26th of June marks the United Nations international day in support of victims of torture. UN General Assembly marked the date in 1997 and ever since, human rights organizations and centers around the world have been celebrating the date every year.
Many victims of torture suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which entails flashbacks, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, depression and loss of memory. The effects of torture, physical, emotional and psychological, are long lasting and affect not only the victims themselves but also their families and communities. At times entire societies are affected.
The road to healing is a long and strenuous one. Each year over 100 000 survivors of torture receive treatment from IRCT member centres around the world. Be that as it may, many are living without the resources needed to heal from the trauma of torture.
Our documentary film Ghosts focuses on the effects of torture and the film is going to be screened, as part of the events of 26th of June, in Yerevan/Armenia as well as in Nizhny Novgoro/Russia.
Screenings of "Ghosts" to mark the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, on 26 June 2010:
Russia, Nizhny Novgorod - Saturday 26th of June (Russian subtitles)
Cinema Nizhny Novgorod, screening organized by the Nizhny Novgorod Committee against Torture Interregional Non-governmental Organization "Committee Against Torture" (INGO CAT): The INGO CAT's campaign will take place in 5 regions including the Chechen Republic. The activities will include rallies in 5 cities, distribution of the Istanbul Protocol among doctors in 5 regions, distribution of photo book Every fifth (about torture survivors) and film demonstrations in a cinema provided by local administration in Nizhniy Novgorod. Ghosts is one of the film's to be screened at cinema Nizhniy Novgorod 26th.
Armenia, Yerevan- Saturday 26th of June (Armenian subtitles)
Organized by Foundation Against Violation of Law (FAVL) based in Yerevan/Armenia
Every year FAVL organizes a 26 June campaign with a conference in Yerevan /capital/ and the communities of Armenia dedicated to UN International Day in Support of Torture Victims. The purpose of the conference is to raise the issue of torture in Armenia and in the world, in order to involve more parties for prevention of torture and protection of torture survivors. The conference is attended by representatives from Human Rights Defender/Ombudsman office of Armenia, the Deputies of National Assembly/Parliament of Armenia, the representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, police, and places of detention, the heads of the various medical institutions, heads and representatives of human rights NGOs, media, Civil Centres of FAVL, volunteers of Civil Centres, high schools and universities.
On the 20th of March, "Ghosts" was awarded the "Prix du Public" at the Montreal Human Rights Film Festival 2010.
We feel honoured to be granted this award, and want to thank the festival and Amnesty International, and all the people who came to the world premiere of the film and voted for it.
On the 18th of March, "Ghosts" will premiere at the Montreal Human Rights Film Festival, at Cinema du Parc at 7 pm.
The RAMZ crew and Abdullah Almalki, one of the participants in the film, will be there to take questions from the audience, and hopefully there will be an interesting discussion about the subject matter.
The film will also be screened at the Cinema Politica on the 22nd of March at 7.30 pm.For this screening, Abdullah Almalki will be joined by Matthew Behrens, both participants in the film, to answer questions from the audience.
The 8th of March 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the International Women's Day. Although the idea of an International Women's Day rose more than a hundred years ago, the main reference of its origin is the international women's conference in 1910 in Copenhagen, Denmark where it was proposed to create an official day for women. 8th of March is a global day celebrating economic, political and social achievement of women. This day is also a national holiday in parts of the world such as China, Russia and Vietnam. To learn more about the history behind women's day:
"Women's empowerment lifts obstacles to achieving development goals", Ban says
He pointed out that injustice and discrimination against women persist around the world, manifesting in violence in some cases. Over two thirds of women experience violence in their lifetime, most commonly at the hands of an intimate partner. "We sometimes hear it said that such practices are a matter of culture," the Secretary-General said, strongly emphasizing that "they are not."
The U.S. Lifts a 22 year Old Ban:
The US has for a long time, since 1987, been amongst a few countries that ban travel and immigration for HIV positive individuals. Now, after 22 years, the ban is being lifted.
