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Co-creating Democracy with Compassion - We Keep Showing Up

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As Pride and Refugee Awareness Month come to a close, we are holding what they have stirred—grief, hope, fury, compassion— always compassion —and anchoring ourselves in the knowledge that these are not just commemorative months; they are part of our DNA at Footage. Solidarity, advocacy, voice, and the grit and determination to keep showing up are stitched into our daily work and our devotion to those still made most vulnerable by conflict, exile, erasure, and the loss of democratic values. Indeed, today, in the U.S. and far beyond, we are witnessing democracy itself— democracy built by those who care, by collective voice, by generations of movements, love, and tireless effort on behalf of humanity —bend under the weight of authoritarianism, greed, surveillance, and the calculated silencing of the very people it was meant to include, uplift, center. Each day, we witness destruction wrought by those who seek power at the expense of those with the least. Those who dare to speak out are si...
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New research reveals four in ten women who experience violence in Kyrgyzstan avoid asking for help

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Since November 2024, Footage Foundation (Footage) funded by the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, has been working with El Agartuu Public Association on a collaborative program to prevent and end intersectional violence across Kyrgyzstan. The first phase of the program was to conduct a needs assessment by consulting with government employees, non-governmental organization (NGO) employees and survivors/victims of violence. From December 2024 through January 2025, 108 people responded to the research. Footage and El Agartuu presented initial findings and insights at a webinar on June 17th, 2025. Key findings revealed that 73% of victims of violence suffer with poor mental health and seek counselling, while 44% reported that they avoid seeking help due to fear, stigma, or mistrust of authorities. Meanwhile, nearly 70% of government staff reported they’ve never received formal training on gender-based violence. The webinar provided an opportunity for discussion on how to build allian...
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Compassion is Refuge: Join Us Live World Refugee Day

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On this World Refugee Day, we are holding space for the  120+ million people —human beings with hearts and minds, just like me, just like you—who have been forcibly displaced from their homes, lives, dreams, and those they love. This means  1 in every 67 people on Earth  is now forcibly displaced. One in every 67 souls— whose stories are not only ignored or erased, but increasingly distorted, criminalized, and turned against them.  And far too often, we are taught to dehumanize. And once we do, brutality becomes easier to justify. This month, which holds both Pride Month and Refugee Awareness Month, we are reminding all who will listen that people are forced to flee  war, fascist regimes, criminalized identities, and the violence sanctioned not only by states, but by neighbors, systems, and silence. Heartbreakingly, unbearably, we are watching hateful narratives grow louder across the globe. Refugees are being criminalized. Families are being separated...
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Location: New York, NY, USA
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Pride and Exile: We Choose to Stand

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In June, as   Pride  and   Refugee Awareness Month  converge, we are reminded that for many in the LGBTQIA+ community—especially trans people—identity can be the reason for exile. Sometimes it’s not war or disaster that drives someone to flee,  but the threat—and often, state-sanctioned violence—that comes from simply existing. That is what we mean by  identity violence:  being targeted, silenced, or forced to flee because of who you are—because of the intertwined aspects of your identity, including gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, or other core truths. Identity violence refers to the harm, threat, or persecution someone faces simply for existing—for being seen as wrong, dangerous, or disposable. At Footage, this intersection is not symbolic. It is where we live and work every day—at the edges where queerness, migration, survival, and the urgent need for radical imagination meet. Across the globe, we are witnessing not just the erosion of ...
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Location: New York, NY, USA
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Footage Foundation Expands its Global Feminist Mission with a New Home in France

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“Footage France reflects who we are and what we believe: that care is policy, compassion is infrastructure, and feminist action is solidarity."  We are proud to share that Footage now has a physical home base in France—a longtime vision brought to life. While we have worked across Europe for many years, this milestone strengthens our ability to respond safely and strategically in a time of growing global uncertainty. In 2024, we formally registered Footage France ( association loi 1901 )—a permanent base for healing-centered feminist research, policy engagement, and cross-border solidarity. Today, we officially launch Footage France, marking a new chapter in our global mission and reinforcing our commitment to serving women, gender-expansive, LGBTQIA+, and marginalized communities—especially in the face of rising anti-rights and anti-gender movements. France is a vital global hub for human rights, diplomacy, and gender equity. Establishing a legal and physical presence here reflec...
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Footage Mailshot - May 21, 2025 (Launching Footage France: A Compassionate Home in Europe 💙)

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Launching Footage France: A Compassionate Home in Europe 💙 Dearest Family, Friends, and Supporters, For over 16 years, Footage has operated with agility, adaptability, and grit—always fueled by compassion.  Last week, a  UN Women report revealed that 90% of surveyed women's organizations face financial strain , with  nearly half at risk of closure within six months . This crisis makes our mission more urgent than ever.  We refuse to be closed down. We stand strong, we adapt, we push forward. These last months have been hard to capture in words. Those most empathetic among us feel the world’s pain, confusion, and helplessness. But as deeply as we feel, we know this is our call to act.  This is not the time to numb or step away. And we are indebted to those of you who have never stepped away from us—who have instead leaned in, listened, shared our anger and heartbreak, and continued to offer your compassion, your courage, your heart. We are working day and n...
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Location: Paris, France
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