Understanding verification and documentation Have you saved the content you are reviewing? Online content can disappear very quickly. It can be removed by the uploader or by the social network hosting the content. Take snapshots of postings or download images.For videos, there are tools like VideoVault. In depth Do-No-Harm The Do-No-Harm (DNH) principle is a useful framework to keep in mind in the context of the peaceful transformation of conflicts (armed or otherwise). DNH requires posing questions about whether interventions contribute to Can you verify the information? unification or further division. Social media messages have to be carefully Sharing powerful images or video footage of vetted for accuracy. The temptation to use human rights abuses or atrocities via social widely shared visual content uncritically could media could deepen divisions between two sides be higher than with eyewitness testimony, but in a conflict, depending on how it is presented. the same verification criteria should apply. If falsified material claiming to show atrocities Do you have other information sources for corroboration? Do not rely on a single social media message when it is likely that other online postings, videos and photos reference the same incident. Combining different pieces of information, including eyewitness testimony and news reports, will help you to build a much stronger case. spreads, the conflict could even intensify. This raises serious ethical concerns about sharing social media content and highlights the paramount importance of verification and thoughtful presentation of data, with a view to ending rather than perpetuating violence. For more on the Do-No-Harm principle see Anderson, Mary B: “Do No Harm: How Aid Can Support Peace – Or War” Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1999. Are there privacy risks or ethical concerns? As with any source, consider the potential risks to individuals if you share or publicise their words or images. Also, ask yourself if you may be doing unintended harm to communities affected by a conflict. Photo: “Non-Violence”, UN Photo/Michos Tzovaras (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0) 34