Video Edifies Case Against Pakistani Rangers

How did one video change the paradigm in a Pakistani courtroom? The footage (WARNING: graphic content) of a group of military rangers dragging out and shooting a young man at point blank provoked outrage in Pakistan. The clip is raw and visceral. An onlooker caught the incident and released it to TV media and within hours it was ubiquitous. Citizens took to the web and the streets to show support for Sarfraz Shah and his family: protesters hung the ranger in effigy, bloggers broadcasted the incident to the world and discussed a series of recent extrajudicial killings, and tweeters called directly on Chief Justice of Pakistan to take measures against Shahid Zafar. Earlier this month the court convicted the shooter, Zafar and the other rangers involved.

This post was written by Nicole McDonald, YouTube Policy.

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube--Tragic music festivals, lots of protests, and a fired up US campaign trail.

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We were shocked and saddened at the coincidence of two deadly music venue collapses due to severe weather - a stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair and a tent collapse at the Pukkelpop festival in Belgium.
• We witnessed a massive peaceful protest sparked by local social media in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dalian where people forced the closure of a coastal chemical plant that produced the hazardous compound paraxylene.
• We watched another peaceful mass protest take shape in India formed by prominent social activist Anna Hazare who began a 15-day fast with thousands of followers seeking stronger legislation against corruption.
• We saw the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI in Spain amid protests by many who saw the cost of the visit as an undue burden on the country while it is in an economic recession.
• We followed Tim Pawlenty's departure from the Republican contest for the US presidency as Rick Perry dropped into the race and made controversial remarks about the Federal Reserve and its chairman.
• We observed the worsening famine in the Horn of Africa, with the Dadaab refugee complex in northeastern Kenya becoming the biggest in the world amid reports of food aid being stolen and sold on the black market.
• And finally, we rolled along with President Barack Obama as he toured three states in the US Midwest on a controversial trip that critics called campaigning.

How many drunk drivers can you bust?

Did you know that 1,440 injuries and 29 deaths happen every day in the United States due to drunk driving? Did you know that 1 in 3 Americans will be involved in an alcohol related crash in their lifetime? Did you know that drunk driving costs each adult in this country $500 per year? These shocking statistics are what’s driving The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to take a stance against drunk driving.

NHTSA is raising awareness and teaching people just how dangerous drunk driving can be by creating their very own YouTube channel. In addition to videos showing the consequences of driving drunk, NHTSA has included an interactive game, inviting their channel visitors to step up, get behind the virtual wheel, and bust drunk drivers themselves.

Make sure to check out the channel and share it with your friends. Take a pledge against drunk driving and join the cops in catching drunk drivers!

"Roy Daiany works on Local B2B team and recently played the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" Game

Real or Fake: Can You Tell?

Last summer, Bankrupting America released a popular man-on-the-street quiz asking a number of Americans whether they thought certain government programs were real or fake. To continue bringing awareness to the country's current economic downturn and the future implications of careless policy-making, they have released a sequel to their first "Real or Fake" video. 


What do you think: did a government agency really spend half a million dollars to determine whether being sick impairs your ability to walk on a treadmill? Check out the video below to determine fact from fiction. 

Rick Perry says, "It's Time to Get America Working Again"

Just a few days ago, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced he is seeking the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Declaring that it's "time to get America working again," Perry is running as the candidate with "leadership, experience, vision." Joining opponents Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney in an exciting time of the Republican race, Perry has been heating up the political scene.


A collection of campaign ads from Perry's political career below highlight his history as an air force pilot, family man, and farmer. Check out the clips to see what former President Bush has to say about the Texas Governor and learn more about his political platform as the agricultural candidate who places education as our nation's top priority. 


For more information, click here to visit Rick Perry's YouTube channel.

This Week's Top Stories on YouTube: From the London Riots to the New Yoyo World Champion

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

Hi all,

Here's this week's roundup. Feel free to tweak at will...

•  Riots which began in Hackney, London but spread to other UK cities were captured by many on camera, showing looters attacking property , pushing back riot police  and robbing passersby in broad daylight.
• We were inspired by the words of the father of one of the young men killed in Birmingham, who called on the looters to “calm down and go home” .
• With the US credit rating downgraded and world economies in freefall, we watched the rise and fall of the markets. 
• In a week where Syrian troops stepped up their violent repression of protesters across the country, we saw videos of the destruction and were amazed to see protesters still marching, defiant.
• We collected some videos of the refugee camps in East Africa still growing as desperate people flee drought and famine in Somalia
• We were also  impressed by the speedy skills of Shinji Saito, the new yoyo World Champio
• The political campaign trail in the U.S. produced some YouTube highlights this week such as Governor Romney's "Corporations are people too" moment.

