“Human Rights are of crucial importance to everyone in the world, psychologists included”. With this statement the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA, 2013) called for psychologists and their associations to engage in protection and promotion of human rights. EFPA aims to connect psychology with Human Rights in a way that psychology becomes more useful to the Human Rights agenda and Human Rights become an indispensable dimension of psychology.
Why coordination matters now? In the wake of horrific accounts of Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) that span the globe, the voices of survivors have galvanized the international community to work towards the elimination of GBV. The protection and safety of women and girls can be achieved only through coordinated, collective and sustained action. We know good coordination of interventions works and pays direct humanitarian dividends. Only through effective coordination can we bridge any gaps, address persistent challenges and make progress against common objectives. Specifically, GBV coordination ensures that every humanitarian response, from the earliest phases of a crisis, provides safe and comprehensive life-saving services for GBV survivors and mitigates the risks of GBV. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate GBV in all settings and make progress towards peace, security and human rights.
In the work of making resources on mental health more easily available to professionals and others working with people exposed to human rights violations in disaster, war and conflict, Health and Human Rights Info (HHRI) has received contributions and support from a large group of people. Since its beginning in the early 2000s, psychologists and psychiatrists and other professionals working in different contexts around the world have been involved in ensuring that the material in the database may be of use in the field and has a good ethical and professional standard.
Torture Journal examines the impact of forensic documentation of torture in diverse settings around the world and identifies innovative rehabilitation approaches. Fresh research and perspectives on sport-based rehabilitation, as well as other key topics, also comprise the issue.
Insecurity Insight is an organisation that examines threats facing people living and working in dangerous environments. Through innovative data collection and analysis methods generate insights relevant for aid workers, aid agencies and those concerned with the protection of health workers, educators, IDPs and refugees. This year they have launched a reporting mechanisms to help survivors of sexual violence and abuse at the aid workplace to document the problem and to highlight where change is needed.
Human trafficking between Africa and Europe has not only thrived in recent years, it has grown into a highly abusive system involving corrupt elites and political networks. Jan Philipp-Scholz, the author of a new book on the migration business, has spoken with migrants in Africa on nearly every step of their journey. Their testimonies reveal the extent of abuse and human rights violations happening on Europe’s doorstep.
What would justice look like in the conflicts in Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia? What would we expect it to achieve? For more than two decades, the field of transitional justice has sought to answer such questions. Transitional justice is generally understood as a package of measures including criminal prosecutions, truth commissions, reparations for victims and reform of abusive institutions.
The guideline is based on global research on child sexual abuse and evidence from field practice. The CCS Resource Package brings a much needed comprehensive and practical approach to helping child survivors and their families
recover and heal from the impacts of sexual abuse.
The Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development is a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge on global mental health, designed to catalyse worldwide action. It builds on the 2007 and 2011 The Lancet series on global mental health that helped make mental health care a greater priority worldwide. The ultimate goal of the Commission is to guide action to reduce the global burden of mental health problems. The Commission should give fresh impetus to the prioritisation of mental health, helping ensure physical and mental health are valued equally by the global health and development communities. The Commission has three unique guiding principles: – our approach to mental health covers the full spectrum of mental health from day-to-day wellness to long-term, disabling conditions. – mental health is the product of psychosocial, environmental, biological and genetic factors interacting with neurodevelopmental processes. – mental health should be respected as a fundamental right.
Recalling that the protection of women and girls is primarily the responsibility of States, whose full and effective cooperation, action and political resolve are required to enable UNHCR to fulfil its mandated functions; and that all action on behalf of women and girls must be guided by obligations under relevant international law, including, as applicable, international refugee law, international human rights law and international humanitarian law (for historical reference).
A community of mental health innovators – researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, service user advocates, and donors from around the world – sharing innovative resources and ideas to promote mental health and improve the lives of people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders. MHIN aims to facilitate the development and uptake of effective mental health interventions.
In this paper, “Women in detention” is addressed to monitoring bodies responsible for the external scrutiny of places of deprivation of liberty. It outlines the risks faced by women deprived of their liberty of being subjected to torture and ill-treatment and measures that can be taken to reduce such risks.
