Hits: 324

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

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 Shattered World
Migrant & Refugee Communities Forum
& CVS Consultants (2002)The aim of this publication is to:
• Describe why the mental health needs of refugees are a cause for major concern in the UK today;
• Provide information on the types of mental health problems that are being presented;
• Give background information on the typical causal factors arising both here and in the country of origin;
• Focus on issues of access to health care;
• Describe some of the experiences from the perspective of two of the larger recent refugee communities;
• Explore some of the particular factors that affect service development in this context;
• Detail a range of positive strategies that can be developed to improve the mental health of refugees;
• Provide case studies for those wanting more detailed information on some of the services that have been developed. (105 pages, in .pdf) To top

A world without torture...
By IRCT (2003)
The IRCT brochure "A world without torture ...", describes the work of the IRCT. 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

Adolescents and the tsunami
UNICEF 2005, On 30 December 2004, four days after the tsunami struck, the Voices of Hope:oices of Youth website became a space where young people could build a support group for each other and voice opinions about the direction relief efforts should take. The discussion forum that resulted lasted for three months and became known as ‘Tsunami terror’, a name that was suggested by the young people themselves. To top

Advances in Disaster Mental Health and Psychological Support
American Red Cross (2006)
This book is divided into four sections. Section I presents the theoretical bases for mental health and psychosocial support activities following a major disaster. Section II provides the reader with six specific examples of how mental health and psychosocial needs of affected populations have been addressed in Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Iraq, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and Palestine. Section III moves from mental health and psychiatry into a community model of psychosocial support. These sections present a transition from psychiatry to psychosocial support in India and are followed by two case studies; one from Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India, and the
other addressing the tsunami response during the acute to early reconstruction phases of the disaster cycle in the south and western provinces of Sri Lanka. Section IV proposes tools for monitoring and evaluation of community-based psychosocial support needs and interventions.
(191 pages, .pdf) To top

Afghanistan: The Risks of International Psychosocial Risk Management
WHO (2002)
The psychological state of conflict or
disaster-affected populations has become a prominent concern in international humanitarian policy. Reports often highlight refugees and internally displaced persons as ‘traumatised’, ‘psychologically scarred’ or ‘indelibly marked’ by their experiences. In complex emergencies mass post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now expected, so psychosocial programmes are becoming standard features, and psychosocial work a core part of international humanitarian responses. However, there has been surprisingly little analysis of their assumptions or evaluation of their efficacy.
(12 pages, .pdf) To top

Aiding child victims in Sierra Leone
Africa Recovery (1998)
UN Special Representative appeals for international support. 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

Anybody who was in Sierra Leone during this armed conflict has suffered some form of trauma.
Radio Netherlands (2000)
"The civilian population was in a hopeless situation," says Dr. Edward Nahim, who is in charge of Sierra Leone`s mental health services. "Nobody helped the civilians. The rebels had a field day killing, maiming, raping, doing whatever they wanted. The victims suffered and so did the witnesses. We`re seeing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, panic, anxiety, psychotic depression, schizophrenia and physical manifestations of the stress people experienced." To top

Appraisal of psychosocial interventions in Liberia
Jeannette Lekskes, Susan van Hooren & Jos de Beus
This article presents the methodology and results of a study on the effectiveness of two psychosocialinterventions targeting female victims of war related and sexual violence in Liberia. One intervention provided counseling, the other offered support groups and skill training. Qualitative research suggests that the participants of both interventions were positive with regard to the help provided (Intervention 2007, Volume 5, Number 1, Page 18 – 26). 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 Sierra Leone
By MSF (2000)
This report is the product of close co-operation and hard work by a multinational team motivated to bear witness to the anguish suffered by the Sierra Leone population.
(17 pages, .pdf) 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

Assistance to victims of sexual violence in Congo Brazzaville
By Lyne Mikangou, IPS (2001)
A new rehabilitation centre is offering medical and psychological assistance to girls and women who were sexually brutalised during the Republic of the Congo`s savage civil wars. "This is an opportunity for these women to find a place to work out their pain," says Raymond Janssen, a UNICEF representative in the Congo. To top

Association of Combatant Status and Sexual Violence With Health and Mental Health Outcomes in Postconflict Liberia
JAMA. 2008, Kirsten Johnson et al
Former combatants in Liberia were not exclusively male. Both female and male former combatants who experienced sexual violence had worse mental health outcomes than noncombatants and other former combatants who did not experience exposure to sexual violence. To top

Association of Combatant Status and Sexual Violence With Health and Mental Health Outcomes in Postconflict Liberia
Kirsten Johnson et al. 2008.
Former combatants in Liberia were not exclusively male. Both female and male former combatants who experienced sexual violence had worse mental health outcomes than noncombatants and other former combatants who did not experience exposure to sexual violence. To top

Asylum Seekers from Algeria
Medical Foundation (1998)
The following report on torture survivors from Algeria who have sought asylum in the United Kingdom was written and presented to the British Parliament by Dr Michael Peel, a consultant occupational physician at the Medical Foundation.
(also in german) 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

Because I am a Girl: the State of the World’s Girls reports
PLAN 2009
The public images of war focus almost exclusively on young men – armed forces, suicide bombers, young men throwing stones at soldiers. The fact that girls remain invisible casts a long shadow on their involvement in war, particularly as the changing nature of war and conflict means that increasingly, civilians are affected as war is played out closer to people’s homes (pdf, 185 pages). To top

Building a Conceptual Framework for Psychosocial Intervention in Complex Emergencies
By Alison B Strang & Alastair Ager, Centre for International Health Studies, Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh (2001)
Reporting on the work of the Psychosocial Working Group. (A Joint Academic-Humanitarian Agency Initiative regarding response to the Psychosocial
Needs of Refugees and War-affected Populations)
(6 pages, .pdf) To top

Building back better
UNICEF 2005. One year after the tsunami, UNICEF recounts its role in providing immediate relief and ongoing care to the thousands of families and children affected. Helping bring children back to school, providing immunization services, and assisting with registration, placement and reunification of the separated are but a few of the activities UNICEF undertook in the past 12 months. The report provides country-by-country breakdowns that include expenditure, plans and challenges, while highlighting children's stories and key partners in relief and recovery. 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

Burundi: Rape - the hidden human rights abuse
Amnesty International (2004)
Like all human rights abuses in Burundi, rape has become an entrenched feature of the crisis because the perpetrators - whether government soldiers, members of armed political groups, or private individuals - have largely not been brought to justice. To top

Burundi: Redress for victims of sexual violence
Amnesty International (2004)
During Burundi`s 10 year armed conflict women have suffered disproportionately and have been targets of violence and degrading treatment as a result of their gender. Sexual violence is a significant and under-reported element of the human rights tragedy in the country. To top

Cambodia: Pol Pot`s Legacy of Violence
Youth Advocate Program Interantional (2000)
This study focuses on the impact of the Khmer Rouge`s genocidal conflict within Cambodia on children and the long-term implications for Cambodian society.
(9 pages, .pdf) 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

Case studies of torture committed by the police in Sri Lanka
Article2 (2002)
There are a huge number of torture cases in Sri Lanka every year. Below are a few that the Asian Human Rights Commission has selected to illustrate the epidemic. The following cases are just a small fraction of the total number, however, they are useful as they all suggest a pattern, as follows. 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 Development And Post-traumatic Stress Disorder After Hurricane Exposure
By Alan M. Delamater, PhD, and E. Brooks Applegate, PhD (2000)
This study examined child development in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after hurricane exposure. The study subjects were 175 3 to 5-year old minority children enrolled in Head Start programs. Children were evaluated 12 and 18 months after Hurricane Andrew struck south Florida. Mothers were interviewed concerning symptoms of PTSD and completed a questionnaire regarding their children’s development. Results indicated that 16.5% of exposed children met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for PTSD at 12 months, and 11.6% had PTSD at 18 months post-hurricane. Children who had PTSD at 12 months were more likely to be delayed in their development at 18 months, and those with PTSD at 18 months similarly were more likely to be delayed. These findings indicate that children with PTSD are at risk for delays in their overall development. 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