Violence and Destruction Spread Across UK: A View from the Streets

Following the August 6th fatal shooting of a 29-year-old black man and father of four, Mark Duggan, riots have swept London by storm. A peaceful protest by Duggan’s friends and family after the shooting turned into aggressive mayhem. Over the course of this week, violence and destruction have quickly spread across other areas of the UK.

The playlist below documents the widespread disturbances--looting, arson attacks, burglary, robbery, and vandalism--that have spread across the UK this week, injuring hundreds of police officers and resulting in more than 500 arrests. British Prime Minister David Cameron has expressed his strong outrage to these “sickening scenes” which he refers to as “criminality, pure and simple, that must be confronted and defeated.” As the police and parliament work together to contain the violence, Cameron assures the public that justice will be done and people will see the consequences of their actions.

Check out the videos below for a first-hand glance of the chaos and disorder which has made its way across the UK, resulting in many inspiring and disheartening moments. 

Two Years Too Long

It’s been two years since innocent hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were captured by the Iranian government and held on charges of espionage. Their imprisonment has left a gaping hole in the lives of those close them. While their friends and family continue to mourn their absence, they also commemorate their free spirits and incredible ambitions. This video, for example, documents Josh’s 29th birthday celebration on June 4th, his second birthday in prison, when his friends and family gathered in Oregon to share the influence Josh had on their lives.

In the video below, Shane’s closest friends, colleagues, and family members talk about why Shane first traveled to the Middle East. Check out the clip to take a closer look at Shane’s work as a journalist and photographer before his captivity in Iran.

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube--Tragedy in Norway, History in New York, and the loss of music great Amy Winehouse.

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We were horrified by the senseless killings in Oslo and on Utøya in Norway, but humbled by the outpouring of support for one another in the wake of the tragic events. 
• We witnessed history as the first gay couples married in New York amid lots of media coverage and fanfare.
• We mourned the death of talented singer Amy Winehouse along with thousands of fans. 
• We saw dramatic video of South Koreans pounded by deadly floods, heavy rains, and massive mudslides.
• We followed youth support for Barack Obama, Tim Pawlenty slamming Michele Bachmann, and an enthusiastic Ron Paul backer this week on the US campaign trail. 
• We watched the ongoing war in Libya and protests in Syria continue to intensify.
• And finally, we marked the one year countdown to the London Summer Olympics and were uplifted by a record-setting hot air balloon festival in France. 

The UpTake’s Northside Project: Documenting Dire Needs and Innovative Solutions

The Uptake, a citizen-fueled news organization, strives to find innovative solutions to the long-standing poverty, lack of jobs, and housing crisis in North Minneapolis. UpTake’s new Northside Project, a program supported by the Bush Foundation, is seeking out the individuals and organizations making positive changes in the area impacted by North Minneapolis’ May 22nd tornado. Below is one man’s “Story of Need.” The clip illustrates the organization’s goal to fully understand the wide range of needs in the area before finding answers to the problems swept up by the recent storm.


To support the Northside Project visit here to make a donation.

Homeless to Housing: An Inspiring Success Story

This past March, Mark Horvath, who profiles homeless people across North America on his YouTube Channel, was invited by the Calgary Homeless Foundation to speak in Calgary, a large province in Alberta, Canada. During his trip, Horvath recorded this video of Don “Donny” Bixby--a man who had been homeless for over twenty years and endured the harsh Canadian winters with nothing but a blanket and the heating vent from a local business to keep him warm.

After seeing the video of Donny on YouTube, CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, Tim Richter, tracked him down and put him up in an apartment. The move was part of Calgary’s “housing first” plan, which makes permanent housing a priority in addressing homelessness. The policy, launched in 2008, has provided over 2,300 homeless people with homes.

Once he moved into his new apartment, Donny decided to change his life. In the video below, Horvath interviews Donny who is sober, taking on part-time work, and even adopted a cat to share his new home with. 

To learn more about Mark Horvath’s mission to empower homeless people to tell their own story, visit his blog at InvisiblePeople.tv.

Proud to be Republican Women

In the clip below, GOP women discuss their identity, values, and collective vision for the future. The compilation of speeches sheds a female perspective on economic growth and job creation, highlighting  the importance of women-owned businesses (the fastest growing segment in the US economy) and the need to put the government on track to living within its means. Speaking on behalf of wives, mothers, grandmothers, and small-business owners, the female House Republicans express their desire to leave their grandchildren with a more prosperous and secure nation.