A relatively new area of the literature on human response to trauma, particularly the trauma experienced during sexual violence, is that of tonic immobility. Defined as self-paralysis, or as the inability to move even when not forcibly restrained, tonic immobility has long been studied in non-human animals as the freeze response to extreme stress.
In states of high stress, fear or terror like combat and sexual assault, the prefrontal cortex is impaired sometimes even effectively shut down by a surge of stress chemicals.
Why are memories of sexual assault so often fragmentary and confusing? The answer has big implications for people who’ve been sexually assaulted, for those who investigate and prosecute such crimes, and for everyone else who knows or works with someone who’s been sexually assaulted.
Dr. Campbell discuss the research on the neurobiology of trauma and the criminal justice system response to sexual assault. She will explain the underlying neurobiology of traumatic events, its emotional and physical manifestation, and how these processes can impact the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault.
Abuse is a traumatic experience. When a person experiences abuse, their responses to protect them in the short and longer term are instinctive. knowing how and why means that you can recognise these responses and be more effective in what you do.
This article provides an introduction to the impact of trauma on memory and recollection, including how traumatic events may affect an individual’s ability to recall or give proper sequence to details, including information that an objective observer (and even the victim/survivor/ complainant) would deem vital and seemingly unforgettable.
Active resistance is considered to be the ‘normal’ reaction during rape. However, studies have indicated that similar to animals, humans exposed to extreme threat may react with a state of involuntary, temporary motor inhibition known as tonic immobility. The aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of tonic immobility during rape and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression.
A Party to the conflict which violates the provisions of the Conventions or of this Protocol shall, if the case demands, be liable to pay compensation. It shall be responsible for all acts committed by persons forming part of its armed forces.
Each State party shall ensure to victims of torture an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation (article 14).
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Recalling the adoption of the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 2005/35 of 19 April 2005 and by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 2005/30 of 25 July 2005, in which the Council recommended to the General Assembly that it adopt the Basic Principles and Guidelines.
The objective of this paper is to review the methodological issues that arise when studying violence against women. The paper focuses first on the history of research on violence against women, by elaborating on each perspective. Second, the paper identifies and describes methodological difficulties when researching violence against women such as methodology, operational definitions of violence, sampling frame and risk factors related to violence. The paper also elaborates on major ethical principles that should be considered and respected when researching violence against women. Finally, the paper recommends certain changes that should be made in order to improve future research on the subject.
A wide range of advocates in areas of intimate partner violence and sex work; engineers, designers, developers, and academics working on IT ethics. The objectives of the day were threefold: (1) to better understand the lack of gender considerations in technology design, (2) to formulate critical questions for functional requirement discussions between advocates and developers of gender-based violence applications; and (3) establish a set of criteria by which new applications can be assessed from a gender perspective.
The sensitive nature of research on VAW requires special ethical and safety considerations. For example, how can researchers safely approach selection, recruitment and follow-up of participants in a study to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of an intervention to prevent violence? How do researchers address randomization of participants into control or intervention arms? How do researchers monitor and manage risk of violence from participation in the intervention? And what additional protections should be put in place when the research involves populations requiring special considerations, such as pregnant women?
Ethics can be defined as a system or code of moral values that provides rules and standards of conduct. The three primary ethical principles that should guide all inquiries involving human beings (including methods used to collect information) are as follows: 1) Respect for persons, which relates to respecting the autonomy and self-determination of participants, and protecting those who lack autonomy, including by providing security from harm or abuse.
OutRight Action International is a leading international organization dedicated to human rights advocacy on behalf of people who experience discrimination or abuse on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Click on the links below to learn more about our work in the regions and find country-specific information.
The crime of enforced disappearance is as unacceptable today as it was decades ago when it first came to the attention of the international community, and there are neither reasons nor circumstances that can ever be invoked to justify it, said Suela Janina, Chair of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
ICMP ensures the cooperation of governments and others in addressing the issue of missing persons, including provisions to build institutional capacity, encourage public involvement and address the needs of justice and provides technical assistance to governments in locating, recovering and identifying missing persons.