Child Soldiers: Youth who Participate in Armed Conflict
Youth Advocate Program International (1999)
Child Soldiers provides an overview of the conditions and treatment of the estimated 250,000 children who fight in wars around the world. This booklet describes the impact soldiering has on children and steps being taken to end this abuse.
(17 pages, .pdf) To top

Child soldiers as zones of violence in The Democratic Republic of Congo: three cases on medico-legal evidence of torture
Kitwe Mulunda Guy, IRCT 2009
This article sets medico-legal light on torture of three former child soldiers by comparing torture methods, consequences of torture and medical observations. It is focused on these child soldiers as representatives of the many abuses of children as soldiers in armed groups (pdf, 8 pages). To top

Child soldiers: understanding the context
British Medical Journal (2002)
We need to ask why children join armies. If we are to prevent children fighting we need to understand the conditions under which children become soldiers and work to improve these conditions. One such context, that of Sri Lanka, may shed some light on the issues.
(4 pages, .pdf) 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 Affected by Armed Conflict in South Asia: A review of trends and isues identified through secondary research
Refugee Studies Centre (2002)
This document is based on research conducted in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka between January and April 2001.
(75 pages, .pdf) To top

Children affected by armed conflict: UNICEF actions
UNICEF (2002)
More than a decade ago, in September 1990, the Convention on th Rights of the Child (CRC) entered into force. Today the Convention, the most universally ratified human rights instrument, is the standard against which we measure the success or failure of our efforts to serve the best interests of children.
(148 pages, .pdf) To top

Children and armed conflict: Report of the Secretary-General
UN 2009
The report includes information on compliance with applicable international law to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and other grave violations being committed against children affected by armed conflict;1 information on progress made in the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children, as well as progress made in mainstreaming children and armed conflict issues in United Nations peacekeeping and political missions; and a brief summary of the conclusions of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, and of its progress. 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 in Armed Conflict: Focus on Child Soldiers in the Philippines
Child Protection in the Philippines (2003)
Being exposed to armed conflict situations, children are exposed not only to grave and seriously physical danger but also to psychological trauma resulting from capture, torture and rape, and detention.
(16 pages, .doc) To top

Children in Emergency and Crisis Situations
Commission Of The European Communities, 2008. A framework for community humanitarian actions covering children in crisis situations with focus on separated and no accompanied children, child soldiers and education in emergencies. This general framework will be implemented according to the specificities of each crisis situation taking into account the available resources and the presence of competent partners in the field. To top

Children of Rwanda`s Genocide
New York Times (1999)
Humanitarian organizations working in the region now report that Rwanda`s children have been the most vulnerable to the poverty and exploitation which followed the ethnic conflict. The massacres have left several hundred thousand children either orphaned or separated from their parents. A Unicef report estimates that 700,000 children - 18 percent of Rwanda`s 4.2 million children - still live in difficult circumstances. To top

Children of war: the real casualties of the Afghan conflict
British Medical Journal (2002)
This article explores the origin of the current Afghan crisis and describes the impact of a quarter of a century of incessant conflict on Afghan children. 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

Collective trauma in northern Sri Lanka: a qualitative psychosocial-ecological study
Complex situations that follow war and natural disasters have a psychosocial impact on not only the individual but also on the family, community and society. Just as the mental health effects on the individual psyche can result in non pathological distress as well as a variety of psychiatric disorders; massive and widespread trauma and loss can impact on family and social processes causing changes at the family, community and societal levels. 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

Combating Female Genital Mutilation in Europe
Sophie Poldermans 2006.
A Comparative Analysis of Legislative and Preventative Tools in the Netherlands,France, the United Kingdom, and Austria, Every year, 3 million girls and women are subjected to the harmful traditional practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Worldwide, the number of girls and women who have undergone this practice is estimated to lie between 100 and 150 million. FGM is not only an important issue in Africa, the Middle-East, and Asia where it has been traditionally practised, but due to the arrival of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers from these countries to the West, to Europe, North America, and Australia, FGM has also become a Western concern. (109 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

Comparison of Mental Health Between Former Child Soldiers and Children Never Conscripted by Armed Groups in Nepal
Jama 2008, Brandon A. Kohrt et al. Former child soldiers are considered in need of special mental health interventions. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the mental health of child soldiers compared with civilian children in armed conflicts. 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

Conflict and health: War and mental health: a brief overview
Derek Summerfield, British Medical Journal (2000)
Psychological trauma is not like physical trauma: people do not passively register the impact of external forces but engage with them in an active and social way.
(4 pages, .pdf) To top

Conflict, Disaster, Homicide - Mental health reform in post-conflict areas: a policy analysis based on experiences in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo.
Albert K. De Vries1, Niek S. Klazinga2 (2005)
This policy analysis provides insight into the ongoing process of mental health reform and the difficulty of sustaining such reform in post-conflict areas. It is based on experiences in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo in the former Yugoslavia.
(6 pages pdf) To top

Coping With Crisis - No. 1 March 2006
The Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (2006) To top

Coping With Crisis - No. 1 March 2007
Federation Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (2007) To top

Coping With Crisis - No. 2 August 2006
Federation Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (2006) To top

Coping With Crisis - No. 2 June 2005
The Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (2005)
The newsletter primarily aims at informing national societies and other interested parties on RC/RC psychosocial support related activities, be it particular projects, assessments or evaluations. It is also a tool to inform each other about key events that need to be highlighted and/or announced.
(12 pages, .pdf) To top

Coping With Crisis - No. 3 December 2006
Federation Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (2006) To top

Coping with Crisis - No. 3 October 2005
The Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (2005)
The newsletter primarily aims at informing national societies and other interested parties on RC/RC psychosocial support related activities, be it particular projects, assessments or evaluations. It is also a tool to inform each other about key events that need to be highlighted and/or announced.
(12 pages, .pdf) To top

Creating Befriending Relationships With Survivors of Torture and of War
Adrienne S. Chambon, Susan McGrath, Ben Zion Shapiro, Mulugeta Abai, Teresa Dremetsikas, Suzanne Dudziak.
By Canadian Center for Victims of Torture (CCVT 2001)
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
Paul Bolton, Lincoln Ndogoni.
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

Dealing with the tremendous problem of torture in India
Article 2 (2003)
Consultation on the Convention against Torture, Kerala, India. To top

Declaration of cooperation - Mental health of refugees, displaced and other populations affected by conflict and post-conflict situations
WHO (2001)
Conflicts subject people to frequent and gross human rights violations. This Declaration is intended to serve as a working instrument. It provides a framework to achieve increased consensus and cooperation in operational models, including policy strategies, and programs. It is aimed at promoting evidence-based, holistic and community-based approaches that are effective and which can be implemented rapidly. To top

Disabilities among Refugees and Conflict-Affected Populations
Womens refugee commission-2009
Reveals a disparity between refugee camps and urban areas: in camps there is a greater awareness about the needs of the disabled and better services than in urban environments, where refugees with disabilities are unable to access services offered by the host government and virtually no one is providing special assistance to them. The Women’s Refugee Commission also found greater discrimination and stigmatization towards the mentally disabled population; assistance programs, when available, tend to focus on those with physical and sensory disabilities (pdf, 76 pages). To top

Disruption and Reconstitution of Family, Network and Community Systems Following Torture, Organised Violence, and Exile
By Richard Douglas Blackwell, Medical Foundation (1993)
The process of arrest, torture, release, flight, and exile involves trauma at many levels. Insofar as humans are social beings, this trauma can be understood, not only as an assault on the individual person, but also an assault on the links and connections between people and patterns of relationships through which people define themselves and give meaning to their lives. To top

Do No Harm: Challenges in Organizing Psychosocial Support to Displaced People in Emergency Settings
Michael G. Wessells, 2008.
Psychosocial assistance in emergencies plays an important role in alleviating suffering and promoting well-being, but it is often a source of unintended harm. A prerequisite for ethically appropriate support is awareness of how psychosocial programs may cause harm. This paper underscores the importance of attending to issues of coordination, dependency, politicization of aid, assessment, short-term assistance, imposition of outsider approaches, protection, and impact evaluation ( pdf, 25 pages). To top