Republican Senator Gordon Smith and Democratic Senator John Kerry were major figures behind the effort to lift the ban. "To fully embrace our global leadership on HIV/AIDS, we must remove our unwelcome mat and overturn this ridiculous ban," Smith has been quoted as saying. (BBC, July 2008).
Recently President Obama announced the decision to overturn the longstanding policy and referred to the ban as "rooted in fear rather than fact." The president further stated: "We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic-yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people with HIV from entering our own country." The decision to lift the ban was welcomed by civil society and governments alike.
Then There Were Eleven Left...
There are still numerous countries in the world with a ban on travel and immigration for HIV positive individuals, these countries are: Armenia, Colombia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sudan and Yemen.
Discrimination and criminalization relating to minority groups such as men who have sex with men, lesbians and transgender people pose "a serious threat to human rights and undermine effective responses to the HIV epidemic"(UNAIDS, 01-12-09). Currently 80 countries have criminal laws against homosexuality.
Such laws create isolation, further stigmatization and hinder full access to HIV information, prevention, treatment and other related services. Countries which have laws and systems protecting the rights of minority groups, such as men who have sex with men, have an increased access to HIV prevention services.
Universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support are goals that are hard to reach in countries that criminalize mentioned minority groups in society. According to UNAIDS, criminal laws such as these, ultimately pose a threat to achieving Millennium Development Goal 6; to halt and begin to reverse the epidemic by 2015.
"The gay community has historically been at the forefront of the global AIDS response. As a social movement, the gay community changed AIDS from simply another disease to an issue of justice, dignity, security, and human rights," said Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "In my view, any attack on homosexuality is an attack on the all aspects of the AIDS response and a set-back to reaching universal access goals." (01-12-09, UNAIDS)
The number of HIV infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, is at 1,5 million; a considerable rise since 2001 when the number was 900 000. Although there have been improvements in access to antiretroviral therapy in the regions, the number of people receiving treatment remains low. Only 22% of individuals in need of treatment were receiving it in 2008. This is 20% less than the global average for low and middle-income countries.
According to UNAIDS injecting drug users are the group most at risk of HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This population is also the least likely to receive antiretroviral therapy.(UNAIDS, WHO 2009)
Ukraine is one of the largest and most populous countries in Europe but it also has the highest infection levels on the continent. The southern and eastern parts of the country are most affected. It has been estimated that approximately 1,63% of the population of the country was living with HIV/AIDS in 2007. This number reflects only the official cases and the actual numbers of infections are with great likelihood higher. (Ukraine losing HIV/AIDS fight, Kyiv Post,07-05-08). According to the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine, most of the infected are under the age of 30. The recent pattern of contracting HIV was as follows; drug injection 41,8%, sex 37,4%, from mother to child 18,4%, unknown 2,2% . (http://www.undp.org.ua/en/prosperity-poverty-reduction-and-mdgs/).
Andriy Klepikov, the executive director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine, has stated that focused prevention is important in the Ukraine; "we have a concentrated epidemic, first of all fuelled by injecting drug use. It's homemade opium which is a very cheap drug called Shirka-a dose is cheaper than alcohol, so thats why the virus spread very quickly in Ukraine." On the work of HIV/AIDS Alliance, in terms of prevention services targeted at injected drug users, Kleptikov stated: "We are able to support a full range of services including harm reduction, which is restricted by some donors. Needles and syringe exchange points, condom distribution, the whole range of prevention services are available for injecting drug users- including substitution therapy, which is also a revolutionary change.." and furthermore that: "Currently we have more than 200 drug users receiving substitution therapy and most of them are on ARV treatment, which is a very important linkage for Ukraine because most of HIV infected adults are injecting drug users..." (The Global Fund: http://www.theglobalfund.org)
The term Universal Access is often used in connection with HIV prevention, treatment and care, but what exactly is it?
