Human Rights Open Source Investigations: A Workshop on Digital Research Techniques

This one-day workshop, hosted by the Ukraine students club and Digital Verification Corps at Bard College Berlin in collaboration with OSINT for Ukraine, offers participants the chance to immerse themselves in the growing field of open-source research. The morning session will feature OSINT for Ukraine’s work documenting war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, plus their analysis of disinformation campaigns targeting Europe. Following this, participants will engage in a hands-on skills workshop focused on researching Russian real estate companies that benefit from the sale of occupied land.

In the afternoon, Hesham Moadamani from Bard College Berlin’s Civic Engagement Office will share the open-source techniques he has applied in his research on Syria. He will then lead a workshop on documenting unlawful attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon and Yemen.

This event is designed to equip students and human rights practitioners with skills to leverage open-source information for human rights investigations.

Please register here.

AGENDA
10:00 - 10:15: Welcome and introductions

10:15 - 10:55: Presentation 1: OSINT for Ukraine 
30 minute presentation + 10 minute Q&A

11:00 - 11:15 : Introduction of first workshop topic and forming groups
Russian real estate companies in occupied Ukraine 
This workshop will offer hands-on practice for participants in documenting unlawful seizures of private property by an occupying state. Participants will research Russian real estate companies profiting from the annexation of Ukrainian territory, using a combination of techniques, such as social media and archive-based research. 

11:15 - 13:30 : Group sessions 
 
13:30 - 14:30 : Lunch break
 
14:30 - 15:10 : Presentation 2: Hesham Moadamani
30 minute presentation + 10 minute Q&A

15:10 - 15:25 : Introduction of second workshop topic and forming groups
Documenting Human Rights Violations in Armed Conflict: Leveraging Open-Source Intelligence
This workshop explores how open source research can document laws-of-war violations related to the targeting of healthcare facilities.  Participants will learn techniques for finding, collecting, verifying, and presenting digital evidence, such as social media content and satellite imagery, while navigating challenges such as misinformation and bias, as well as self-care when viewing traumatic imagery. We'll cover the role of open source work in journalism, advocacy, and legal proceedings, highlighting key standards such as the Berkeley Protocol.
 
15:25 - 17:30 : Second group sessions
 
17:30 - 18:00 : Wrap-up and closing remarks

Note: Please bring your laptop

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For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm CET/GMT+1

Location: Platanenstraße 98, 13156 Berlin

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