Early Psychosocial Interventions for War-Affected Populations
By Kaz de Jong and Rolf Kleber (2003)
The decision to intervene in the early stage of an emergency is largely based on operational observations and compassion of field workers. The usefulness of intervening in early stages of a crisis has been documented in a number of settings.
(17 pages, .doc) To top

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

Effects of war: moral knowledge, revenge, reconciliation, and medicalised concepts of "recovery"
By Derek Summerfield (2002)
Western health professionals and the public have a misguided image of war and its aftermath that is often far removed from the actual experience of non-westernised societies. A British psychiatrist looks at the effects of war and at the belief that the emotional reactions of victims of war should be modified. 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

Ethnocultural Aspects of Refugees and Survivors of Torture
Ricardo Restrepo, MD Chief Resident, Boston University, Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry (2002) 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

Evaluating the gender content of reparations: lessons from South Africa
Beth Goldblatt, 2006. The transitional justice mechanism in South Africa,that operated between 1995 and 1998—was not seen by women’s organizations as a priority in the years following the first democratic elections. Instead, women focused their energies on the task of building a new society. It is possible that the TRC was seen as a somewhat backward-looking project, when so much had to be done around reconstruction and social transformation(pdf. 41 pages). To top

Evaluation of psychological support for victims of sexual violence in a conflict setting: results from Brazzaville, Congo
Sarah Hustache1 et al. 2009. Little is known about the impact of psychological support in war and transcultural contexts and in particular, whether there are lasting benefits. This article present an evaluation of the late effect of post-rape psychological support provided to women in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. To top

Expanding the Definition of Torture
Human Rights Dialogue (2003)
Historically, the popular understanding of torture has helped to maintain a gender-biased image of the torture victim: it is the male who pervades the political and public sphere and thus it is the male who is likely to be targeted by state violence and repression. To top

Fear of rape: The experience of women in Northeast India
Article2 (2002)
Of all forms of violence, rape is considered the most cruel and inhuman form of torture. The fear of rape is common to all women, however, among Northeast Indian women this fear is heightened by the situation in which they live. To top

Female genital mutilation (FGM)
WHO
Information about female genital mutilation by WHO. To top

Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Paradise Lost or Pragmatism?
Brandon Hamber (2007)
In the past decade there has been an increasing focus on forgiveness and reconciliation in societies coming out of conflict. The concepts were previously the domain of philosophers and theologians but have become integrally linked to questions of political transition. There has been a shift from focusing on the investigative aspects of the truth-telling process and cataloging human rights abuses to considering their social impact. Issues such as healing, reconciliation, apology, acknowledgment, and forgiveness (to a lesser degree) have become central to the transitional justice debate.
(9 pages pdf) To top

Forgiveness and reconciliation: paradise lost or pragmatism?
Brandon Hamber, 2007. In the past decade there has been an increasing focus on forgiveness and reconciliation
in societies coming out of conflict. The concepts were previously the domain
of philosophers and theologians but have become integrally linked to questions of political transition (pdf. 10 pages). 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

Hardiness and transformational coping in asylum seekers: the Afghan experience
Akram Omeri, Christopher Lennings, Lyn Raymond, University of Sydney (2004).
Understanding trauma and the individual’s responses to it requires a complex approach. Hardiness refers to the characteristic response some people make to adversity and involves the concept of transformative response. In this context adversity is something that can be viewed as a learning experience, a challenge rather than a catastrophe. Response to adversity becomes a commitment rather than simply being reactive, and the individual’s sense of control over outcomes remains positive, rather than emphasising
that person’s vulnerability (9 pages, pdf). To top

Have We Become Too Fixated On Torture?
John Kleinig 2008, ASeTTS Occasional Paper 1.(starts at page 8)
We should focus our attention on the broader category of which traditional torture as the morally vested category of “cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.” The United Nations Convention Against Torture, which came into force in 1987, has as its full title, The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (20 pages). To top

Health Challenges for Refugees and Immigrants
Refugee Reports, Ariel Burgess et al 2004. This Refugee Reports focuses on refugee health in the United States, beginning with an article about the general healthcare challenges facing refugees and immigrants. John Poon provides a case study of Afghan refugees trying to gain access to necessary health services. José Quiroga discusses the physical and mental health needs of torture victims. Several reports feature the important mental health issues facing newcomers as well as refugee-specific information about vaccinations and civil surgeons (pdf, 20 pages). To top

Health needs of asylum seekers and refugees
British Medical Journal (2001)
People who are seeking asylum are not a homogeneous population. Coming from different countries and cultures, they have had, in their own and other countries, a wide range of experiences that may affect their health and nutritional state. In the United Kingdom they face the effects of poverty, dependence, and lack of cohesive social support. All these factors undermine both physical and mental health. To top

Health, Mental Illness and Human Rights in Bosnia and Hercegovina.
By Esmina Avdibegovic, Psychiatric Hospital Tuzla (1998)
The attention of this article is put on the relationship between human rights and mental health i.e. mental illness, as well as on the violation of human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its consequences for mental health. To top

Helping Children Cope With War
By Naomi Drew, M.A. (2003)
War has entered the consciousness of America and is now on the minds of people young and old. How do we talk to our children about war in ways that make sense? How do we empower our children and give them hope? 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

Household exposure to violence and human rights violations in western Bangladesh (I): prevalence, risk factors and consequences.
Shr-Jie Wang, Jens Modvig, Edith Montgomery, RCT 2009
The ruling parties in Bangladesh have systematically used violence against political opponents and criminals. It is essential to 1) determine the magnitude and burden of organized crime and political violence (OPV) and human rights violations in the affected community, and to 2) identify the risk factors and key indicators for developing effective health intervention and prevention measures.
The level of violence and human rights violations is high. The affected population suffers from violence-related injuries and traumas, which could be a factor contributing to poverty. Victimisation is not random (pdf, 18 pages). 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, Health and Poverty Reduction Strategies
WHO 2005
The booklet aims to provide policy-makers with guidance, suggestions and real life examples to help demonstrate how human rights can and have been applied to pro-poor health policies and initiatives, and how they can enhance the effectiveness of a Poverty Reduction Strategies (pdf, 64 pages). 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

Impunity and Reparation
By Helen Bamber, Medical Foundation (1994)
In this brief paper Helen Bamber is referring to that form of impunity which consists in the non-punishment of human rights violations; not merely those which on account of their particularly odious nature are termed crimes against humanity, but also other violations of human rights that are internationally recognised in Covenants and Declarations and are accepted and recognised by the international community of states as a whole. 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

Intervention - International Journal of Mental Health, Psychosocial Work and Counselling in Areas of Armed Conflict
INTERVENTION is a peer-reviewed journal for mental health professionals, counsellors, psycho-social workers and community workers working with victims of armed conflict. Intervention publishes articles relevant for professionals working in areas of armed conflict, but also for those working with refugees from areas of armed conflict in Europe, Australia, North-America etc. Some articles published in Intervention report the practical experience of fieldworkers, and provide detailed accounts of a project, so that the experience can become an example for fieldworkers in other regions. Other articles demonstrate how theory can be used in practice and how practical experience challenges theoretical views, thus building a bridge between theory and practice in the field. To top

Learning to live after Beslan
By International Federation of Red Cross (2004)
The International Federation and Russian Red Cross appeal includes psychological support as the main element of the programme for the victims in Beslan.
“After a crisis, so many questions remain out of focus. The state looks and acts globally often omitting individual approaches,” says Federation psychological consultant Vacheslav Otchuk, who recently visited Beslan. To top

Lessons We Should Have Learnt - Mental Health and Human Rights.
By Keith Williams, Executive Director of the Queensland Association for Mental Health (2002)
In 1993, Federal Human Rights Commissioner, Brian Burdekin, painted a bleak picture of the lives of Australians suffering from mental illness. His landmark report "Human Rights and Mental Illness" has been a catalyst for significant reforms in mental health services over the past four years. To top

Long-term consequences of falanga torture
Kirstine Amris, Søren Torp-Pedersen, Ole Vedel Rasmussen, 2009.
The aim of this article is to present
an overview of the literature on falanga,mainly focusing on the clinical aspects and to highlight possible lesions caused by this specific form of torture that may influence the overall management of the condition. To top