Universal access to HIV prevention, care and support by 2010 is a stimulus package that governments, that adopted the political declaration on HIV/AIDS at the United Nations General Assembly in 2006, agreed to. It's basically a global commitment to reverse the course of the epidemic and set the foundation for increased access to different HIV services. This stimulus package is essential, to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6 of halting and reversing the spread of HIV by 2015. 111 countries have so far set targets for achieving universal access. Approximately $13.7 billion was invested in 2008 and so today many countries rely on The Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to finance their respective programmes. The Global Fund is a mechanism for delivering resources to areas that require it.
Effects:
It is estimated that 4 million people in low and middle income countries were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the end of 2008. This is a 36% increase in one single year (WHO). Furthermore access to HIV services for pregnant women improved during last; approximately 45% received antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV transmission to the fetus. This is a 10% increase from the previous year. Testing and counseling services are being accessed by an increased amount of people. In several dozen countries the number of performed HIV tests doubled between the years 2007 and 2008.
Although there has been progress there is no room for political complacency as a minimum of 5 million people in need of treatment have still no access. UNAIDS concludes in a report on Universal Access published this year: "What is needed today is stronger political will, paired with a deep appreciation of human rights Investments already made in response to AIDS are showing results. This is a time for scaling up, not scaling down."
(Sources: WHO: Towards Universal Access;scaling up priority HIV/AIDS interventions in the health sector: September 2009, UNAIDS: What countries need. Investments neede3d for 2010 targets-February 2009)
Although HIV/AIDS knows no borders and is very much a global concern as opposed to a geographically limited one, we sometimes forget the role of the pandemic in Europe itself. Almost 30 years into the pandemic, HIV/AIDS is still a major concern for public health in the EU countries and the whole of the Europea.
It is estimated that 2 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in the EU and neighboring countries. Although it may be easy to assume that treatment is readily available in all of Europe, this is in fact not the case yet.
In Eastern Europe in particular, the rate of HIV is high and in some countries in the region the numbers of new infections are rising at an alarming rate. According to a new report releaseb by the Commission of the European Communities; access is as low as 10% in some countries and although the pandemic needs to be taken seriously in all of Europe there may be a need to focus particularly on the regions that require it the most. The report further states: "After three decades of HIV/AIDS there is still no room for complacency. The best response to the epidemic remains a combination of health specific and wider social interventions. People will continue to suffer unless prevention is accelerated and universal access to treatment, care and support is ensured for all people in need.
For more on HIV/AIDS in Europe as well as full access to the report released by Commission of the European Communities (27th of October 2009):Combating HIV/AIDS in the European Union and neighbouring countries, 2009 -2013:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/com/aids/docs/com2009_en.pdf
(www.avert.org)
Audrey:
I'm Audrey. I was 17 when I found out I had the virus. I was supposed to be going to the air force and had actually been sworn in. But two weeks later, I got a later saying that there was a potentially serious medical condition. I had to go see the MEPS physician. Once I had received that letter, I kinda knew what it would be about. Because people around me were telling me that a dude I messed around with had the virus. I was devastated, thought I was going to kill myself. But I found self-worth from seeing how much my friends cared and loved me. I decided not to let it hold me back. And learned to live with it.
It's only been a few months since my diagnosis and I now have found love and he knows about my situation. It's still hard sometimes. Sometimes I just feel like giving up. But I realize that I'm not just hurting myself if I leave. I'm hurting my family, friends, and lover. I haven't told too many people about my virus. Because I don't see the point of doing that. But i have told those closest to me. And am very glad that they could be trusted not to tell. Half of them say they forget i have the virus most of the time. And to be honest. I do too. Not saying that I'm reckless. But i really don't think too much about it.
I'm still the same person I was before. Just with a little more drive, and cautiousness. So I kinda look at HIV as my wake-up call. Telling me i need to take my life, body, and health, ALOT more seriously. Don't let having the virus stop you. Because it's not the end of the world. Take that from someone who at one point thought it was.
