Mural of William Penn in the Governor’s Reception Room, PA State Capitol Building by artist Violet Oakley, 1906.
Leading with Vision, Guided by Integrity
Who We Are
American INSIGHT's mission is to promote the history and values of Free Speech, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law.
We empower students and independent filmmakers to discuss the personal boundaries of these Magna Carta values by providing them with a multimedia deep-dive through history and our Award-winning FREE SPEECH FILMS™.
What We Do
American INSIGHT’s global Free Speech Film Festival encourages independent filmmakers to exercise their right of Free Speech. It highlights the power of their films to address issues that are important to their societies.
The FREE SPEECH AWARD is unique in that it showcases their films in perpetuity. It provides networking opportunities, a marketing platform, and educational workshops, giving our top 6 Official Selection Free Speech Award-winning filmmakers exposure, connections, and visibility for years.
Why We Do It
To cultivate a culture of participation and advocacy, reinforcing the importance of freedom of expression as a cornerstone of democracy.
The development of American INSIGHT’s programs, infrastructure, and business processes has been funded by private donors and enabled by thousands of hours of full-time and part-time volunteer help. Our systems are fully integrated, tested, and ready for marketing and implementation.
COMMUNITY
- Empower students
- Help them gain agency
- Invest in their future
VISION
- Investigate the history of Free Speech
- Build consensus + accountability
- Promote empowered dialogue
American INSIGHT
(1985 -2024)
On the forefront of technology as the Spoken Word made its way onto the Internet, the organization inspired and coordinated literary events across the state for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for a decade; produced a series of annual symposia in Philadelphia that attracted national and international media attention; and initiated a six-year cultural exchange program through a Reciprocal Exchange Agreement with the former Union of Soviet Writers.
With the growing emphasis the Internet-based multimedia, American INSIGHT rebranded itself, developed an Internship Program, and produced a documentary about Arthur B. Carles, a groundbreaking artist from Philadelphia. Then, based on five years of research on Philadelphia artist Violet Oakley's 13 murals in the PA State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, American INSIGHT developed its Free Speech Storyline and its Free Speech Film Festival. Our Free Speech Archives contain forty years of our history in multimedia formats, showcasing our long-standing commitment to promoting Free Speech, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law around the world.
In America today, 95% of our teenagers use cellphones to communicate. At the same time, Free Speech, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law are under threat of decline in many countries around the world. There is a clear need for independent leadership to help reverse this trend by providing students with critical learning skills based on the latest multimedia technologies. By learning and exploring how to use their voices responsibly, the next generation can promote and practice the core democratic values that have kept our nation strong for nearly 250 years. American INSIGHT envisions an ever-growing community of online students who learn to speak out and bring positive change to their lives and the world around them.
American INSIGHT has a significant global reach. Each year for over a decade now, we have recognized six deserving filmmakers and given the unique FREE SPEECH AWARD to the one most worthy film. This award highlights the best in free speech filmmaking from around the world, emphasizing our dedication to supporting independent voices in the global human rights movement.
Our FREE SPEECH AWARD celebrates the passionate innovations of independent filmmakers, championing ideas, perspectives, and voices vital to the future of Free Speech, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law globally. Designed to highlight prominent voices in today’s powerful Human Rights Movement, the festival invites filmmakers worldwide to submit films presenting unique perspectives in the fight for justice. These documentaries engage the global community in a deeper conversation about the complexities of Free Speech, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law within society.
By leveraging digital technologies and online platforms, American INSIGHT continues to educate and inspire a worldwide audience, fostering a deeper understanding of free speech and its critical role in Democracy. Our programs serve young adults and adults, aiming to cultivate a new generation of informed, responsible, and active global citizens.
Member, The Consular Corps Association of Philadelphia (CCAP) is the oldest consular organization in the country and today our 81 Members represent countries from around the world.
As a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO), American INSIGHT has committed to the Guiding Principles of the Standards for Excellence: an ethics and accountability code for the nonprofit sector. American INSIGHT pledges to uphold the fundamental values of honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility and accountability upon which the Standards are based.
American INSIGHT is grateful to IBM for its leadership role in helping nonprofit organizations to amplify their reach, increase their impact, and create lasting change in their communities through its global website development program, 48in48.