Mental Health Care in the Developing World
Psychiatric Times (2002)
Some 450 million people worldwide currently suffer from some form of mental disease or brain condition, but almost half the countries in the world have no explicit mental health policy and nearly a third have no program for coping with the rising tide of brain-related disabilities. To top

Mental Health Disabilities and Post-Conflict Economic and Social Recovery
Robert J. Muscat (2006)
Global Peace Services USA
The interactions between mental health and socioeconomic functioning are complex. Much remains to be learned. Causation runs both ways. Post conflict mental health disabilities affecting the economic, social, and learning behavior of significant numbers of people can have deleterious effects on socioeconomic recovery. Community dynamics and economic conditions, good or bad, feed back on the prospects for individuals’ mental health recovery.
( 6 pages pdf) To top

Mental Health Initiatives as Peace Initiatives in Sri Lankan School Children Affected by Armed Conflict
Mc Master University (1999)
The recent generation of children and adolescents in Sri Lanka has been exposed to extensive social and military violence unprecedented in its modern history. In Sri Lanka, the armed conflicts since 1983 represent the single most debilitating and pervasive factor affecting the lives of children and women. To top

Mental Health Issues of Resettled Refugees
By Richard Ater, RN, University of Washington (1998)
Nowhere are the health care needs of refugees more pronounced than in the realm of mental health. Refugees are vulnerable to psychological distress due to uprooting and adjustment difficulties in the resettlement country, such as language, occupational problems, and cultural conflict. To top

Mental Health Problems Among Adults in Tsunami-Affected Areas in Southern Thailand
Frits van Griensven et al. 2006
Among survivors of the tsunami in southern Thailand, elevated rates of symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression were reported 8 weeks after the disaster, with higher rates for anxiety and depression than PTSD symptoms. Nine months after the disaster, the rates of those reporting these symptoms decreased but were still elevated. This information is important for directing, strengthening, and evaluating post tsunami mental health needs and interventions (13 pages). To top

Mental Health Programs in War-Stricken Areas
By Kaz de Jong, Rolf J. Kleber and Vesna Puratic (2003)
This article describes the theoretical framework, objectives, implementation and intervention activities of the mental health program of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Bosnia-Hercegovina, 1994-1998.
(31 pages, .doc) To top

Mental Health of Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and Other Populations Affected by Conflict
WHO (1999)
Mental Health in general and Mental Health of Refugees in particular are priorities of the work of the World Health Organization. Intensified efforts are being made by WHO in order to respond to the mental health needs of one of the most vulnerable groups of today`s world.
(3 pages, .doc) To top

Mental and social health during and after acute emergencies: emerging consensus?
WHO (2005)
This article from the Bulletin of the World Health Organization acknowledges that there is no agreement on the public health value of the post-traumatic stress disorder concept, or the appropriateness of vertical (separate) trauma-focused services during and after acute emergencies. It also highlights the separation of psychosocial care (focusing on non-medical intervention) from the mental health care field. It suggests that this has actually drawn practitioners skilled in non-biological interventions away from formal mental health services.
(71 pages, .pdf) To top

Mental health and conflict
Florence Baingana WB, 2003
This note discusses the relevance and design of mental health care interventions in post-conflict situations. Mental health disorders and psychosocial problems arising from conflict need to be addressed as part of post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation efforts. The note presents a conceptual framework for mental health interventions in post-conflict settings and illustrations from West Bank-Gaza, Bosnia, Burundi and Uganda (pdf, 4 pages). To top

Mental health promotion in post-conflict countries
Neill Ghosh et al. (2004)
Meeting the mental health needs of those persons in conflict and post-conflict situations in the eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) is an important goal of the World Health Organization. Of the 22 countries in the EMR, 85% of the population has been affected by conflict in the past two decades. This has resulted in a high prevalence of mental disorder, most commonly depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A number of innovative, culturally sensitive interventions have been developed to meet the mental health needs of the populations. These include the use of 'focusing' in Afghanistan, the Education for Peace Programme in Lebanon, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's work with refugees in Gaza, life skills education in Iran and the training of professionals in Afghanistan.
(3 pages pdf) To top

Mothers and children in war and conflict
Save the children 2002
Women and children are the casualties of deliberate and systematic violence against entire populations. Women and children are killed, maimed and exploited as opposing forces – often acting on long-simmering ethnic and religious grievances – seek
to destroy each other’s cultures and the very fabric of society(pdf. 52 pages) To top

Mozambique: The Battle Continues for Former Child Soldiers
Youth Advoctae Program International (2001)
This study focuses on the use of child soldiers during Mozambique`s long civil war and the efforts made to reintegrate former child soldiers since the conclusion of the war.
(11 pages, .pdf) 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

Nepali Voices: Perceptions of Truth, Justice, Reconciliation, Reparations and the Transition in Nepal
International Center for Transitional Justice, Occasional Paper (2008)
Various transitional-justice mechanisms were included in Nepal’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in November 2006. The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), together with Advocacy Forum (AF), decided to carry out a study on victims’ perceptions of issues such as truth, justice, reparations, reconciliation, and the general transition in Nepal. This study seeks to contribute to the debate about the transitional process in Nepal, bringing to the discussion the perceptions and opinions of the people who were directly affected by violence during the conflict. TheICTJandAFconsider it important to bring the voice of the victims into a debate involving all sectors of society.
(63 pages pdf) To top

Non-governmental Organisations and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: An impact assessment.
By Hugo van der Merwe, Polly Dewhirst & Brandon Hamber, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (1999)
This report examines the relationship between Peace/Conflict Resolution Organisations and the Truth and Reconsiliation Commission. 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

Nowhere to turn: failure to protect, support and assure justice for Darfuri women
PHR and HHI, 2009.
This report amplifies the voices of some 88 women in the Farchana refugee camp, some of them breaking their silence for the first time. They spoke about the sexual violence visited upon them both in Darfur and in the environs of the refugee camps in Chad, and about their lives and difficulties in the camp. The report reveals the profound stigma and physical violence to which many women have been subjected as a result of sexual assault (pdf, 73 pages). To top

Old Stereotypes, New Realities - Refugees and Mental Health
By Richard Mollica and Laura McDonald (2001)
International research and relief organizations estimate that there are between 10 million and 11 million refugees, and 20 million and 25 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide. Scientific studies underscore the impact that horrific events - characteristic of the "refugee experience" - have on the mental health of an individual and society. 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

PTSD in Survivors of Rwanda`s 1994 War
Psychiatric Times (1998)
Rwanda`s 1994 civil war officially ended in July of that year, but as massacres and episodes of genocide continue to erupt sporadically within and around Rwanda`s borders, the many faces of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) continue to surface in dramatic ways. To top

Palestinian children show signs of trauma
By Marianne Albina - Communications (2002)
Children and adults living in Palestine are showing signs of trauma due to the stress of living with the daily threat of violence and conflict. 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

Physical forensic signs of sexual torture in children
Muriel Volpellier, IRCT 2009
A guideline for non specialized medical examiners
Proper forensic documentation of sexual torture in children is crucial. Informed consent for examination and documentation must be sought from the child/accompanying person and the examination conducted in a sensitive and respectful manner. Time should be given to the child to relate the history of torture and the examiner should start with open ended questions. The history of torture should be recorded verbatim as much as possible (pdf,10 pages). 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

Planning needs and services after collective trauma: should we look for the symptoms of PTSD?
CarmeloVazquez & Pau Perez-Salesi
The incidence of PTSD After the Madrid March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks, ranged from what can be expected as a normal prevalence in general population in Spain under non-traumatic conditions to values that, when applied to the general population, could be considered a dramatic epidemic of PTSD. These results demonstrate that inferences about the impact of traumatic events on the general population largely depend on the measure, definition and criteria used by the researcher. Slightly changing the criteria for PTSD makes an enormous difference to the amount of traumatization that is found ( Intervention 2007, Volume 5, Number 1). To top

