Editor: Polli Hagenaars, Netherlands and Merry Bullock, USA/Estonia

Table of Contents

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • World Mental Health Day 2021, October 10, 2021. WHO: Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality
    See under Mental health and human rights.
  • How can psychologists contribute to the monitoring of human rights compliance? Blog by Nora Sveaass.

GNPHR NEWS

CONTENT AREAS: ARTICLES AND NEWS

  • Academic freedom / Higher education
  • Decolonisation processes
  • Human Rights Education
  • Human Rights and Psychology: theory, epistemology, ethics
  • Inclusion, Exclusion, Racism
  • Indigenous peoples’ rights
  • Labour and Organisation
  • Mental Health and Human Rights
  • Migration / Refugees / Displacement / Statelessness
  • Women’s rights

REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

  • Europe

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

PUBLICATIONS

CONFERENCES, EVENTS, EDUCATION, CALL FOR PAPERS, GRANTS (details in section at end of Bulletin)

HIGHLIGHTS

graphic courtesy of WHO

World Mental Health Day 2021
see listing of World Mental Health Day activities and programs under section  Mental Health

Blog: How can psychologists contribute to the monitoring of human rights compliance? Nora Sveaass, Professor emerita, University of Oslo, Norway, and member of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture.

GNPHR NEWS

  • INVITATION TO SHARE REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES AND NARRATIVES
    Dear GNPHR colleagues and dear readers of the GNPHR Bulletin – We often hear your question: How can I contribute to the GNPHR? One of the best ways to learn about the intersection of psychology and human rights is to have some real-life examples.
    So, we are inviting you to share your narratives and stories that describe your encounters with human rights issues in your professional life. You might describe an event that led you to ask questions about the role of human rights, or a time when you protected (or failed to protect) human rights, or advocated for what you saw as a human rights issue. The events might be in your clinical, research, academic, applied, or volunteer work.
    We will compile these examples to help us all better understand how human rights issues can affect different aspects of our professional work. The best length is to stay under 1000 words. You can send your narrative / story (between approximately 600-1000 words) to  GNPHR Steering Committee member Marlena Plavšić,
  • Special Issue Call for Papers Psychology and Human Rights
    International Journal of Psychology (IJP is the official journal of IUPsyS )
    The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was published in 1948, 3 years after the end of a war that brought the world to the brink of destruction. This Special Issue aims to showcase recent theoretical, methodological, empirical and practical advances in the psychology of human rights. Specifically, we are looking for articles that evaluate conceptual models and applications of psychology and human rights (including evidence-based practices) that have been implemented in different contexts, and new directions in research. Topics may include, but are not limited to: the human rights of indigenous peoples, human rights in legal, mental health, penal and/or detention systems, human rights in national security and defense, military and civic behaviour, and displaced populations. Papers on the relationship between psychology, climate change and human rights are particularly encouraged. We are conscious that different cultures interpret human rights in different ways and hope that the issue will reflect this fact and draw attention to the impact of past colonialization, as well as new structures enabling the bearers of human rights and the states which have a duty to protect those rights to flourish. Papers from all disciplines within psychology are welcome.
    Submission: Please email an abstract (no more than 500 words) for your proposed submission by January 1, 2022, to the Special Issue Editor, Derek Indoe. Abstracts will be reviewed by the editor, and potential contributors will be selected based on the originality and rigor of the work, the overall diversity of topics, and the fit to the general theme of the Special Issue. Authors who are selected to develop full manuscripts will be notified within one month and will be given three months to submit their full manuscripts. Full manuscripts will follow the IJP submission guidelines and review process. For further information concerning the Special Issue, please contact Derek Indoe. For information concerning the International Journal of Psychology, visit the website at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1464066x or contact the Editor-in-Chief, Abigail Gewirtz.
  • #RightsForum21 – 145 sessions, 500+ speakers and 1,500 registered participants so far!
    More than 1,500 people have already registered for the Fundamental Rights Forum 2021 on 11 and 12 October! Over the two days, the Forum will offer over 145 different sessions, workshops and debates on the most pressing human rights challenges we face today, among which the GNPHR. All sessions will be livestreamed and you will be able to follow the discussions in Vienna, Strasbourg, Geneva, Warsaw, Ljubljana and Oslo.
  • GNPHR invites you to contribute to the blog series!! Blog-Opinion pieces can be on general human rights issues; human rights education or strategies for raising the profile of human rights within one’s institution or professional life. Students are welcome to submit a blog on human rights issues/topics from the perspective of students, including on student needs for learning about and addressing human rights. Please contact the GNPHR Blog editor (blogeditor@humanrightspsychology.org) with ideas for the blog  you would like to write!
  • GNPHR invites you to send articles/news/events about relevant human rights issues or activities for publication in the Bulletin, especially for next Bulletin’s highlights: in November Climate Change-Human Rights-Psychology around COP26; in December around the CRPD.

