Here you will find information and experiences from past and ongoing projects, with focus on psychosocial and mental health services. Do you have comments and suggestions, or would you like to add a new link? Click here

Hits: 142

“We`ll Kill You if You Cry”
Human Rights Watch (2003)
Sexual Violence in the Sierra Leone Conflict.
(75 pages, .pdf) To top

"I Have no Joy, No Peace of Mind"
Medecins Sans Frontieres, Holland (2004)
Medical, psychosocial and socio-economic consequenses of Sexual Violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
(18 pages, .pdf) To top

16-Day Campaign against Gender Violence in Kyrgyzstan in 2002
Crisis Psychological Center for Women and Family (2002)
The problems of gender and domestic violence in Kyrgyzstan have a very complex background: the traditional models of attitudes towards women, harsh economic situation and the new demands of the market economy all have their effect on women`s lives. To top

2003: systematic repression of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe
OMCT (2003)
In August 2003, the Observatory for the protection of humain rights defenders, joint programme of the International federation for human rights (FIDH) and the World organisation against torture OMCT) mandated a mission in Zimbabwe, in order to evaluate the situation of human rights defenders in the country. 2003 was marked by the fierce repression human rights defenders have had to face under the increasingly authoritarian regime.
(12 pages, .pdf) To top

2005 World Mental Health Day
The World Federation for Mental Health (2005)
World Mental Health Day was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992. It was started as an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health by the then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter. The day is officially commemorated every year on October 10th. To top

6th International Research and Advisory Panel Conference on Forced Migration 13-16 December 1998
By International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (1998)
The Sixth International Research and Advisory Panel (IRAP) Conference on Forced Migration was held at the Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem from 13-16 December 1998. The event was convened under the auspices of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) and was organized by the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP). To top

A General Review of the Psychological Support and Services Provided to Victims of Trafficking
International Organization for Migration - Kosovo (2003)
This study is the outcome of an empirical analysis performed by the psychologist Diana Tudorache based on the psychological counseling provided to the victims of trafficking assisted by the IOM Kosovo Counter-Trafficking return and Re-integration Program from September 2001 to March 2003.
(29 pages, .pdf) To top

A cross-cultural study of the psychosocial and spiritual impact of natural disaster
By Kalayjian, A. et al, Fordham University (2002)
A cross-cultural comparison of coping with natural disaster involving two populations—survivors from the 1999 earthquake in Turkey and from the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California. The research project was explorative in design and included 222 people — 123 individuals from Turkey and 99 from California.
(12 pages, .pdf) To top

Abolition of Capital Punishment and Prevention of Torture
By Human Rights Watch (2002)
Statement on the Occasion of the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, Warsaw. To top

Alternate Report to the Third Periodic Report Submitted by the Colombian State to the Committee against Torture
Comisión Colombiana de Juristas (2003)
Since the Committee against Torture studied Colombia’s report and issued its final comments in 1996, the situation of human rights and humanitarian law in this country has deteriorated dramatically in the past seven years. This fact has been acknowledged by international protection organizations that have indicated the widespread, systematic nature of violations of human rights in Colombia.
(75 pages, .pdf) To top

An Evaluation of the Centre for the Care of Survivors of Torture, Dublin
By Angela Veale, Dep. of Psychology,
National University of Ireland, Cork (2003)
This report documents the outcome of an evaluation of the Centre for the Care of Survivors of Torture (CCST), operating under the auspices of SPIRASI, the Spiritan Asylum Initiative.
(59 pages, .pdf) To top

Asia Pacific Conference on the Use of Children as Soldiers
By Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (2000).
Report from conference which was organised by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. Hosted by His Majesty`s Government of Nepal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kathmandu, Nepal 15-18 May 2000. To top

Assessing Trauma in Sri Lanka
MSF (2001)
This report is based on a mental health survey among the population of the Welfare Centres (WFCs) in Vavuniya (Sri Lanka). The Welfare Centres were established 10 years ago as temporary facilities to house those that were to be resettled in other parts of Sri Lanka.
(28 pages, .pdf) To top

Azerbaijan - Impunity for Torture
Human Rights Watch (1999)
Physical abuse and torture are rampant in police custody in Azerbaijan. Police routinely beat detainees-whether suspected of petty common crimes or political offenses-to coerce them into confessing or giving testimony. To top

Back to a Routine of Torture
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (2004)
Torture and Ill-treatment of Palestinian Detainees during Arrest Detention and Interrogation. September 2001 – April 2003
(105 pages, .pdf) To top

Burundi: Child soldiers - the challenge of demobilisation
Amnesty International (2004)
Military leaders have fuelled Burundi`s 10 year armed conflict by recruiting and abducting children, destroying their childhood and their future. Children, including children under the age of 15, have been cynically used as a cheap and expendable tool of war. To top

Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights - Project for victims of torture
By Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) (2000)
LICADHOs project for victims of torture was established in 2000 to provide rehabilitation services (physical, psychological and economic) to victims of torture, as well as for the investigation and documentation of torture cases and legal advocacy. To top