Post-traumatic stress in former Ugandan child soldiers
By Ilse Derluyn, Eric Broekaert, Gilberte Schuyten, Els De Temmerman (2004)
Worldwide, 300 000 children are currently used as child soldiers in armed conflicts. We interviewed 301 former child soldiers who had been abducted by the northern Ugandan rebellion movement Lord’s Resistance Army. All the children were abducted at a young age (mean 12·9 years) and for a long time (mean 744 days). Almost all the children experienced several traumatic events (mean six events); 233 (77%) saw someone being killed, and 118 (39%) had to kill someone themselves. 71 children also filled in the impact of event scale—revised to assess their post-trauma stress reactions. 69 (97%) reported post-traumatic stress reactions of clinical importance.
(3 pages, .pdf) To top

Preparing Mental Health Reform in Slovenia
International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (2003)
The article describes major mental health problems in Slovenia and describes the steps done to change present inadequacy of mental health system organization. To top

Preventing torture, in principle and in Sri Lanka
Article2 (2002)
Sri Lanka has legislation directed against torture and police brutality, including specific anti-torture legislation and other laws such as the law of evidence, designed to try to discourage torture. Nonetheless, there is no question that widespread torture is perpetrated in Sri Lanka. To top

Promoting Psychosocial Well-Being Among Children Affected by Armed Conflict and Displacement: Principles and Approaches
Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (¨1996)
Save the Children began in the aftermath of the First World War and the Russian revolution to help refugee and displaced children across Europe. Since then, wars, especially civil wars, have increased: More than 50 of them were raging in 1995. A central feature of these conflicts is that 80-90 percent of the victims are civilians, most of them women and children. 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 Consequences of Torture: State Terror Trauma Versus Terrorists` Trauma
By Prof. Rona M. Fields, Ph.D. (1996)
In a research on trauma and its consequences, two distinct subject groups were compared--victims of depth interrogation torture in Northern Ireland and survivors of hostage captivity. 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

Psychological intervention in major emergencies: an Asia-Pacific perspective
Tim H. Williams, Stuart C. Carr, & Neville M. Blampied, 2007.
What might constitute good practices for psychological intervention in any major or complex emergencies that can be anticipated occurring in the South-West Pacific, Australasia and southern South East Asia region. We do not believe there can be a singular ‘best practice’ that can be prescribed for such events, rather that through discussion broad guidelines can be developed to inform decision makers about what would constitute probable good practices when a major emergency occurs (10 pages). To top

Psychology of the Refugee, the Immigrant and their Children
Binnie Kristal-Andersson, Dep. of Psychology, University of Lund, Sweden (2000)
In recent years, awareness has grown of the necessity of understanding the inner world of refugees (in particular traumatized refugees), immigrants, and their children. These groups have come in increasing numbers to Scandinavia, and otherwise confident and capable professionals in all arenas of mental health, social work and other fields have often felt inadequate when working with them.
(384 pages, .pdf) 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

Psychosocial Impact of Internal Displacement - Preliminary Results of Balay Case Studies
By Kaloy A. Anasarias, Balay Rehabilitation Centre (2000)
In the Philippines, where the prevailing idea of a disaster are those brought about by typhoons, earthquakes and floods, the phenomenon of internal displacement, as a consequence of armed conflict, has already reached a proportion that could no longer be ignored. More than 1 million people have already been affected by armed clashes . To top

Psychosocial Interventions for Children of War: The Value of a Model of Resiliency
By Roberta J. Apfel, M.D., M.P.H.; Bennett Simon, M.D. (1996)
The authors focus first on psychosocial interventions that enhance the resiliency of children. Utilizing the focus on interventions that enhance resiliency, the authors address the question of how basic relief and development programs and interventions (providing food, clothing, shelter, basic medical needs, and education) already provide important psycho-social interventions, and how specifically designated psychosocial interventions can be integrated with and enhance these ongoing programs. To top

Psychosocial Trauma and Rehabilitation Work in East Timor
By Abilio Belo (2001)
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)carried out a national psychosocial needs assessment in East Timor in June and July 2000. The aim was to assess the extent of "torture and trauma and the health impact" it had on the population. The study results provided the basis for the proposed National Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program. To top

Psychosocial Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Torture
By Dr. Carlos Madariaga Araya, CNTRAS (2002)
Over the past few years, within the teams that provide medical-psychological care to people suffering from the psychic sequels of torture in our country, there has been a permanent discussion surrounding certain categories that arise from psychiatric nosography that have been put forward as descriptive or interpretative models of the whole set of effects produced by this act of violence on psychic functions.
(21 pages, .pdf) To top

Psychosocial intervention and post-war Reconstruction in Angola: interweaving Western and traditional approaches
Michael Wessells and Carlinda Monteiro, 2007
The intra-state wars that now comprise the dominant form of armed conflict in the world cause immense physical, psychological, and social damage, and
create profound obstacles to peace. Worldwide, approximately a quarter of a million children participate in military activity, often as the result of victimization, coercion, or economic desperation. Many have killed or witnessed tortures, executions, and deaths. In Angola in 1994, there were over 9,000 child soldiers, most of whom had been forcibly recruited at age 13 to 14 years (pdf, 23 pages). To top

Psychosocial interventions for children in war-affected areas: the state of the art
Brechtje Kalksma-Van Lith
In this article the literature on psychosocial assistance to children in war-affected areas is reviewed. Two main types of interventions are identified: the curative approach and the developmental approach. The effectiveness of each of these approaches is discussed.( Intervention 2007, Volume 5, Number 1, Page 3 - 17) To top

Psychosocial rehabilitation in Brazil: the impact on everyday life
International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (2003)
This article describes the centralization of the therapeutic work on the aspects of everyday life of the users’ mental health service, emphasizing psychosocial rehabilitation, while a social practice geared towards the rebuilding of identities and possibilities for mentally ill people. To top

Psychotherapy Treatment of Torture Survivors
The International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (2004)
This article presents a project about applying a model of brief therapy to the rehabilitation of survivors of torture and organised political violence. The model includes both narrative and body oriented therapeutic approaches to the treatment of trauma. The narrative approach focuses on the construction of meaning in the traumatic events and in so doing makes it possible for the client to view his life story from different angles. 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

RAHAT Medical Journal
Volume 02, Issue 04 - November 2004
(61 pages, .pdf) To top

RAHAT Medical Journal
Volume 02, Issue 03 - August 2004
(73 pages, .pdf) To top

RAHAT Medical Journal
Volume 02, Issue 02 - May 2004
(69 pages, .pdf) To top

RAHAT Medical Journal
Volume 02, Issue 01 - February 2004
(98 pages, .pdf) To top

RAHAT Medical Journal
Volume 01, Issue 05 - October 2003
(51 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

Rape as a Crime of War - A Medical Perspective
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) (1994)
Health care professionals can support individual and community healing from rape and other war-related trauma. We examine herein some of the medical sequelae and human rights issues that surround the crime of rape in war and the role that health care professionals can play in treating individual survivors as well as in collecting and analyzing evidence of these violations. To top

Rapid Assessments of Mental Health Needs After Disasters
Derrick Silove and Richard Bryant, 2006.
Screening for PTSD among survivors of disasters in developing countries, especially in acute situations, has faced a number of common criticisms; psychological trauma is a western concept that may be unfamiliar to other cultures. PTSD has limited diagnostic validity because culturally diverse communities do not have equivalent terms for the constellation or for the individual symptom domains of the disorder (4 pages). To top

Reactions to War Trauma and Terrorism
Center for Victims of Torture (CVT)
When traumatic events occur that threaten our safety, we may have feelings that become more intense and unpredictable. They may include responses that are re-awakened or amplified. 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

Reconstruction and reconciliation work in Chechnya
By Chris Hunter, Committee for Conflict Transformation Support (1997)
About 1.2 million landmines have reportedly been laid in Chechnya and 500 people await operations for prosthetic limbs. Humanitarian activity and work to strengthen civil society is being carried out on a small-scale by international organisations in Chechnya due to the deteriorated security situation. To top

Rehabilitation as a form of reparation under International law
Clara Sandoval Villalba, Redress 2009
The Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparations for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law (Basic Principles) further clarify this right. These Principles indicate the types of reparation that may be needed, depending on the particular circumstances of the case, to afford adequate and effective reparation to victims, explicitly recognising five forms of reparation for such violations: restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition (pdf, 72 pages). To top

