Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and Turkey Regional Training Seminar

Dates: September 4-7, 2003
Location: Sile, Turkey
Organized by: The Helsinki Citizens Assembly in cooperation with the Center for Victims of Torture
Final report [*note]

Presenters

Dr. Vahit Biçak Police Academy, Turkey
Showing police candidates videos of officers on trial for human rights violations in order to dissuade them from misconduct

Dr. Nagy Fawzy and Mohamed Zarea, Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners, Egypt
Using cinema to promote discussion and understanding of human rights

Murat Dincer, Torture Prevention Group, Izmir Bar Association, Turkey
Providing free investigative and legal services to victims of torture in order to prosecute perpetrators and raise awareness

Tahani abu Daqqa and Maha Kasouha, Culture & Free Thought Association, Gaza, Palestine
Creating youth parliaments to expose children to democratic structures

Elâ Anil, Women for Women’s Human Rights, New Ways Foundation, Turkey
Using public resources to expand human rights education for women and support grassroots women’s mobilizations

Carla Bou Kheir and Grace Nehme, Nouveaux Droits de L’Homme, Lebanon
Providing peer education on human rights, diversity and tolerance through student clubs

Sanar Yurdatapan, Initiative for Freedom of Expression, Turkey
Republishing materials banned by the government to expose restrictions on freedom of expression.

Wael Hmaidan, Greenpeace, Lebanon
Making people aware of the extent of environmental violations by mapping them.

Dr. Vahit Biçak Police Academy, Turkey

Showing police candidates videos of officers on trial for human rights violations in order to dissuade them from misconduct
Dr. Biçak compiled footage of the prosecutions of police officers charged with violating human rights into a 90-minute video. Candidates at the police academy are shown the tape, in conjunction with a human rights course, to combat misconceptions about human rights, remind them that police officers can and will be prosecuted for misconduct, encourage empathy for the accused and remind them of the need to protect their human rights. Dr. Biçak also gives the recruits a questionnaire at the beginning and end of their training to track changes in their attitudes toward human rights. While most begin the course believing that human rights are an impediment to police work and that the concept did not encompass the protection of their own rights, the questionnaire showed that most developed a more open mind by the end of their training. This tactic has been implemented during pre-service, second-level training in the Faculty of Security Sciences for those who will become high-ranking policemen.

Dr. Nagy Fawzy and Mohamed Zarea Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners, Egypt

Using cinema to promote discussion and understanding of human rights
The Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners (HRCAP) hosts public screenings of popular films to raise awareness of human rights issues, particularly conditions for prisoners in Egypt. Cinema is a safe, effective and practical vehicle for these discussions in Egypt for a number of reasons: Other kinds of public meetings are subject to government approval and may be prohibited; the screenings attract movie fans as well as those already involved in human rights; and, with the film as the focus for the discussion, the conversation can also address restricted topics. Some of the films used so far have dealt with prison conditions, torture, disappearances, judicial corruption, wrongful accusations, rights of the accused and imprisonment of the innocent and conditions in mental hospitals. Fifteen seminars have been held, attended by a diverse audience of at least 100 to 250 people each. In addition to e-mail, fax and other forms of publicity, radio stations now promote the screenings.

Murat Dincer Torture Prevention Group, Izmir Bar Association, Turkey

Providing free investigative and legal services to victims of torture in order to prosecute perpetrators and raise awareness
In 2002, members of the Izmir Bar Association in Turkey formed a group of volunteer attorneys to represent people who have been tortured while in police custody. While torture is illegal in Turkey, it is widespread and part of a broader culture of violence – violence in schools, homes, military training, etc. By bringing cases against torturers, the attorneys hoped not only to bring individual perpetrators to justice but also to raise awareness of the problem and encourage other victims to come forward. The Torture Prevention Group, as it is called, provides attorneys with extensive training in documenting torture, using the Istanbul Protocol. The Bar Association pays all filing fees and other expenses for the case and the attorneys provide their services for free. The Group advertises its services on posters and business cards. Initially, 45 lawyers agreed to volunteer and currently there are 234 people providing direct or support services for cases.

