITNESS' Executive Director, speaks with Reason TV about WITNESS' work to use video advocacy to promote human rights.

Source: reason.tv | 01/14/2011

In her article, "How WITNESS is Making Video Safer for Activists to Use," discusses the Arab Spring and WITNESS' influence on each other.

Source: HuffingtonPost.com | 02/03/2011

Our executive director, a lawyer by training, talks to Spindle Law Blog about running WITNESS.

Source: Spindle Law Blog | 03/16/2011

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Awards

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2011 Banff World Media Award for Excellence for Socially-Responsible Media

WITNESS attended the 2011 Rockies Gala to receive the first-ever Award of Excellence for Socially-Responsible Media at the Banff World Media Festival.

2011 SIPA Global Leadership Award

SIPA’s Global Leadership Award recognizes WITNESS for its work of empowering citizens to publicize and end human rights abuses through video.

2004 - 2008 Social Capitalist Award

Fast Company named WITNESS one of 45 recipients of a Social Capitalist Award for five straight years.

2004 - 2008 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship

The Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship supported WITNESS’s work in documenting human rights abuses on an international scale.

2007 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Award

The New York Times recognized WITNESS with its Excellence in Communication Award for its use of open source technology, transparent communication among partners and its Performance Dashboard, which uses metrics to measure the organization’s results and features reviews of its key activities.

New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards

2007 National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences Humanitarian Award

The National Television Academy awarded its first-ever Humanitarian Award to WITNESS for its use of video and online technologies to document and expose human-rights violations around the world. The award honors television professionals and non-profit organizations for programming that advances the common good.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Humanitarian Award

2007 One World Media Award

The One World Broadcasting Trust recognized WITNESS with a New Media award for its work in launching The Hub. The Trust called the site a “benchmark” for all organizations seeking to bring social change through media and technology.

OneWorld Media Award for New Media

2007 American Express Building Leadership Award

The American Express Building Leadership Award seeks non-profit organizations that place emphasis on the cultivation of internal staff, board and volunteer leadership. WITNESS received the 11th Building Leadership Award for its excellence in these areas, as well as its mission to provide hands-on video training for grassroots organizations in pursuit of basic human rights around the world.

2007 American Express Building Leadership Award

2006 Webby Award Official Honoree

Established in 1997, the Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences recognized WITNESS as a Webby honoree in for utilizing the web and visual media to create a lasting social impact.

The Webby Awards

2005 Schwab Social Entrepreneur

The Schwab Foundation searches for leading social entrepreneurs around the world. In 2005, Schwab named Gillian Caldwell, who served as WITNESS’ Executive Director for ten years, one of 40 Outstanding Social Entrepreneurs.

Schwab Entrepreneur

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