Rehabilitation of traumatised refugees and survivors of torture
Metin Basoglu, (BMJ 2006;333:1230-1231) In a 1988 BMJ editorial,1 Marks and I reviewed the available knowledge on the mental health effects of torture and their treatment and presented a critical look at rehabilitation programmes for survivors. Eighteen years later, it is time to cast another look at the advances in our understanding of torture and its treatment and how this progress has translated into rehabilitation work with survivors. Such an update is timely: given the political developments of the last two decades, torture has become an ever more serious problem. To top

Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Central African Republic
UN 2009
The report focuses on grave violations perpetrated against children in the Central African Republic and identifies parties to the conflict, both State and
non-State actors, who commit grave abuses against children. In particular, the report highlights the fact that children have been consistently recruited and used by non-State armed groups, including Government-backed self-defence militias. The report shows worrisome trends of rapes and other grave sexual violence perpetrated by all parties to the conflict throughout the territory. The report also notes the systematic and widespread use of abductions, especially in the north-west, by non-State armed groups and armed bandits as a means of recruiting children and to threaten and extort ransom from the population. 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

Resilience in a Time of War
The American Psychological Association (2005)
No one knows how long a war will last or how it will affect our lives. We may feel uncertain about the future and anxious about events that are out of our control. You may react differently to a war today because of the impact of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Terrorism creates fear and uncertainty about the future. Because terrorist acts are random and unpredictable, war today poses a new kind of threat, one with which Americans have had little experience. You may feel more afraid, insecure, and vulnerable as a result of concerns that the United States could be attacked again. 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

Rethinking Mental Health Work with Survivors of Wartime Violence and Refugees
By Patrick Bracken, Joan E. Giller & Derek Summerfield (1997)
Recent years have seen a great increase in the number of programmes established to provide psychological help for refugees and victims of wartime violence in both Western and non-Western countries. Such programmes have, in the main, shared the conceptual and theoretical framework developed in Western psychology and psychiatry around issues of trauma and stress.
(11 pages, .rtf) To top

Returning home: forced conscription, reintegration, and mental health status of former abductees of the Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda
Phuong N Pham, Patrick Vinck, Eric Stover, 2009.
Abduction and forced conscription of civilians has affected the psychological well-being of a significant number of northern Ugandans. The sources of psychological trauma are multiple, ranging from witnessing to being forced to commit violent acts, and compounded by prolonged exposure to violence, often for months or years. Community-based mental health care services and reintegration programs are needed to facilitate the reintegration of former abductees back into their communities (pdf 14). 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

Saving a war`s traumatized children
Africa Recovery (2000)
Sierra Leone camps try to rehabilitate child victims and soldiers. To top

School-Based Mental Health Intervention for Children Affected by Political Violence in Indonesia
Wietse A. Tol, Ivan H. Komproe, Dessy Susanty, Mark J. D. Jordans, Robert D. Macy, Joop T. V. M. De Jong, 2008.
In this study of children in violence-affected communities, a school based intervention reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms and helped maintain hope, but did not reduce traumatic-stress related symptoms, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or functional impairment (9 pages). 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

Severity of Trauma Among Refugee Psychiatric Patients
Psychiatric Times (2000)
The severity of trauma experienced by refugees can vary widely. At one end of the spectrum, a person with official refugee status in the United States may experience minimal trauma if that person was already in this country as an immigrant or student and wanted to remain. 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

Sexual violence against women and girls in war and its aftermath: realities, responses, and required resources
Jeanne Ward and Mendy Marsh, 2006.
Addressing GBV requires coordinated, inter-agency, and multi-sectoral strategies that aim for prevention through policy reform and implementation of protective mechanisms and building the capacity of health, social welfare, legal and security systems to recognize, monitor, and respond to GBV; in addition to ensure rapid and respectful services to survivors (pdf 34 pages). To top

Sexual violence as a weapon of war
UNICEF (1996)
Violence against women, especially rape, has added its own brand of shame to recent wars. From conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Peru to Rwanda, girls and women have been singled out for rape, imprisonment, torture and execution. To top

Social healing in war-affected and displaced children
By Dr Jo Boyden, Senior Research Officer, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford (2001)
The protection of children confronting adversity has become one of the central priorities of childhood interventions internationally, especially since 1979, the International Year of the Child. Advocacy for child war victims, working children and those variously exploited or handicapped has successfully attracted the attention and commitment of legislators, policy-makers, rights activists and practitioners throughout the world. To top

Social healing in war-affected and displaced children
Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford (2003)
The protection of children confronting adversity has become one of the central priorities of childhood interventions internationally, especially since 1979, the International Year of the Child. Advocacy for child war victims, working children and those variously exploited or handicapped has successfully attracted the attention and commitment of legislators, policy-makers, rights activists and practitioners throughout the world. And with the near universal ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, there now exists a global framework for the protection and care of children living in extreme situations. To top

Some perspectives on torture victims, reparation and mental recovery
Article2 (2002)
This article surveys issues related to the pursuit of reparation by victims of torture or their family members. What is the legal right to reparation, and how successfully has it been implemented in different countries? To top

Southeast Asian Refugees: Gender Difference in Levels and Predictors of Psychological Distress
Psychiatric Times (1998)
Southeast Asian refugee women have been identified as an at-risk group for developing serious psychiatric disorders primarily due to their premigration experiences. To top

Stakeholder perceptions of mental health stigma and poverty in Uganda
Joshua Ssebunnya, Fred Kigozi, Crick Lund, Dorothy Kizza and Elialilia Okello 2009.
According to a range of mental health stakeholders in Uganda, there is a strong interrelationship between poverty, stigma and mental illness. These findings re-affirm the need to recognize material resources as a central element in the fight against stigma of mental illness, and the importance of stigma reduction programmes in protecting the mentally ill from social isolation, particularly in conditions of poverty (pdf, 9 pages). 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

Survivors of Politically Motivated Torture: A Large, Growing, and Invisible Population of Crime Victims
Center for Victims of Torture, Minneapolis (2000)
Adapting to a new environment is a complicated and overwhelming experience for all new immigrants and refugees who have fled unsafe conditions in their native countries. For refugees who are also survivors of politically motivated torture, this transition is even more difficult because of the physical and psychological consequences of the torture they endured.
(18 pages, .pdf) To top

Survivors of torture and trauma
Burma Watch International (2001)
The treatment of torture survivors comprises psychological, somatic and social rehabilitation. By helping torture survivors and by showing respect and dignity towards them, we are helping the suppressed and those who have worked for free conditions in our country. To top

Symbolic closure through memory, reparation and revenge in post-conflict societies
Brandon Hamber & Richard Wilson (2002)
Countries going through democratic transition have to address how they will deal with the human rights crimes committed during the authoritarian era. In the context of amnesty for perpetrators, truth commissions have emerged as a standard institution to document the violent past. Increasingly, claims are made that truth commissions have beneficial psychological consequences; that is, that they facilitate 'catharsis', or 'heal the nation', or allow the nation to 'work through' a violent past. This article draws upon trauma counseling experience and anthropological fieldwork among survivors to challenge these claims in the context of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. To top

TORTURE Journal
(IRCT)
The publication is intended to provide a multidisciplinary forum for the exchange of original research and systematic reviews among professionals concerned with the biomedical, psychological and social interface of torture. To top

Tales From the Dark: Testemonies About the Communist Repression
Assistance Centre for Torture Survivors (ACET) (2003)
This book contains authentic experiences of people who survived the communist terror.
(152 pages, .pdf) 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 Continuing Ordeal: Long Term Needs of Survivors of Torture
Canadian Center for Victims of Torture (1995)
Victims of torture are faced with the immediate task of coping with the physical and psychological pain and suffering associated with what was done to them during the torture process. To top

The IRC’s emergency education programme for Chechen children and adolescents
By Theresa Stichick Betancourt, Rebecca Winthrop, Wendy Smith and Gillian Dunn (2002)
Over the past decade humanitarian actors have focused attention and resources on developing education as a specific intervention aimed at mitigating some of the physical and psychosocial distress affecting children during war.
(3 pages, .pdf) 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 Physical and Psychological Sequelae of Torture
Burma Watch International (2000)
The most dramatic psychological consequence of torture is the post-traumatic stress disorder. The common symptoms included insomnia and night mares, memory loss, and poor concentration. To top