Caritas India - Tsunami Response
Caritas India (2006)
An own web site with a lot of material related to the tsunami disaster in 2004. To top

Caught in the Middle: Mounting Violations Against Children in Nepal´s Armed Conflict
Watchlist (2005)
This report combines information collected from a variety of sources to document violations against
children and adolescents in the context of the armed conflict in Nepal. To top

Chechnya: No Means to Live
OMCT (2003)
This report addresses issues related to the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights in Chechnya, along with the particular situation faced by internally displaced persons in Ingushetia.
(103 pages, .pdf) To top

Child Protection in the Philippines
By Philipine Resource Network (1997)
This project involves several organisations that work with child protection in the Philippines. To top

Child Soldiers in the Philippines
By Merliza Makinano, International Labor Affairs Service-Department of Labor & Employment (2002)
The study focuses on the armed groups in the Philippines, particularly the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), and New People`s Army (NPA), reportedly using child soldiers. It discusses the different recruitment patterns among these groups, the profile of the recruits, the tasks and roles that the children portray, and the different circumstances besetting the children leading to the involvement with the armed groups.
(12 pages, .rtf) To top

Childhood Trauma Remembered
By International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (1997)
Over the past several years, the topic of memories of childhood trauma, particularly childhood abuse, has led to considerable debate among professionals and nonprofessionals alike.
(27 pages, .pdf) To top

Children in Armed Conflict Situations: Focus on Child Soldiers in the Philippines
By Philippine Resource Network (2000)
For more than three decades now, the Philippines has been besieged by two internal armed conflicts, one between the government armed forces and the revolutionary army of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People`s Army (NPA). The other is between the government forces and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and its breakaway group, the Moro lslamic Liberation Front (MILF).
(16 pages, .doc) To top

Children`s Rights in Switzerland
OMCT (2002)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Switzerland
(55 pages, .pdf) To top

Children`s rehabilitation centre
By War Child (1997)
In May 1997 the children`s rehabilitation centre "Little Star" has opened. The work of the centre is aimed at the psychological rehabilitation of children who suffered during the armed conflict in Chechnya. Rehabilitation includes the use of comprehensive psychotherapy and other measures directed at adapting the traumatised children to the maximum level of normal activity possible for them to achieve. To top

Children`s rights in Paraguay
OMCT (2001)
Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Republic of Paraguay - 28th Session - Geneva, 24 September - 12 October 2001
(64 pages, .pdf) To top

Colombia`s War on Children
Watchlist (2004)
Guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, government armed forces and national police all perpetrate violence and abuses against civilians, including children and adolescents. These are infractions of international humanitarian law and human rights, yet these crimes are often committed with a high level of impunity. Young people have been killed and maimed, victimized by sexual violence, lured and forced into the ranks of combatants, used as informants, marked as targets and driven from their homes.
(47 pages, .pdf) To top

Communities in Crisis: Strengthening Resources for Community Reconstruction
International Society for Health and Human Rights (ISHHR) (2001)
Narrative report from 6th International Conference for Health and Human Rights - held in Cavtat, Croatia 21-24 June 2001. To top

Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture : Norway. 27/05/98.
By UNHCR (1998)
The third periodic report of Norway was submitted on 6 February 1997. It conformed fully with the requirements laid down in the Committee`s reporting guidelines. It provided information, article by article, on new measures to implement the Convention taken since the submission of its last report and answered questions raised during the discussion of the second periodic report. The Committee also thanks the delegation for its oral information and its frank and precise replies to the questions raised by members of the Committee. To top

Creating Befriending Relationships With Survivors of Torture and of War
By Canadian Center for Victims of Torture (CCVT)
Survivors of torture and of war have experienced a fracture in human relationships resulting from violations of their human rights. How can services contribute to building the capacity for reconstructing relationships and reclaiming community ties with this population? This article reports on the results of an exploratory participatory study conducted between the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT) and two academic social work faculties that documented the successful practices of the Volunteer Befriending Program at CCVT. To top

Creative Therapy Programme
By War Child (2000)
Programme related to ethnic group tensions in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. To top

Cross-Cultural Assessment Of Trauma-Related Mental Illness
CERTI (2000)
Project Objectives;
1.To create an instrument adaptation and validation process which can be used by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others to quantitatively assess the mental health burden of trauma at the population level across cultures and situations.
2. To use this instrument and process to assess part of the mental health burden of trauma on a civilian population in Rwanda.
3. To use the resulting data to assess the need for interventions, form the baseline for an intervention process, and (at a future date) to plan the form of such an intervention.
4. Current methods to assess mental health across cultures require resources and time not available to NGOs and many of the populations they serve, and are therefore research tools only. In this study we have attempted to develop a method useful for NGOs because it requires only training and existing resources. To top

Daphne Database
European Commission(2003)
The goal of this project is to collect information from individual organizations in a data base and to give access to this information via Internet. In this data base you will find Associations, NGO’s, State Institutions, international Institutions and dedicated private persons, who fight for the rights of children and young people. To top

East Timor - National Mental Health Project
This project aims to establish a sustainable mental health program in East Timor. To top