(www.avert.org)
For more stories on living with HIV:
http://www.avert.org/photo-gallery http://www.hivaidspositivestories.com/ http://www.thebody.com/index/inspire.html
Our generation, born during the 80s and onwards, cannot imagine the overwhelming fear which revolved around HIV during the early 1980s. Knowledge about the disease was changing continuously and assumptions which were deemed correct one month were proven to be unfounded and consequently disregarded, the next.
"It is frightening because no one knows what's causing it, said a 28-year old law student who went to the St. Mark's Clinic in Greenwich Village last week complaining of swollen glands, thought to be one early symptom of the disease. Every week a new theory comes out about how you're going to spread it." (The New York Times, 08/08/1982)
The above quote from the New York Times, published in 1982, shows how the public was getting increasingly distressed over what seemed to be a new, mysterious and, up to that point, name-less disease. Examples of fear and stigma of HIV/AIDS are countless but here are a few early examples of it from San Francisco and New York; Police in San Fransisco wore gloves and masks when having to have physical contact with individuals they suspected of having HIV.
"The officers were concerned that they could bring the bug home and their whole family could get AIDS." (The New York Times, 22/05/1983)
"landlords have evicted individuals with AIDS" and "the Social Security Administration is interviewing patients by phone rather than face to face." (http://www.avert.org/aids-history-86.htm)
Remembering Eliana Martinez
The District Court ruled that Eliana could attend the school in question but had to be separated from the rest of the children. The separation would be in the shape and form of a transparent booth. The ruling was appealed; however the booth was still built. Finally in December 1988 Eliana was allowed to sit in a class room without being isolated in a booth, as there was no evidence put forward that she posed a risk to the other children. Eliana went to school for the first time in April 1989 but died only months later.
It wasn't until 1987 when public figures such as Princess Diana shook hands with patients with HIV, without wearing gloves, that the general public started to slowly understand that HIV could not be transmitted through everyday contact.
According to the United Nation's annual report on HIV/AIDS, the amount of people worldwide with HIV has stabilized at around 33 million, however 2,7 million people were infected with HIV during 2008 and 2 million people died of AIDS related illnesses. Paul De Lay, deputy executive director of UNAIDS stated in a U.N radio interview: "This is a clear evidence that we still have a very serious epidemic on our hands, however we also have evidence to show that globally new infections have dropped by 17% in the past 8 years. Most of this progress has been in sub Saharan Africa, where there were 400 000 fewer infections in 2008 than in 2001". ( 24/11/09, www.unmultimedia.org/radio )
Michel Sidib, Executive Director of UNAIDS stated in UNAIDS press conference:"The good news is that we have evidence that the declines we are seeing are due, at least in part, to HIV prevention", and continued: "However, the findings also show that prevention programming is often off the mark and that if we do a better job of getting resources and programmes to where they will make most impact, quicker progress can be made and more lives saved". (24/11/09,www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre)
Paul De Lay gave an example of the off the mark programming: "In countries with generalized epidemics such as those in East and Southern Africa, there are very few HIV prevention programmes for people over 25, for married couples, or for people in stable relationships although we know now that HIV prevalence is particularly high among these groups". (24/11/09, www.unmultimedia.org/radio )
Current facts on the state of HIV/AIDS globally:
- Since the beginning of the epidemic, approximately 60 million people have been infected with HIV.
- 25 million have died due to AIDS related illnesses.
- In 2008: ca 33, 4 million people were living with HIV ca 2, 7 million new infections ca 2 million AIDS-related deaths
- In 2008, approximately 430 000 children were born with HIV.
- Young people (15 years of age and upwards) account for ca 40% of new adult HIV infections globally.
- Sub-Saharan Africa is the hom to 67% of all people living with HIV worldwide and 91% of all new infections among children.