The Politics of Torture: Dispelling the Myths and Understanding the Survivors
By Joan Simalchik, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (1996)
Understanding the modem use of torture entails the dispelling of myths about its nature and purpose. There remains a perception that torture is practiced randomly, that it is punishment carried to an extreme, that it is performed by psychopaths or sadists, that it exists outside of governmental responsibility and is practiced by "less civilized" societies. To top

The Power Of Storytelling and Reading in Healing Children Orphaned or Traumatized by War in Northern Uganda
By Beatrice Lamwaka, Makerere University (2004)
This paper is going to deal with storytelling and reading needs and interests of former child soldiers and victims traumatized by the war in northern Uganda.
(10 pages, .pdf) To top

The Psychological Costs of War: Risk, Resilience and Rehabilitation in Iraqi Children
By Patrick Haughian (2003)
The psychological suffering of children during war is an often overlooked, yet crucial, outcome of armed conflict. The children of Iraq have lived through conflict, political violence, displacement and starvation. The most recent conflict has occurred closely enough to the previous large-scale war that many adolescents and children in the country have experienced both. This is a dire time for the children of Iraq who have survived. This paper examines some of the issues surrounding the psychological costs of war.
(32 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 Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa: relation to psychiatric status and forgiveness among survivors of human rights abuses
By Debra Kaminer (2001)
It has recently been the task of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to expose and document human rights abuses perpetrated under the system of apartheid. As part of the TRC process, many survivors provided testimony in either a private statement or at a public hearing. To top

The challenges facing mental health programs for post-conflict and refugee communities
Derrick Silove, 2004. Most contemporary wars and related forms of mass conflict occur in lowincome countries whose infrastructure, skills base, and services are poorly developed.1 In these settings, mental health services generally receive low priority,even though mass violence impacts on mental health in several ways( pdf. 6 pages). To top

The cultural dimension of war traumas in central Mozambique: The case of Gorongosa
Psychiatry on-line(1998)
This paper is a preliminary discussion of a more enlarged and longitudinal research project on the prevalence of post-war related symptoms, prevention and intervention strategies in some rural areas of Gorongosa, a District belonging to Sofala Province in central Mozambique. To top

The gender of reparations: setting the agenda
Ruth Rubio-Marín,2006. Rather than starting out from a preconceived list of items that a gendersensitive reparations program has to abide by, it would seem that, in order to claim that women have been taken into account, a policy of reparations must begin by including the voices of women (pdf. 26 pages). To top

The impact of conflict on children - the role of small arms.
By Julia Freedson, Watchlist (2002)
This paper examines the impact of armed conflict on children, with a focus on the role of small arms.
(8 pages, .pdf) To top

The impact of conflict on women and girls in west and central Africa
UNICEF 2005, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone, are still embroiled in, or emerging from, long-term warfare. Women and girls in these countries are most vulnerable to gender-based violence and need special protection measures. This study on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls. To top

The mental health disaster in conflict settings: Can scientific research help?
Frank Neuner and Thomas Elbert, 2007.
What gains have been made in the fight against traumatic disorders and other mental health problems in conflict areas? What do we know about the impact on individual, family and community functioning? Given what we know about the effects of trauma, it is likely that we will also see a rise in substance abuse and suicidality, violence, and a worsening of physical health (pdf, 3 pages). To top

The mental health of children affected by armed conflict: Protective processes and pathways to resilience
Theresa Stichick Betancourt and Kashif Tanveer Khan, 2008. This paper examines the concept of resilience in the context of children affected by armed conflict. Resilience has been frequently viewed as a unique quality of certain ‘invulnerable’ children. In contrast, this paper argues that a number of protective processes contribute to resilient mental health outcomes in children when considered through the lens of the child's social ecology. To top

The prevention of torture in Burma
Burma Watch International (2001)
Torture is an instrument of oppression. Reports of widespread torture were more commonly received from regions controlled by the military regime but undergoing political unrest, armed conflicts, and other internal strife. To top

The psychological treatment of refugees and asylum seekers: what does the literature tell us?
Robert Schweitzer, Lisa Buckley and Donata Rossi,(2002)
Over the past five years, Australia has accepted approximately 50 000 individuals through its Humanitarian program. To integrate these individuals specialised medical and psychological services have been established in major centres of Australia. To top

The psychosocial impact of war, HIV and other high-risk situations on girls and boys in West and Central Africa.
Jenny Morgan and Alice Beherendt, 2009.
The psychological and physical suffering of children expressed in the testimonies makes for disturbing reading. But the findings need to be understood for what they are: reports on children in extreme situations where traditional and modern protection mechanisms of states, families and communities have failed pdf, 64. 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

The relationship of SGBV to Sexual-risk Behavior among Refugee Women: The Mediating Role of Depression
Johannes John-Langba, 2005. This study investigated the relationships of SGBV, learned helplessness, depression, and sexual-risk behaviors among refugee women in Botswana utilizing a cross-sectional research design and the theory of learned helplessness. A total of 402 female refugees who were at least 21 years old residing at the Dukwi refugee camp participated in this investigation within a three-month period. To top

The resource book on mental health, human rights and legislation
WHO There are many ways to improve the lives of people with mental disorders. One important way is through policies, plans and programmes that lead to better services. To implement such
policies and plans, one needs good legislation–that is, laws that place the policies and plans in the context of internationally accepted human rights standards and good practices. This Resource Book aims to assist countries in drafting, adopting and implementing such legislation.
It does not prescribe a particular legislative model for countries, but rather highlights the key issues and principles to be incorporated into legislation. To top

The road from soldier back to child
Africa Recovery (2001)
Demobilization and rehabilitation are only the first steps. To top

The tortured, not the torturers, are ashamed
By David Shapiro, Social Research (2003)
As for the perpetrators of torture, the rapists, the enforcers of apartheid, the Nazi medical experimenters, and the rest, there is little evidence of shame. To top

The trauma of ongoing conflict and displacement in Chechnya: quantitative assessment of living conditions, and psychosocial and general health status among war displaced in Chechnya and Ingushetia
Kaz de Jong, Saskia van der Kam et al. 2007.
The study demonstrates that the health needs of internally displaced in both locations are similarly high and equally unaddressed. The high levels of past confrontation with violence and ongoing exposure in both locations is likely to contribute to a further deterioration of the health status of internally displaced. As of March 2007, concerns remain about how the return process is being managed by the authorities (pdf 13 pages). To top

The trauma of war
UNICEF (1996)
Every conflict forces children to live through some terrible experiences. Indeed, millions of children have been present at events far beyond the worst nightmares of most adults. To top

Therapeutic Governance: the Politics of Psychosocial Intervention
By Vanessa Pupavac, School of Politics, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham (2001)
This paper critically analyses the significance of psychosocial intervention as a new form of international therapeutic governance based on social risk management.
(17 pages, .doc) 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

Therapeutising Refugees, Pathologising Populations: International Psycho-Social Programmes in Kosovo. New Issues in Refugee Research
By Vanessa Pupavac, University of Nottingham (2002)
The first half of the paper discusses material that questions the international projection of refugees as traumatised. The second half of the paper explores psycho-social intervention as a new mode of external therapeutic governance.5 The paper suggests that the influence of a Western therapeutic ethos on international policy does not necessarily represent a humanist turn. Psycho-social intervention does not just simply entail cultural imperialism, that is, the imposition of a Western therapeutic model on other societies, which have their own coping strategies.
(19 pages, pdf) To top

Therapy with Refugee Children
By Nooria Mehraby (2000)
Refugee children living in Australia have usually survived a multitude of traumatic experiences in their country of origin. Exposed to war, persecution, extreme deprivation and sometimes torture, they are prone to post traumatic stress disorder and physical ailments. To top

Together Against Torture
CINAT (2001)
Brochure about CINAT - six international NGOs working which are committed to ending and preventing torture, to bringing torturers to account, providing rehabilitation and obtaining justice and reparation for survivors of torture.
(32 pages, .pdf) To top

