A Project of 649 Dayton Avenue St. Paul, MN 55104 USA T:+1.612.436.4800 Email: [email protected]Websites: http://www.cvt.org http://www.newtactics.org Exploring RESTORATIVE Tactics after abuses have taken place provided by Nancy L. Pearson, M.S.W., L.I.S.W. New Tactics in Human Rights Project Manager The Center for Victims of Torture A Tavaana Webinar
44
Embed
A Project of 649 Dayton Avenue St. Paul, MN 55104 USA T:+1.612.436.4800 Email: [email protected] Websites: .
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Remembering Abuses Tactics – bring to light the nature and extent of abuses, or the identities of the perpetrators or victims.
These tactics:
Create a permanent and public record of abuse.
Provide a solid record for litigation against abusers.
Provide opportunities for “truth telling” and closure for victims and families.
Remembering Abuses TacticsCambodia: Answer for Victims’ FamiliesDocumenting records of abuse to promote healing and justice.(English page 87, Farsi, page _83_)
MAIN TARGET:
Families of victims and perpetrators
Source: Photo on the Documentation Center – Cambodia website http://www.dccam.org/#/our_mission/focus
GOAL: Provide families with information about the fate of loved ones; AND provide legal evidence against perpetrators.
MEANS: Database electronic tracing file system documenting the genocide
Remembering Abuses TacticsCambodia: Answer for Victims’ FamiliesDocumenting records of abuse to promote healing and justice.
TIMELINE: • 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime • 1995: Began under the Yale
University Genocide Program• 1997: Became an independent NGO
Source: Photo on the Documentation Center – Cambodia website http://www.dccam.org/#/our_mission/focus
RESULTS:
• 4 databases that catalogue thousands of pages of documents, photos and interviews (with back-up outside of Cambodia)
• GPS technology used to identify 10,466 Mass graves
• 168 prisons and 77 genocide memorials in 170 districts
• Estimated 80 percent of families that come to the center leave with answers about their loved ones
• Data being used for the Tribunal process
How can you record the history of abuses in your community?
Other questions or
comments?
How might you use this history to promote healing and justice?
RESTORATIVE tactics:
Strengthening Individuals and Communities – tactics that employ mental health interventions, rehabilitation and other techniques to heal individuals and communities.
These tactics:
Address the damage of repression
Draw support from within the community
Strengthening Individuals and Communities Tactics
West Africa & Beyond: From Refugee to Mental Health ParaprofessionalBuilding local capacity for trauma-focused mental health services through an intensive training model(English page 97, Farsi, page 92 )
MAIN TARGET: Victims of torture and war trauma
GOAL: To create a cadre of qualified mental health paraprofessionals to serve their community
MEANS: An intensive hands-on training model combining Western psychotherapy with local understanding of trauma & recovery. Tactical Notebook available: http://www.newtactics.org/sites/newtactics.org/files/Barry-Pearson_Rebuilding_update2007.pdf
Source: Center for Victims of Torture, 5 minute video story available at: http://www.vimeo.com/27598037
Would the development of a cadre of professionals or paraprofessionals (legal, medical, mental health) play a powerful role in your work?
How might you develop this capacity?
Other questions or comments?
How can you enable people to tell their own stories?
RESTORATIVE tactics:
Seeking Redress – tactics that seek justice through litigation, sanctions, reparations or other means.
These tactics address forms of justice after human rights abuses have occurred:
Punishment of the perpetrator
Compensation for victims
Address impunity
Seeking Redress TacticsChile / Spain / UK:
A First in International Justice:Applying international law to dictators traveling outside their home countries
(English page 105, Farsi, page 101)
MAIN TARGET:
Dictator Augusto Pinochet
GOAL: To demonstrate that a head of state has no immunity from prosecution on charges of torture
MEANS: Litigation – using the principle of universal jurisdiction and national courts can be used to force states to fulfill their obligations under international law.
Source: Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), Chilean dictator – Pinochet arrested and sparked the founding of CJA in 1998. http://cja.org/section.php?id=88
Chile / Spain / UK: A First in International Justice
TIMELINE: • 1973 to 1990 - Pinochet is head of the military
dictatorship in Chile • Mid-70s to 1990 - activists document violations
committed• 1988 - Chile signs UN Convention Against Torture• 1998 - 10 October, Indicted for human rights violations by
Spanish magistrate • 1998 - 16 October, arrested in London• 1999 - March, House of Lords decreed there was no immunity for torture• 2000 – March, released by the British government without conviction on the
grounds of ill-health• 2000 - 2006 Pinochet charged and held under house arrest in Chile until his death
RESULTS: • Set a number of critical precedents:
– No immunity for heads of state in cases of torture, genocide and other crimes against humanity
– Universal Jurisdiction – laid the foundation for the International Criminal Court– Sparked the creation of organizations like the Center for Justice and
Accountability that use national and international laws to bring perpetrators to justice– Created conditions for limited travel and movement for perpetrators
Seeking Redress Tactics
Source: Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), Chilean dictator – Pinochet arrested and sparked the founding of CJA in 1998. http://cja.org/section.php?id=88
1998 – Pinochet indicted for human rights violations by Spanish magistrate
1998 – Pinochet arrested in London while traveling
1999 – UK House of Lords decreed there was no immunity for torture
2000 – Pinochet returns home to charges and house arrest until his death
How might these ideas be adapted to address issues in your country or community?
Other questions or comments?
The Center for Victims of Torture – New Tactics in Human Rights Project649 Dayton Avenue St. Paul, MN 55104 USAT:+1.612.436.4800 Email: [email protected]
Attribution List “The Center for Victims of Torture - New Tactics in Human Rights Project” as the source for any information used in this document as well as any original attribution provided in this document.
Noncommercial The information in this document is not to be used for profit.
Share Alike If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same, similar or a compatible license.
The Center for Victims of Torture—New Tactics in Human Rights project invites you to use, share and contribute to the further development of this information under the License: Creative Commons 2.0
The New Tactics in Human Rights project invites you to use and share this information with others. We ask only that you do so using the Creative Commons 2.0 License that is outlined below.
A Project of
Upcoming Webinar Date:
Wednesday, 14 September – Promotion Tactics (Building Human Rights Cultures and Institutions)