End impunity - Justice for the victims of torture
By Amnesty (2001)
This report is one of a series of publications issued by Amnesty International as part of its worldwide campaign against torture.
(76 pages, .pdf) To top

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) - 12th General Report on the CPT`s activities (2001)
By the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (2001)
The CPT is required to draw up every year a general report on its activities, which is published. This 12th General Report, as well as previous general reports and other information about the work of the CPT, may be obtained from the Committee`s Secretariat or from its website.
(37 pages, .pdf) To top

Forgotten fighters: Child Soldiers in Angola
Human Rights Watch (2003)
This report is based on research conducted in Angola in November and December 2002. Human Rights Watch conducted interviews in the capital, Luanda, and in the two provinces of Bié and Moxico.
(29 pages .pdf) To top

Gender, Armed Conflict and Political Violence
By Cynthia Cockburn, World Bank (1999)
Abstract from the conference "Gender, Armed Conflict and Political Violence" -June 10th & 11th 1999, The World Bank,
Washington, DC, USA. To top

Global IDP Project
Norwegian Refugee Council project. Objectives: (1) To promote the use of the Guiding Principles on internal displacement. (2) To make information available on IDP issues and country-specific situations. (3) To support the capacity of the international community to better respond to situations of internal displacement. To top

Hope Betrayed? A Report on Impunity and State-Sponsored Violence in Nigeria
OMCT (2002)
The last three years of elected civilian government in Nigeria have witnessed an alarming spate of violence and egregious human rights violations. In over fifty separate and documented incidents, over ten thousand Nigerians have reportedly been victims of extrajudicial executions at an average of over 200 executions perincident.
(197 pages, .pdf) To top

Human Rights & Mental Health in Peru
Mental Disability Rights International & Asociación pro Derechos Humanos (2004)
This report assesses Peru’s compliance with national and international standards for the treatment of persons with mental disabilities, highlights successful community-integrated programs in Peru, and provides recommendations for reform of mental health and social service systems.
(47 pages, .pdf) To top

Human Rights & Mental Health: Hungary
Mental Disability Rights International (1997)
In this publication the reader will find a sincere, objective, and sobering report on the conditions of a large group of people with chronic mental disabilities. More generally, the report provides an overview of the current state of mental health care in Hungary.
(177 pages, .pdf) To top

Human Rights and Health - The Legacy of Apartheid
AAAS Science and Human Rights Program
and Physicians for Human Rights (1998)
This report was prepared at the request of the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It shows how, during the apartheid period, the leadership of the health sector in South Africa subordinated ethical and human rights obligations to the racist practices and political repression of the state. To top

Human Rights and Mental Health: Uruguay
Mental Disability Rights International (1995)
This report by the Mental Disability Rights International on the treatment of the mentally disabled in Uruguay documents the combination of neglect, indifference and outright cruelty that is perpetrated on helpless people in one country, and it charts a strategy for change that takes into account the economic and social situation in that country. It is indispensable reading for all who are concerned about what has been, until now, a dark corner of human rights abuse.
(76 pages, .pdf) To top

Human Rights: Focus on Torture
Georgian Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rrehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT) (2004)
Public survey in Tiblisi, Georgia.
Primary purpose of the survey was to explore the issue of torture - its incidence, public awareness of, attitudes to, and opinions regarding the surrounding topics and actors.
(67 pages, .pdf) To top

Impact of armed conflict on children
By UNICEF (1996)
Millions of children are caught up in conflicts in which they are not merely bystanders, but targets. Some fall victim to a general onslaught against civilians; others die as part of a calculated genocide. Still other children suffer the effects of sexual violence or the multiple deprivations of armed conflict that expose them to hunger or disease. Just as shocking, thousands of young people are cynically exploited as combatants.
(78 pages, .pdf) To top

Innovation and networking in trauma treatment within the framework of an integral attempt
German Red Cross/Trauma-Project (2001)
Abstract from the project workshop in Grünberg, Germany, from March 28 to 29, 2001.
(14 pages, .pdf) To top

Innovations and Networking in Trauma Treatment
By German Red Cross and the European Union (2000)
Project which aims at developing a new approach to treating victims of torture. The approach extends beyond psychotherapy and systematically integrates related professional disciplines. Time Period: 01.04.2000 - 31.03.2003 To top

Innovations and Networking in Trauma Treatment within the Framework of an Integrated Approach
German Red Cross/Trauma-Project (2002)
Summary record from the German Red Cross workshop “Trauma as daily experience - within the work of the German Red Cross, especially with refugees” - Freiburg, June 10-12, 2002
(7 pages, .pdf) To top

Intercultural Competence and Interethnic Conflicts Torture Victims and Traumatized Refugees in Germany
By German Red Cross (2002)
Every year around 100,000 refugees come to Germany. They form a group of involuntary emigrants who leave their countries because they were persecuted and fear for their lives. The German Red Cross helps them on the basis of humanitarianism and professionalism. To top