Torture Mental Health: Questions, Exhortations, Works
By Stevan Weine M.D. - University of Illinois at Chicago (1999)
The problem of torture is horrifyingly global, but the accumulated knowledge in this field of mental health treatment of torture survivors is remarkably small. 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 and War Trauma Survivors in Primary Care Practice
Survivors International (1996)
Close to one million refugees from around the world have entered the United States, fleeing repression, war, terrorism, and disease. It has been estimated that among these are thousands who have experienced torture. Many refugees and immigrants will appear in the offices of health care professionals with symptoms that may be related either directly or indirectly to torture. 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 South Africa. Exploring torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment through the media.
CSVR Amanda Dissel, Steffen Jensen and Sandra Roberts, 2009.
In the absence of official records, this report uses media reports to explore torture and CIDT in South Africa today. There are multiple methodological problems associated with such a method. While victims of alleged torture usually complain to official mechanisms, the media often provides a more immediate avenue of complaint, and it may become a prompt for official action (pdf, 63 pages. 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 in children
Jose Quiroga, IRCT 2009.
Torture in children happens during peace times and during political violence and war conflicts. The majority of torture victims happen during peace times. The high-risk groups are impoverished children living in the street, children deprived of parental care, children in conflict with the law, and children in detention. During political violence and war the high risk children are the children detained during political violence, child soldiers, children internally displaced in refugee camps, detained children during the war against terrorism and children tortured by peacekeeping forces (pdf, 22 pages). 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 and Reconstruction in Kobe, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Cambodia
By Richard Mollica, Director of the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Harvard School of Public Health (1997)
The end of the twentieth century has seen an increase in societies devastated by mass violence. The world has also witnessed natural disasters of extraordinary proportions, such as the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) earthquake. Problems of violence and natural disaster and resulting trauma affect millions of people worldwide and will be central issues in the next century.
(3 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

Trauma, Peacebuilding and Development: An Africa Region Perspective
Michael G. Wessells, 2008.
Armed conflict and its aftermath impose an enormous burden of psychological and social suffering on affected populations. During the 1990s and early in the 21st century, this suffering was conceptualized in terms of a trauma paradigm, which held that life threatening experiences cause individual traumatic reactions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and also collective maladies such as collective trauma. In many regions, practitioners who adhere to a trauma paradigm assume that unhealed traumas may contribute to ongoing cycles of violence and thwart peacebuilding efforts, and they seek to alleviate trauma through individualized approaches such as trauma counseling . To top

Traumatic events and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder amongst Sudanese nationals, refugees and Ugandans in the West Nile
Unni Krishnan Karunakara, Frank Neuner et al. 2004
Symptoms of PTSD in war-affected Sudanese populations can be partly explained by traumatic event exposures. The high prevalence of violence and symptoms of PTSD in refugee populations highlight the need for better protection and security in refugee settlements. Humanitarian agencies must consider the provision of mental health services for populations affected by war and forced migration (pdf, 11 pages). To top

Treatment of Survivors of Political Torture: Administrative and Clinical Issues
By Gerald Gray, LCSW, MPH (1998)
Treatment of survivors of political torture is a new field, the symptoms of survivors are many and difficult, clinicians in general are not experienced in treatment, and there is little money available. Both administrative and clinical decisions often must take into account political realities not found in other treatment environments. To top

Trip through Ingushetia
War Child (2000)
In the year 2000 two War Child projectcoordinators travelled to Ingushetia to visit the new War Child projects there. With the fall of Grozny at the beginning of 2000, thousands of Chechnyans were forced to flee to the neighbouring country of Ingushetia. 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

Violence against women in metropolitan South Africa: A study on impact and service delivery
Bollen, S., Artz, L., Vetten, L. & Louw, A. (1999)
The past several years have been marked by increasing activity in the area of violence against women in South Africa. Through the efforts of the women’s movement, service providers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the academic community, violence against women has been brought to the forefront of public and political attention. To top

Visits to detained torture victims by the ICRC: The psychological impact of visits and interviews with detained torture victims
ICRC (2000)
Torture is an experience without parallel; it is capable of causing a wide range of physical and psychological suffering. At the psychological level, torture places the victim in a position of helplessness end distress powerful enough to produce mental and emotional damage regardless of his pre-torture psychological status. The psychological effects of torture, however, occur in the context of personal meaning, personality development, and social, political, and cultural factors. To top

Voice Against Torture - Quarterly Newsletter
Volume 11 - October 2004
(54 pages, .pdf) To top

Voice Against Torture - Quarterly Newsletter
Volume 11 - July 2004
(44 pages, .pdf) To top

Voice Against Torture - Quarterly Newsletter
Volume 11 - April 2004
(51 pages, .pdf) To top

War and mental health: a brief overview
British Medical Journal (2002)
About 40 violent conflicts are currently active and nearly 1% of the people in the world are refugees or displaced persons. Over 80% of all refugees are in developing countries, although 4 million have claimed asylum in western Europe in the past decade.
(4 pages, .pdf) To top

What Is Psychological Trauma?
Sidran Foundation (1999)
We all use the word "trauma" in every day language to mean a highly stressful event. But the key to understanding traumatic events is that it refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a person`s ability to cope. To top

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Sidran Foundation (2000)
There is a growing awareness among healthcare providers that traumatic experiences are widespread and that it is common for people who have been traumatized to develop medical and psychological symptoms associated with the experience. To top

What is a Psychosocial Intervention? Mapping the Field in Sri Lanka
By Ananda Galappatti (2004)
The past decade has seen a steady growth in the number of initiatives in Sri Lanka that are described as being ‘psychosocial’ interventions related to its long-standing ethnic conflict or other political violence.
This seems to be the result of heightened global and local awareness of the psychological toll exacted by
modern conflicts.
(12 pages, .pdf) To top

When Forced Migrants Return ‘Home’: The Psychosocial Difficulties Returnees Encounter in the Reintegration Process
Refugee Studies Centre (2003)
The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to some of the psychosocial difficulties returnees encounter.
(58 pages, .pdf) To top

When a Terrorist Act Occurs
Ceridian Corporation (2001)
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, in Washington, D.C., and across the country are affecting people worldwide. An act of terrorism makes all of us fear for our safety and the safety of our children. It can shake our feelings of security and leave us feeling vulnerable. Here are some ways to find support and to help your child and the people you love in the hours and days ahead. To top

Women war survivors of the 1989-2003 conflict in Liberia: the health consequences of sexual torture
Ruth Ojiambo-Ochieng, Helen Liebling-Kalifani & Juliet Were-Oguttu, 2009.
Levels of psychological trauma are very high resulting in a large percentage of women not being able to work. The stigma and shame of women’s experiences and their reproductive health problems has further impact on their identities and a gendered understanding of trauma is proposed. However, Liberian women demonstrated resilience; contributing to peace processes, taking up male roles and bringing the first ever woman Head of State to power (Powerpoint 24 pages). 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

Women’s Health and Human Rights in Afghanistan
Zohra Rasekh,Heidi M. Bauer, Michele Manos, Vincent Lacopino, 1998.
The current health and human rights status of women described in this report suggests that the combined effects of war-related trauma and human rights abuses by Taliban officials have had a profound effect on Afghan women’s health. Moreover, support for women’s human rights by Afghan women suggests that Taliban policies regarding women are incommensurate with the interests, needs, and health of Afghan women (8 pages) To top

Work in Eastern Croatia, Northern Bosnia and Vojvodina: Results and Perspectives for a Community-Based Model of Complex Rehabilitation
By Charles David Tauber (2001)
The Coalition for Work With Psychotrauma and Peace has worked in roughly 25 locations in eastern Croatia, northern Bosnia and Vojvodina during the past five years.
The initial aim was to train professionals and non-professionals at village level in techniques of psychotrauma and non-violent conflict resolution, but this changed considerably in the course of the work.
(15 pages, .pdf) To top

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

Publications

Here you will find information and experiences from past and ongoing projects. In addition to articles and publications that are freely available on the web, all with focus on psychosocial and mental health services. Do you have comments and suggestions, or would you like to add a new link?