The principal objective of the Coalition is maximising impact of the activities carried out by its members in favour of an early ratification and effective implementation of the Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
One of the Working Group’s primary task is to assist families in determining the fate or whereabouts of their family members who are reportedly disappeared. In that humanitarian capacity, the Working Group serves as a channel of communication between family members of victims of enforced disappearance and other sources reporting cases of disappearances, and the Governments concerned.
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) is the body of independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention by the States Parties.
Disappearances are a tragedy not just for the individual but also for families, who are left in the dark. Not knowing what has become of a husband or wife, child, father, mother, brother or sister is a source of terrible anguish for countless families affected by armed conflict or internal violence all over the world.
The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security works to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda at the United Nations and around the world.Since 2000 we have been working to bring the voices of women’s rights defenders and local peacebuilders into the New York peace and security discussions. It serves as a bridge between women’s human rights defenders and peacebuilders working in conflict-affected situations and senior policy-makers at UN Headquarters.
The DCI International Secretariat (IS) is the focal point for DCI as an international movement, focusing mainly on lobbying, research, networking and advocacy work, primarily around the issue of juvenile justice. Moreover, the IS offers technical assistance and capacity building to its 40 national sections and associated members across the globe. DCI national sections and associated members develop and implement programmes addressing a number of pressing child rights issues including: Child Labour, Juvenile Justice, Child Soldiers, Sexual Abuse/Exploitation, Violence Against Children, Child Trafficking, Education, Health
Founded in 1839, we are the oldest international human rights organisation in the world. Today, we draw on our experience to work to eliminate all forms of slavery and slavery like practices throughout the world.
OMCT allows various member NGOs to gain specialised knowledge on the workings of UN human rights bodies. According to the principle of “on-hand training”, OMCT works with local NGOs on the preparation of Alternative reports that are presented to UN committees, such as the Human Rights Committee and the Committee against Torture.
Under international human rights law, persons who suffer violations of their human rights have the right to effective remedies and reparation for the harm they have suffered. Gaining access to justice for acts of gender-based violence is important to secure relief at the individual level, but also to promote change at the systemic level in terms of laws and practice. This Practitioners Guide seeks to assist lawyers and other human rights advocates, but ultimately it is designed to benefit the women on whose behalf lawyers and advocates act and who are seeking justice .
Coping skills can be understood as resources that are available and that the person is capable of utilising in challenging situations.
Sexual violence occurs in times of peace and of war. It takes place within committed relationships and between strangers, between people of any gender and sexuality, and for reasons that can be complex. However, despite common misconceptions, it is widely accepted amongst academics and charities that rape and other forms of sexual offences are usually about dominance and control rather than sexual gratification; a form of physical violence that has the power to fundamentally undermine the victims confidence and self-identity. Because of this, sexual violence is a common feature of war zones. As armies or militias struggle to assert their dominance, civilians within contested areas often find themselves subjected to widespread sexual abuse. The result is fear, humiliation and trauma.
Throughout 2015, WRC conducted a research in urban settings, the first phase of a multi-year project to improve the humanitarian communitys understanding of and response to GBV risks in urban contexts. Quito, Ecuador; Beirut, Lebanon; Kampala, Uganda; and Delhi, India, were chosen because they are host to diverse refugee populations, have different policy environments for refugees, and are at different stages of humanitarian response. The project looked separately at the GBV risks of different urban refugee subpopulations: women; children and adolescents; LGBTI individuals; persons with disabilities; and male survivors of sexual violence.
Here you can search for different Human Rights Council reports by session. Several of the reports are translated to Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, French, English and Russian.