Internally Displaced Persons from the Prizren Area of Kosovo: Living Conditions, Mental Health and Repatriation Issues
International Aid Network (IAN) (2001)
Throughout and immediately after the formal end of the Kosovo conflict and cessation of NATO bombardment of FR Yugoslavia in 1999, a great number of Serbs and other non-Albanians from Prizren and other regions of Kosovo were forced to flee for refuge to other parts of the country. On the report of respective estimates of certain international organizations (UNHCR, ICRC) about 200, 000 persons were forcibly displaced into the parts of Serbia outside Kosovo.
(50 pages, .doc) To top

International Study Group for Trauma, Violence, and Genocide
The purpose of this non-profit organization, founded in April 1996 in Hamburg, was to promote research about trauma, violence and genocide. To this end, the Study Group organized academic lectures and conferences and published books and journal articles. To top

National Consultation-Workshop on the Use of Children as Soldiers in the Philippines
By UP Center for Integrative & Development Studies; Philippine Human Rights Information Center; Amnesty International-Pilipinas Section; and Kabiba Foundation, Inc- Alliance for Children’s Concerns (2001)
Program on Psychosocial Trauma & Human Rights. Summary Proceedings of the “National Consultation-Workshop on the Use of Children as Soldiers in the Philippines” held in Barcelo Royal Mandaya Hotel, Davao City March 21-23, 2001.
(27 pages, .doc) To top

Nothing Left to Lose: The Legacy of Armed Conflict and Liberia’s Children
Watchlist (2004)
Liberia has been in a nearly constant state of civil war for 14 years. This has taken an enormous toll on the lives of Liberian children, adolescents and all civilians. Throughout the years of civil war and especially during the 2003 War, thousands of Liberian children have been victims of killings, rape and sexual assault, abduction, torture, forced labor,forced recruitment into fighting forces and displacement and other violations by warring factions.
(50 pages, .pdf) To top

On the Co-operation between different professions in trauma-work: multi-professionalism with regard to counselling, treatment and care
German Red Cross/Trauma-Project (2003)
Abstract from the workshop "Trauma Work with Refugees Framework, Professions, Perspectives" Berlin, February 11-13, 2003
(6 pages, .pdf) To top

Organised Violence and Torture in Zimbabwe in 2001
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (2003)
For many Zimbabweans the year 2001 was a very difficult one. The politically motivated violence, which began after the referendum in February 2000, continued as a result of the election challenges and the forthcoming 2002 presidential elections. The police force continued to be used as a tool for violence by the ruling party.
(49 pages, .pdf) To top

Orphans and Vulnerable Youth in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: An Exploratory Study of Psychosocial Well-being and Psychosocial Support Programs
Population Council (2006)
Children and youth affected by AIDS typically face a wide range of stressful events and circumstances,
including poverty, the loss of caregivers and loved ones, having to drop out of school, the burden of adultlike
responsibilities, and social isolation. Increasingly programs for orphans and vulnerable children are
addressing not only their material and educational needs, but their psychosocial needs as well. Yet there
has been little research on how to evaluate psychosocial support (PSS) programs and the impact of these
programs on vulnerable youth’s psychosocial well-being.
(58 pages, .pdf) To top

Participation of Conflict-Affected Children in Humanitarian Action: Learning from Nepal
Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford (2004)
This study considers children`s participation in agency programming in the context of the armed conflict between the forces of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and His Majesty`s Government of Nepal. It also takes into account the situation of the Bhutanese refugees currently living in camps in the south-east of the country.
(31 pages, .pdf) To top

Participation of Conflict-Affected Children in Humanitarian Action: learning from the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford (2002)
This project originated as a specifically child-focused companion to a global study into beneficiary participation in humanitarian aid. ALNAP, an international inter-agency forum which works to improve learning and accountability within the humanitarian system, commissioned research in five case study countries. Three of these (Sri Lanka, Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo) are emergencies which involve long-standing political conflicts with significant numbers of IDPs or refugees.
(38 pages, .pdf) To top

Personal and Community Reconstruction, Resilence and and Empowerment in Times of Ethnopolitical Conflict
Psychologists for Social Responsibility (2002)
A report on an international conference on integrating approaches to psychosocial humanitarian assistance.
(40 pages, .pdf) To top

Piloting Methods for the Evaluation of Psychosocial Programme - Impact in Eastern Sri Lanka
Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford (2004)
This document is based upon a study conducted in eastern Sri Lanka by a small team of researchers over the nine month period between April 2003 and January 2004. The project was intended to pilot a range of participatory tools and methods with children in Batticaloa, a part of the island that has experienced years of conflict and displacement, with the aim of establishing their utility and appropriateness for monitoring and evaluating psychosocial programmes.
(74 pages, .pdf) To top

Providing for the Health of Refugees
Internatinal Rescue Committee (2003)
The International Rescue Committee has a proud record in providing health care to refugees and conflict-affected populations. For over 30 years, the IRC has provided health services in response to humanitarian crises in such countries as Cambodia, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Somalia, Bosnia and Rwanda. To top

Psychological Problems Among Refugees
Armenian Mental Health Foundation
Rsearch and experience shows that the priority problems for refugees are related to psychological trauma. The majority of refugee population in Armenia still suffers from chronic post traumatic stress disorder. To top