- The epidemic has orphaned more than 14 million children in Sub-Sahara Africa.
- The percentage of HIV-positive pregnant women who received treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to their child increased from 33% to 45% between the years 2007 and 2008.
- More than 4 million people in low-and middle income countries had access to HIV treatment at the end of 2008. This is an increase from 2007.
- Global coverage remains low as, in 2008, only 42% of people who are in need of treatment had access to it.
- Only 38% of all children in need of treatment in low- and middle income countries received it.
Source of information: UNAIDS
-Approximately 5 000 women are murdered every year in the name of honour. The perpetrators are in such cases family members of the victim.
-Up to one in five women and one in ten men reported being sexually abuse during childhood.
-Between 15% and 71% of women have been physically or sexually violated by a husband or partner.
-Many women also stated that their first sexual experience was coerced: 28% in Tanzania, 24% in rural Peru, 30 % in rural Bangladesh and an even higher percentage of 40% in South Africa.
Press Conference: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Universal Children's Day. Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world, however the two countries that have failed to ratify the treaty are Somalia and the United States.
The previous Transitional National Government (TNG) in Somalia signed the treaty in 2002 but did not ratify it. UNICEF stated today that the that the current Somali government is currently planning to ratify the treaty. (source of information: Reuters)
Abstract: Ramz won 2nd Price of Nancy Richter Brzeski Dream Art Awards, for their contribution “Camilla's Dream”, at the exhibition, Dreams without Borders 08, held in Montreal, Canada. We feel very honored to be part of the exhibition, and for further more accepting this award. We would like to thank the jury and also Mrs. Nancy Richter Brzeski for donating the awards.
Abstract: The exhibition is called Dreams without Borders, and is held in relation to the 25th Annual Conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Ramz contribution to this exhibition is a short film called “Camilla's Dream” - a short glimps into Camilla's nightmare in relation to her memories of sexual abuse as a child. The film is made out of sequences taken from the feature documentary made by Ramz, called Remains.
Abstract: This essay explores the dominant discourse surrounding trafficking in women, a cultural narrative that is often accused of being more informed by myths and moral panics than empirical evidence. How do feminist perspectives shape the international debate, and to what extent does the established discourse promote the rights of migrant sex workers? Addressing these questions, we will make references to our video art project “Promise Land” - a naked portrait of a young woman's everyday life as a sex worker in a country far away from home.
Human Rights Day 2007 marks the start of a year-long commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Ramz wins the Grand Calpurnia Award for Best Documentary Film at Ourense Independent Film Festival 2007, Spain, for the documentary film, Skyggenes Dal (Remains). The film focuses on the effects of sexual abuse of children. We feel honoured to receive this award, and thank the jury and the festival for encouraging independent documentary film making and furthermore focusing on the subject of sexual abuse of children.
On December 4th of 2007, Ramz Media had the privilege of attending Rights and Democracy's John Humphrey Freedom Award at the Canadian Museum of Civilisation in Ottawa. The recipient of the award this year was the celebrated Iranian journalist and writer, Akbar Ganji, who has written extensively on the Iranian regime's human rights violations in recent years. Saad Eddin Ibrahim (Rights and Democracy) called Akbar Ganji an inspiring role model - a man who has demonstrated an exceptional courage and determination to make these violations known, both to the Iranian people and the international community. In his humble speech, Mr Ganji urged Western governments to move their focus away from nuclear proliferation and a potential war against the Iranian regime. Ganji stressed that it is impossible to introduce democracy to a people through bombing their infrastructure and putting the lives of innocent civilians in danger. Instead, he encouraged Western governments to use legal and diplomatic measures to hold the regime accountable for its many betrayals of the Iranian population. Human rights violations, he claimed, can never be considered a domestic concern. Human rights are universal and therefore, it is the moral duty of the West to stop ignoring the human rights violations of the Iranian regime against its own population; rather, it is time to hold the regime accountable for its actions.