1 for All has declared Oxfam America as the winner of its YouTube video contest. The video features seven female Oxfam staff who lay out the pillars of the First Amendment in their native languages, speaking out on behalf of all the women around the world who do not enjoy such freedoms. Oxfam supporters State Radio, whose charitable organization Calling All Crows regularly advocates on behalf of (and fundraises for) Oxfam’s women’s rights around the world, donated the use of their song “Keepsake” as the background track for the video.
The winning video will be made available to media and Friends of 1 for All across the country, to feature on their websites or to broadcast, as part of 1 for All’s national First Amendment campaign. It will also be featured in the Newseum’s First Amendment gallery, and be a part of a their fall outreach efforts to schools.
The contest was judged through open voting by members of the public. To encourage voting, Oxfam leveraged its thriving social networks, and sent the video to 22,174 fans on Facebook and 24,665 followers on Twitter. Oxfam also reached out to 360,000 constituents through email.
“The black and white video is an example of how serious issues such as access to freedom of speech can be translated for widespread awareness through a creative, accessible approach,” said Megan Weintraub, New Media Manager at Oxfam America. “Oxfam is tapping into the power of online communications: our website, blog, and social media, such as Twitter and Facebook to not only raise funds but also to share information about interesting, important initiatives, like the 1 for All video contest.”