Psychosocial Effects of Complex Emergencies
American Red Cross (1999)
The psychosocial health of populations that have experienced complex emergencies has become an important public health problem. The effects of violence and displacement on human health and the subsequent need for psychosocial services has attracted greatly increased attention since the experiences of populations in the Great Lakes Regions of Africa, and Eastern Europe. As the field of psychosocial health during and after complex emergencies has expanded, different and at times opposed approaches to program design an implementation have developed. These have included one-on-one psychodynamically oriented programs, group-based programs and interventions focusing on community reconstruction.
(28 pages, .pdf) To top

Questionnaire survey of post-traumatic stress disorder in doctors involved in the Omagh bombing
By International Labour Organization (2002)
On 15 August 1998 a bomb exploded in the main street of Omagh. It killed 29 people, including nine children, and injured over 300. The local hospital, Tyrone County Hospital, took most casualties into its very small accident and emergency department, and others were sent to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen, 40 miles away. A postal questionnaire study of the health of all staff of Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust, which covers both hospitals, took place four months later, and analyses are continuing. This paper presents findings on the 41 doctors who replied in terms of their levels of post-traumatic stress disorder.
(69 pages, .pdf) To top

Rape and Other Torture in the Chechnya Conflict: Documented evidence from asylum seekers arriving in the United Kingdom
The Medical Foundation (2004)
This paper summarises the experiences of those clients seen at the Medical Foundation who have been tortured as a consequence of the conflict in Chechnya. It relates to the 35 clients provided with services by the Medical Foundation between December 1999 and January 2004. Although a small sample, their experiences are broadly typical of a wider pattern of gross abuse.
(14 pages, .pdf) To top

Rebuilding Lives
UN Voluntary Fund for Vicims of Torture (2006)
Rebuilding Lives focuses on five Fund-supported projects in Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Pakistan and Rwanda, representing the five regions of the world. The projects are described in brief articles supplemented by a series of photographs. These should allow readers to have a greater understanding of the experiences of torture victims and the rehabilitative services provided by the organizations.
(97 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on Afghanistan - November 2001
By Watchlist (2001)
The following update highlights some new and heightened risks for Afghan children and adolescents. This supplements the Watchlist on Afghanistan first issued on October 13 - 2002.
(5 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on Afghanistan - October 2001
By Watchlist (2001)
Through two decades of violence and war in Afghanistan all parties to the conflict have violated children’s rights. Today Afghan children and adolescents face dire circumstances. Approximately 1 in 4 Afghan children die of preventable causes before the age of five. Approximately 1 in 2 children suffer from malnutrition. The maternal mortality rate is the second highest in the world at 1,700/100,000. Approximately 2 million Afghan children are refugees or internally displaced. Approximately half of all landmine victims in Afghanistan are children (an estimated 5-10 people died everyday in 1999 from landmine injuries). Children and adolescents are reported to be forcibly recruited as soldiers.
(10 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on Angola - April 2002
By Watchlist (2002)
According to UNICEF, Angola is among the worst places in the world to be a child. One out of every three children dies before the age of five. This is equal to one child dying every three minutes and 420 children dying every day. More than half of Angola`s population is under 18, yet little attention is paid to the urgent needs of youth and the consistent violations of their rights by the government and the opposition armed forces during the war. Both the Angolan government and the armed opposition seriously violated the most basic provisions of core international standards established to protect the rights of children, adolescents and other civilians.
(19 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on Burundi - May 2002
By Watchlist (2002)
Burundian children, including adolescents, live in extremely precarious conditions. Recent reports provide evidence that urgent attention is needed. There are gaps in childspecific information.
(21 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on Georgia
Report to the Georgian Government on the visit to Georgia carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment(CPT)from 18 to 28 November 2003 and from 7 to 14 May 2004
(83 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Terretories - September 2002
Watchlist (2002)
International humanitarian law provides for the protection of civilians, including children, in situations of armed conflict. The Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes the special protections due to children in situations of armed conflict (art. 38). In the case of this conflict, the duty to protect children falls upon both the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Both Israeli and Palestinian officials have three major obligations: to protect children, to prevent military and security forces under their control from committing abuses against children and other civilians and to adequately investigate abuses and bring the perpetrators to justice.
(19 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on the Czech Republic
European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) (2004)
Report to the Czech Government on the visit to the Czech Republic carried out by CPT from 21 to 30 April 2002.
(81 pages, .pdf) To top

Report on torture in Georgia
By Georgian Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (2000)
Despite the fact that Georgia joined the European Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and the Georgian Constitution forbids torture and other acts of violence, according to trust-worthy data (Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Georgian Parliament`s Human Rights Committee, Georgian Public Defender`s Office) torture is widely practiced in Georgia by law-enforcement structures.
(12 pages, .doc) To top

Responding to the Needs of Torture Survivors in the United Kingdom
REDRESS (2004)
Report of the Seminar for Frontline Service Providers - Palace Hotel, Manchester, 25 June 2004
(29 pages, .pdf) To top

