Blog post
Faced with an unprecedented pandemic, governments across the Americas have begun to respond to COVID-19 in a variety of ways, ranging from calling for states of emergencies, to imposing travel bans, to implementing quarantines. Stakes are high and the way governments respond to this pandemic could determine the future of millions of people.
Governments are ultimately responsible for protecting people and their human rights but have often failed to do so in the Americas. Deep inequality, structural discrimination, a tendency to revert to repressive policing, censorship, underfunded public health systems, and inadequate social security and labour protections long predate the outbreak of COVID-19 in the region.
Each year, countless women and children flee violence at home and take an uncertain journey in the hope of finding safety in a new country. While many escape conflict zones or generalized human-rights abuses, some also run from more intimate forms of violence namely, sexual and domestic violence perpetrated by men. Setting off on the journey is no guarantee of safety; many are vulnerable to gender-based abuse in transit and even at destination.
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.
For the last few decades, the prevailing approach to sexual violence in international human rights instruments has focused virtually exclusively on the abuse of women and girls. In the meantime, men have been abused and sexually humiliated during situations of armed conflict. Childhood sexual abuse of boys is alarmingly common.
In the third installment of Evaluating Asylum Seekers, Sampsonia Way speaks to Dr. Arno Vosk, an advisor to a medical student clinic at the University of Pennsylvania. I find it incredible that people who have endured such suffering in their home countries should find it so difficult to get refuge in the United States.
Terrorist attacks like the ones we experienced on September 11, 2001 have left many concerned about the possibility of future incidents of terrorism in the United States and their potential impact. They have raised uncertainty about what might happen next, increasing stress levels. There are things you can do to prepare for terrorist attacks and reduce the stress that you may feel now and later should another emergency arise. Taking preparatory action can reassure you and your children that you can exert a measure of control even in the face of such events.
PsySR uses psychological knowledge and skills to promote peace with social justice at the community, national and international levels.
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC) is the only organization founded by and for survivors of torture. It was established in 1998, on the guiding principles that torture is a crime against humanity and that survivors are the strongest and most effective voice in the campaign to end the practice of torture.
The purpose of this fact sheet is to tell what is known about the impact of violence and disasters on children and adolescents and suggest steps to minimize long-term emotional harm.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) in Boston operates an Asylum Network of over 300 health care professionals to help people who have fled torture or other persecution in their native countries and are seeking political asylum in the United States. Volunteers conduct examinations of asylum applicants and prepare written testimony.
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.
The institute work to increase understanding of the psychological impact of trauma and to help victims of violence restore meaning and wholeness to their lives. In meeting these goals, we are committed to clinical service, professional training, community education, and research.
The Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture is a treatment program jointly supported by Bellevue Hospital Center and the NYU School of Medicine. The Program was established in 1995 to provide multidisciplinary treatment and rehabilitative services to survivors of political torture and their families.
The Sidran Institute (USA), a leader in traumatic stress education and advocacy, is a nationally-focused nonprofit organization devoted to helping people who have experienced traumatic life events.
This resource guide for College Educators is offered as assistance to educators as they help students to become aware of the history and reality of refugees and asylees and to prepare for work among these newcomers as social work professionals.
The Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights aims to provide comprehensive health care for refugees and survivors of torture and related trauma coordinated with legal aid and social services; to educate and train agencies and professionals who serve these communities; to advocate for the promotion of health and human rights in the United States and worldwide; and to conduct clinical, epidemiological, and legal research for the better understanding and the promotion of health and quality of life for survivors of torture and related trauma.
Florida Center for Survivors of Torture is a regional treatment center for refugees and others who are survivors of torture and extreme trauma. Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services is the lead agency in a collaboration with three area resettlement agencies (Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Lutheran Services Florida and World Relief) and the University of South Florida`s Medical School and School of Public Health.
Survivors of Torture, International (SOTI) is an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1997 to care for survivors of politically-motivated torture and their families. It is based in San Diego, USA. SOTIs clients come from all over the world.
The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was created within the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989, in response to a Congressional mandate to address the needs of veterans with military-related PTSD.
Survivors International is a non-profit organization dedicated to the treatment and support of survivors of torture.