30 The relevance of human rights
TO THE TRAINER
PART II: THE TRAINING
The relevance of human rights
Aim. To introduce human rights and their value for those working with trauma.
Explain the human rights perspective. Explain why it is important to recreate a sense of dignity and control. Key ideas might include: accountability, justice, redress, and the right to health. Explain why a human rights-based approach is relevant to work on trauma and GBV, and can make our work more effective.
Introduce the notion of human rights, taking account of the expertise of the group. You might adopt one of the approaches below: 1. If the group has a good knowledge of human rights, refer to the sections in Part I on Respect for human rights and Violence against women( pages 10-12), and to Section 8 of Part III on Reporting.
2. If the group has less knowledge, explain the sections in Part I on Respect for human rights and Violence against women( pages 10-12), and Section 8 of Part III on Reporting.
3. Alternatively, refer the participants to the same pages, say they will have an opportunity later in the training to discuss the values and principles of human rights, and underline that human rights affirm that:
• Women who experience violence are entitled to claim redress and protection.
• Men and women who commit violent acts against women are accountable for their acts.
• Governments have a duty to protect women from violence, take action to punish those responsible, and create social and political conditions in which violence against women will no longer occur.
We will also discuss how helpers can support survivors constructively and appropriately when survivors decide to report their abuse or file a complaint, to obtain justice, reparation or protection from future abuse.
You might make use of the speech below. It celebrates three women awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for fighting violence against women. Alternatively write something that addresses the specific situation of your group.
“ You are all heroes. We know you sometimes risk your own lives in rescuing others and that you are all very brave women doing very important work to be proud of. It is through work like yours that the world moves forward. Little by little. It may seem hopeless at times, because the violence goes on and on, but it is through everyday effort that important goals are reached.
In 2011 the Nobel Peace Prize … was given to three women …. One is the president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. The other two are non-violence activists and traumaworkers like you: Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman. They dedicated the prize to all the women of the world struggling for peace, health, justice, education for all and equal rights for women and men. Gbowee spoke about her own fight and said:“ We were the conscience for those who had lost their conscience in their search for power and position. We used our destroyed bodies and our hurt feelings to confront all the injustice and terror in our land. And we knew that it was just through non-violence that we could make an end to the war. Because we saw that the use of violence pushed us and our beloved country deeper and deeper into pain, death and destruction.” In her speech, she also said that women she had met had explained to her that rape and abuse are the result of a bigger issue, that women are not present where decisions are made. Let us thank God for sisterhood and pray that He will support our work for these days we have together. Let the workshop inspire us all and give strength to keep on.”