Responses to Human Rights Violations: The Implementation of the Right to Reparation for Torture in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
REDRESS (2003)
Report from the seminar "Responses to Human Rights Violations: The Domestic Implementation of the International Right to Reparation for Torture Victims in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal" - held on 14 September 2002 at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
(100 pages, .pdf) To top

Review of Child and Adolescent Refugee Mental Health
National Child Traumatic Stress Network and Refugee Trauma Task Force (2003)
This white paper extends the work done in previous reviews by discussing the most recent empirical studies of pathology and services among refugees and by describing unique populations of child and adolescent refugees. These data, as well as treatments, are organized by phase of the refugee experience and contextualized in cultural and developmental frameworks.
(49 pages, .pdf) To top

Right of Abode Regulation for Refugees from Bosnia: Trauma Victims
German Red Cross/Trauma-Project (2001)
During the civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany received a large number of refugees and with the Dayton-agreement of December 1995, a programme for voluntary return was initiated. A great deal of the refugees have, in the meantime, returned or emigrated to other countries, and five years after the Daytonagreement 35.000 – 37.000 refugees still remain in Germany.
(4 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Bahrain
OMCT (2001)
Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Bahrain - 29th Session - Geneva, 14 January - 1 February 2002
(88 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Costa Rica
OMCT (2000)
Committee on the Rights of the Child -23rd Session - Geneva, January 2000
(37 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Egypt
OMCT (2001)
Report Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Egypt.
Committee on the rights of the child - 29th Session - Geneva, 8-26 January 2001
(24 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Ethiopia
OMCT (2001)
Report Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Committee on the rights of the child - 29th Session - Geneva, 8-26 January 2001
(30 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Guatemala
OMCT (2001)
Report Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Guatemala - 27th Session -Geneva, 21 May / 8 June 2001
(26 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Haiti
OMCT (2003)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Republic of Haiti - 32nd Session - Geneva, 13-31 January 2003
(62 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Kenya
OMCT (2001)
Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Republic of Kenya - 28th Session - Geneva, 24 September-12 October 2001
(56 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Pakistan
OMCT (2003)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Pakistan - prepared for the Committee on the Rights of the Child 34th session – Geneva, September 2003
(31 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Spain
OMCT (2002)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Spain - 30th Session - Geneva, 20 May - 7 June 2002
(56 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Sudan
OMCT (2002)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Sudan - 31st Session - Geneva, 18 September - 4 October 2002
74 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Tunisia
OMCT (2002)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Tunisia
(52 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Turkey
OMCT (2001)
Report Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Turkey - 27th Session - Geneva, 21 May / 8 June 2001
(48 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in Ukraine
OMCT (2003)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Ukraine - 31th Session - Geneva, 18 September / 4 october 2002
(70 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in the Czech Republic
OMCT (2003)
Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Czech Republic - 32nd Session - Geneva, 13-31 January 2003
(62 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in the Democratic Republic of Congo
OMCT (2001)
Report on the Application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Democratic Republic of the Congo(RDC) - 27th Session - Geneva, 21 May / 8 June 2001
(28 pages, .pdf) To top

Rights of the Child in the Republic of Cameroon
OMCT (2001)
Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
by the Republic of Cameroon - 28th Session - Geneva, 24 September - 12 October 2001
(68 pages, .pdf) To top

Senegal: Casamance women speak out
Amnesty International (2003)
Women have paid a particularly heavy price throughout the conflict in Casamance between the Senegalese security forces and the MFDC, which has been ongoing since 1982. During this conflict, in which any civilian may be suspected of supporting the other side at any moment, some women have been taken hostage, others have been kidnapped, raped or threatened with rape.
(31 pages, .pdf) To top

Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict: United Nations Response
By UN (1998)
Sexual violence during armed conflict is not a new phenomenon. It has existed for as long as there has been conflict. In her 1975 book Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape, Susan Brownmiller presented stark accounts of rape and other sexual atrocities that have been committed during armed conflict throughout history. While historically very few measures have been taken to address sexual violence against women committed during armed conflict, it is not true to say that there has always been complete silence about the issue. To top

State Violence Against Children
OMCT (2000)
Committee on the Rights of the Child Day of General Discussion - Friday, 22 September 2000. Recommendations and suggestions of OMCT. To top