A bi-monthly magazine on the issue of torture. Torture is often used by authoritarian regimes as a means of maintaining control and suppressing dissent. Our policy is against any form of torture and creates a common platform to everyone in Asia and around the globe, to come forward to speak out against torture. ISSN 2304-134X (print) | ISSN 2304-1358 (online)
German Association of Psychosocial Centres for Refugees and Victims of Torture. ed. Elise Bittenbinder We want to show that behind the anonymous figures are people many of them survivors of torture trying to start a new life after horrific experiences that have changed their lives and left them with scars that might never heal. Some of them need help and rehabilitation in order to be able to dare to trust in themselves and others again and to find a new sense in life. If we want data, it’s not primarily to measure the level of “threat” which the numbers of refugees pose to our societies, but to help us provide better services for them
The International Rescue Committee works to foster communities where women and girls are free from violence and have the rights and resources to promote their own safety and self-determination through the Women’s Protection and Empowerment Team comprised of 450 field staff and technical experts, including specialists in primary prevention, care for child survivors, economic programming, and service delivery, among others. Collectively, this team advances the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary for humanitarian workers to serve survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) with effective, comprehensive programming that meets the specific needs of women and girls. In partnership with communities and institutions, we advocate for and protect the rights of women and girls while cultivating conditions in which women and girls can recover from violence and thrive.
ICHHR is an international and interdisciplinary team of educators, mental heath professionals, physicians, human rights law professionals, researchers, poets, neuroscientists, students and concerned world citizens brought together by a shared humanitarian vision: to strengthen communities through culturally sensitive, integrative mental health training that focuses on preventing and treating psychological trauma and building resilience in wounded communities. It is our belief that the practice of compassion is a shared responsibility.
The report is to highlight key issues and lessons learned from the worldwide work of United Nations Commissions in their experiences in the promotion of justice and the rule of law in conflict and post-conflict societies. Specially the leanings that have been a raised during the work with societies that have been victims of large-scale abuses. The concepts of Justice, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice that United Nations commissions worldwide takes as point of referent are also explained in this report.
Short overview over the project on gender and reparations, ICTJ presents and is holding on with.
Adopted particularly for Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Adopted by General Assembly resolution 37/194 of 18 December (1982)
The MHPSS Network is a growing global platform for connecting people, networks and organizations, for sharing resources and for building knowledge related to mental health and psychosocial support both in emergency settings and in situations of chronic hardship. We aspire to building and shaping good practice in support of people affected by difficult events or circumstances.
Care for caregivers. To promote welness through training for caregivers. Sharing information on how workers in the field can deal with stressful situations. The Headington Institute provides some good online training courses. On their site you will find training courses that are helpful.
In partnership with The Oxford Mindfulness Centre a project called Mindfulness was created for NGOs aimed at building resilience and preventing burnout in frontline professionals through mindfulness-based training.
The article offers an overview discussion of ethnocultural aspects of PTSD, with special attention to major conceptual issues, clinical considerations, and therapy practices. The historical circumstances leading to the widespread acceptance of PTSD among conventional mental health professionals, and the subsequent criticisms that emerged from scholars, humanitarian workers, and ethnocultural minorities are presented as an important background to the current controversial status of the concept, especially with regard to arguments regarding the ethnocultural determinants of PTSD (10 pags, .pdf).
The conference considered successes in advocacy and litigation under the legal framework on torture: the recognition of certain forms of harm inflicted by both state and non-state actors including rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation and denial of reproductive rights as torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and the practical effect this recognition has had in actual cases to hold states to account for their failure to prevent such violations, and to provide a remedy to victims.
REDRESS (2012) is a human rights organisation that helps torture survivors obtain justice and reparation. This article gives more information about what reparation means for the survivor.
The frequent changes to the definition of traumatic events may have inadvertently accentuated the importance of addressing the culture-specific dimension of trauma and with that, the need to assess severe stressors within their social-political-moral context.
A group of professional and advocacy organizations that have joined forces to provide educational resources to individuals diagnosed with PTSD and their loved ones; those at risk for developing PTSD; and medical, healthcare and other frontline professionals.
This organisation believes that mental health is a right, not a privilege. For millions of mentally ill people around the world, this is not the case. For them, mental illness is a world of poverty, stigma and isolation. Basic Needs transforms lives by working with mentally ill people so that together, together we can build a world that mentally ill people feel proud to live in.
Article 14 provides that States Parties should ensure a victim of torture with an effective remedy and that there is an enforceable right to compensation and rehabilitation. The Committee against torture has in this third general comment explained and clarified what this particular article means.