Tahani abu Daqqa and Maha Kasouha Culture & Free Thought Association, Gaza, Palestine

Creating youth parliaments to expose children to democratic structures
This tactic grew out of a game called the Democracy Game, which was created to expose children in Gaza to the concepts of democracy, equality and tolerance in 1992. After the game, ten children decided to "play the game for real." They organized elections within their youth center to a new legislative council. Candidates campaigned and presented their own proposed programs of action to the electorate. After the elections – which were approved by outside monitors invited by the students – the new council members formed committees and took on some of the responsibilities of running the youth center. The center had been created by the Culture and Free Thought Associations a place to teach children exposed to violence about peace, equality and participation in civil society. There are now sixteen youth parliaments in the Gaza Strip.

Elâ Anil Women for Women’s Human Rights, New Ways Foundation, Turkey

Using public resources to expand human rights education for women and support grassroots women’s mobilizations
The Women for Women’s Rights Project/New Ways Foundation in Turkey developed a 16-module training program to teach women about their rights – which surveys showed many know little about. To sustain the program and have a significant impact, however, the group decided it needed resources beyond their own capacity. They engaged the government to provide personnel and community-center resources. In order to create a partnership that served its needs WWHR/New Ways did several things: It determined that the relaxed and nonhierarchical administration model in community centers would be appropriate for its work. It gained the support of the general directorate of the social services department. It ensured that the program would be taught as it was created, without modifications. WWHR/New Ways trains government social workers in the 16-module program and provides ongoing support after they have finished the training. The program has reached more than 1,300 women so far.

Carla Bou Kheir and Grace Nehme Nouveaux Droits de L’Homme, Lebanon

Providing peer education on human rights, diversity and tolerance through student clubs
Nouveaux Droits de L’Homme established human rights clubs in high schools in order to raise awareness of human rights among students – whose apathy is largely encouraged by the government – and to get them involved in civil society. These clubs are known as "3D Clubs" for "droits, devoirs et democratie," or "rights, responsibilities and democracy." Before approaching schools, NDH created a well-researched, participatory teaching methodology and recruited university students to be peer facilitators within the program. Two of the three schools approached agreed to participate. To allay any apprehension about the program, NDH held meetings with parents. Thirty students, who had to apply, participated in the first two clubs and the program has generated a lot of interest among other groups who want to start similar clubs.

Sanar Yurdatapan Initiative for Freedom of Expression, Turkey

Republishing materials banned by the government to expose restrictions on freedom of expression.
Although there is no formal organization behind this tactic, with no executive board, no office and no official membership, more than 80,000 people have helped implement it! When a well-known Turkish writer was accused of spreading Kurdish separatist propaganda in 1995, 85 signatories–many who were very respectable and prominent in their own fields–spontaneously stepped forward to support him. Subsequently, more than a thousand well-known people officially claimed to be the publisher of his work – drawing attention to Article 162, the law that held publishers as well as writers responsible for subversive works. This has led to weekly republications of banned texts by volunteer "publishers," who noted that they may not agree with the content but they do support everyone’s right to free speech. Over the last 8.5 years, 1,148 people having been arrested. 108 radio and TV stations have been closed and 169 publications have been prohibited or confiscated and 108 billion Turkish Lira levied in fines. Although the law has not been changed, the tactic has gained national and international attention and highlighted the absurdity of criminalizing behavior engaged in by so many.

Wael Hmaidan Greenpeace, Lebanon

Using GIS mapping to create public awareness and action to address environmental violations.
The Lebanese Greenpeace office mapped environmental violations along the country’s coast in order to educate the general public about the problem of toxic industrial waste. The group traveled to a new site each week in an inflatable boat, testing coastline water and highlighting the most egregious environmental problems at each site. The group used Geographical Information System (GIS) software to produce a map showing their testing results. The public could follow the progress of the boat through media coverage, on the group’s web site or even in person. The boat’s weekly progress generated a great deal of interest and even suspense: What would they find, people wondered, at the next site? The map itself was a graphic illustration of the extent of environmental problems on the coast. Public awareness and mobilization was successful in ensuring the passage of Law #44, a code on the environment which included free access to information.

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