State Violence Against Detained Women in Mexico
OMCT (2006)
The abuse of women during the police operations last May in San Salvador Atenco, which we
document in this alternative report, demonstrates the gender-based violence that the Mexican State and its agents are capable of, using the justification of “reestablishing the rule of law and social peace”. This situation is not unique, but rather demonstrates a pattern of violence against women that is carried out by the Mexican State and enjoys total impunity. There are other similar cases of State violence against women, including those documented by Inter-American Commission on Human Rights(IACHR).
(46 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence In Colombia
OMCT (2004)
This report was jointly prepared by three Colombian human rights NGOs
with the support of a large national coalition:
• The AVRE Corporation (Apoyo a victimas pro recuperacion emocional),
• The Comisión Colombiana de Juristas,
• The CSPP (Comité de Solidaridad con los presos politicos)
(115 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence In The Philippines
By OMCT (2003)
This report was jointly prepared by the following three Filipino human rights NGOs:
* PREDA Foundation
*The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)
*Women’s Education, Development, Productivity and Research Organisation (WEDPRO)
(69 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence in Benin
OMCT (2004)
An alternative Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
(10 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence in Greece
OMCT (2004)
An Alternative Report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.
(104 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence in Kenya
OMCT (2005)
An Alternative Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
(120 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence in Morocco
OMCT (2004)
While noting that the Moroccan government has followed through on its commitment to present its third periodic report on implementation of the
Convention Against Torture, the Moroccan Prison Observatory, the Moroccan Association for Women’s Rights and the Bayti Association - backed by the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) - express their regret at having been unable to obtain a copy of the Moroccan government’s report from the Moroccan authorities for the purpose of making comments.
(113 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence in Sri Lanka
OMCT (2004)
This study is divided into three parts. Part I provides a general overview of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (in prisons in particular)
committed by state officials. Parts II and III deal with torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of women and children respectively.
(118 pages, .pdf) To top

State Violence in Uzbekistan
OMCT (2005)
An Alternative Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
(87 pages, .pdf) To top

State violence in Chile
OMCT (2004)
This General report has been drawn up by Centro de Salud Mental y Derechos Humanos, CINTRAS, based on the analysis of the most important and recent studies and publications regarding torture and maltreatment in Chile, on a general review of the printed press over the last few years, and on interviews with lawyers specialized in this field, as well as with representatives of entities that work defending the rights of people arrested and imprisoned.
(95 pages, .pdf) To top

State violence in Serbia and Montenegro
OMCT (2004)
An alternative Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
(80 pages, .pdf) To top

Striking Hard: Torture in Tibet
Physicians for Human Rights (1997)
PHR Report shows Chinese authorities routinely use torture as a means of political repression, punishment and intimidation in Tibet.
(22 pages, .pdf) To top

Struggling to Survive: Children in Armed Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, April 2006
Watchlist (2006)
In 2006, DRC continues to endure the world’s deadliest humanitarian crisis, with more than 38,000 people dying every month as direct and indirect consequences of the armed conflict, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Approximately 45 percent of these deaths occur among children under age 18. In addition, children are targets of human rights violations committed by armed forces and groups on a daily basis. The overwhelming majority of these crimes are committed in an environment of utter impunity.
(both in French and English, and in .html and .pdf) To top

Sudan’s Children at a Crossroads: An Urgent Need for Protection
Watchlist (2007)
The report addresses violations against children in six major categories identified by the United Nations Security Council. These categories include killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abduction, denial of humanitarian assistance, attacks on schools and hospitals and recruitment and use of children into armed forces and groups. In addition, the report discusses various other violations that continue to be committed against children and their families, such as forced labor, displacement and trafficking.
(both .html and .pdf, 76 pages) To top

The Albanian Mental Health System
By Human Rights Center, University of California (2000)
Report of a Consultation Visit June 4-11, 2000
(47 pages, .pdf) To top

The Collective Trauma Project
By Marc-Jan Trapman (1997)
The concept of Collective Trauma outlines many forms in which a community can be impaired as a consequence of war, armed violence, or other sudden, external forces. To top

The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Watchlist (2003)
The political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is unstable and rapidly shifting in some areas. This report contains the most current information available about Congolese children up to early June 2003.
(38 pages, .pdf) To top

The International Response to Conflict and Genocide:Lessons from the Rwanda Experience
Journal of Humanitarian Assistance (1996)
The primary objective of this report is to examine the effectiveness, impact and relevance of international assistance on repatriation, rehabilitation, reconstruction and long-term development in Rwanda in the aftermath of the violence that destroyed or severely damaged much of Rwanda`s social, cultural and economic institutions. To top

The Kwa Mashu music dance and drama projects
By War Child (1996)
During the final years of apartheid, the million inhabitants of Kwa Mashu township in Durban, South Africa, were caught in the middle of a war between the ANC and Zulu Inkatha movement. Many young people lost parents, relatives and friends in the conflict, and were badly traumatised by their experiences during the troubles. To top

The Mental Health of War Affected Children: a Community-based Rehabilitation and Reconciliation Program in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province.
By Robert Chase, University of Manitoba, and Kenneth Bush, Dalhousie University (2002)
The mental health effects of children affected by militarized violence are receiving increasing attention as the magnitude of the problem worldwide and its implications is becoming recognized. The trends in child mental health in Sri Lanka related to war and other factors are reviewed, and local project context in Eastern Sri Lanka is described. Since 1995 research and program development in addresses psychological distress in schoolchildren from multiple factors, many directly war related.
(17 pages, .pdf) To top

The Trauma of Ongoing War in Chechnya
Medecins Sans Frontieres (2004)
Quantitative assesment of living conditions, and psychosocial and general health status among war displaced in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
(44 pages, .pdf) To top

The referral of the perpetrators who commit the crime of torture to trial
By Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (2002)
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights report on a new step towards combating torture in Egypt. This report includes the illegal detention of some citizens without any charges as well as it monitors the phenomena of detention, torture, ill-treatment and abuses practiced by some policemen against citizens in police stations and centers which may lead mostly to the violation of the right to life. To top

Therapeutic group work with adolescent refugees in the context of war and its stresses
By Natasa Ljubomirovic MD (1999)
Being a refugee is a condition of extreme stress for any person as it is associated with many traumatic experiences. A traumatic event can be defined as an event that surpasses usual human experiences. Its impact depends not only on its severity, but also on how the individual experiences the event. To top

Torture and Other Forms of Ill-Treatment in Greece in 2003
A report prepared by Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) for the EU Network for Independent Experts in Fundamental Rights at its Hearing of 16 October 2003.
(28 pages, .pdf) To top

Torture in Bangladesh 1971-2004
REDRESS (2004)
Bangladesh ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other ruel,Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 1998 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2000, both of which prohibit the use of torture and oblige States parties to hold perpetrators of torture accountable and to provide remedies and reparation to survivors. These ratifications constituted major steps forward in Bangladesh’s efforts to bring about an end to the entrenched practices of torture and ill-treatment.
(45 pages, .pdf) To top

Torture in Egypt - an unchecked phenomenon
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) (2004)
Despite the Egyptian Government`s announcement that it intends to improve the human rights situation in Egypt through a bundle of reform initiatives, torture in its various forms still afflicts Egypt. It is a common practice in Police Stations, detention centres and prisons encouraged by the lack of adequate control of, and legal repercussions against, those who perpetrate it. To top

Torture in War: Consequences and Rehabilitation of Victims - Yugoslav Experience
Spiric, Z., Knezevic, G., Jovic, V. and Opacic, G. (2004)
The idea to put together this book came after two years of work in the Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (CRTV) within International Aid Network (IAN)Belgrade. It is the expression of a long-felt need of professionals in IAN to share their experiences in rehabilitation of torture victims with the wider expert, professional and
scientific public. To top

Torture of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict
By Elizabeth Protacio-Marcelino, Ph.D.; Maria Teresa de la Cruz; Agnes Zenaida Camacho and Faye Alma Balanon (1996)
Program on Psychosocial Trauma and Human Rights, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines.
(8 pages, .doc) To top

Torture, Trauma and Traumatization and their relevance in international and domestic law – The Human Rights and the German Situation
German Red Cross/Trauma-Project (2003)
Workshop "Trauma Work with Refugees: Framework, Professions, Perspectives" Berlin, February 11-13, 2003.
(4 pages, .pdf) To top

Trauma treatment under restrictive conditions: adapted therapeutic demands and limited therapeutic objectives - limits and possibilities of adaptation
German Red Cross/Trauma-Project (2003)
Abstract from the workshop "Trauma Work with Refugees: Framework, Professions, Perspectives" - Berlin, February 11-13, 2003.
(6 pages, .pdf) To top

Victims Without Rights
By The Egyptian Organization For Human Rights (2002)
Report on torture in Police Stations and Detention Centers in Egypt. To top

Violence Against Women in Burundi
OMCT (2001)
Report prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
24th session - 15 January - 2 February 2001
(35 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence Against Women in Egypt
OMCT (2001)
Report prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
24th session - 15 January-2 February 2001
(48 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence Against Women in France
OMCT (2003)
Report prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women - 29th session; 30 June – 18 July 2003
(42 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence Against Women in Greece
Greek Helsinki Monitor and the World
Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)(2002)
Report submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its exceptional session
5-23 August 2002
(76 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka
OMCT (2002)
Report prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women - 26th session
14 January - 1 February 2002
(54 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence Against Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Marie Mossi (ASADHO-RAF)and Mariana Duarte (OMCT) (2006)
Alternative report prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 36th session – 7-25 August 2006
(32 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence against Women in Georgia
OMCT (2006)
Although the promises made by the Georgian Republic in the aftermath of the Beijing conference are now starting to be fulfilled at a fast pace, after many years of inaction, much still remains to be done in order to advance women’s rights and ensure gender equality in Georgia. Indeed recent measures have been taken with regard to domestic violence and trafficking in
persons but they have not been extended to women victims of other types of violence.
(40 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence against Women in Nicaragua
OMCT (2001)
Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by Nicaragua - Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women - Twenty-fifth session - 2-20 July 2001
(35 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence against Women in Tunisia
OMCT (2002)
Report prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination - 27th session 3-21 June 2002 against Women(50 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence against Women in Zambia
OMCT (2002)
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women - 27th session 3-21 June 2002
(52 pages, .pdf) To top

Violence against women in Vietnam
OMCT (2001)
Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by Vietnam
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women - 25th session 2-20 - June 2001
(47 pages, .pdf) To top

Women, Peace and Security
By UN (2000)
On 31 October 2000, the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, which builds on the Pres idential Statement of 8 March 2000 and a series of Council resolutions on children and armed conflict, the protection of civilians in armed conflict and the prevention of armed conflict.
(192 pages, .pdf) To top