CONTENT AREAS: ARTICLES AND NEWS 

Academic freedom / Higher education

Scholars at Risk Network; Afghanistan – Join SAR’s Response 
Universities, colleges, and other institutional members of the SAR Network have mobilized swiftly to create a range of opportunities to make a difference in protecting threatened scholars and practitioners from Afghanistan. As we respond to hundreds of urgent requests from individual scholars, activists, and civil society leaders—with particular concern for women and ethnic and religious minorities—we invite you to take action and join our efforts.

Scholars and Practitioners Seeking Support

    • Review our application criteria and apply directly for assistance via an encrypted link.
    • Learn about other resources that may be more directly helpful to you. New resources will be added as they develop.

Network Members and Prospective Host Institutions

    • Refer a scholar, human rights practitioner, or civil society leader who meets our application criteria via the encrypted link, or write to apply.scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu.
    • Complete this survey and indicate your institution’s interest and capacity to host an Afghan scholar or practitioner.
    • Prepare for a scholar or practitioner’s arrival at your institution by consulting the Scholars at Risk How to Host Handbook.
    • Sign up for SAR’s newsletters for updates on our efforts, including additional resources as they develop.
    • Confirm if your institution is a member of our network.
    • Join the SAR network—membership is open to accredited higher education institutions and associations worldwide. Reach out to start the process.

Decolonisation processes

Decolonial human rights education: changing the terms and content of conversations on human rights. Anne Becker, Stellenbosch University, Republic of South Africa. Human rights education review, Volume 4, No 2 (2021). The aim of this paper is to search for possibilities to change the terms and content of conversations on colonial/decolonial human rights education. The content of conversations consists of what we know about human rights. The terms of conversations are the principles, assumptions, and rules of knowing in human rights education. The terms and content are interrelated and continually sustain each other. Decoloniality resists global coloniality of power, ontologies and epistemologies which are consequences of colonisation. It also questions the Eurocentric assumptions and principles which serve as a premise for human rights and human rights education. There is an urgent need to explore pluriversal knowledges of human rights and to problematise the Human of human rights. This is explored through data from Roux’s research project Human rights literacy: quest for meaning. Some thoughts on decolonising human rights education are provided in the conclusion.

What a new university in Africa is doing to decolonise social sciences. Jess Auerbach, Social Science, African Leadership University, May 13, 2017, THE CONVERSATION.  It’s not often that you get to create a new university from scratch: space, staff – and curriculum. But that’s exactly what we’re doing in Mauritius, at one of Africa’s newest higher education institutions. And decoloniality is central to our work. Our faculty is working towards what we consider a decolonial social science curriculum. We’ve adopted seven commitments to help us meet this goal, and which we hope will shift educational discourse in a more equitable and representative direction.  Seven commitments: Open source, Language beyond English, Student exchange ratio, text is not enough, We cannot work alone, Producers, not only consumers, Ethics above all.

Decolonising Education for Sustainable Futures – UNESCO Chair seminar series (access  the full report on Zenodo). Published report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seminar series held earlier in 2021 with the support of the UNESCO Chair in inclusive, good quality education at the University of Bristol. This series brought together ideas from artists, activists, practitioners, academics and delegates from international organisations. It aimed to share possibilities and to re-imagine education in more equitable, reparative, just and peace-promoting forms as well as well as providing new ideas that can feed into the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)’s Futures of Education initiative.

Human Rights Education

Decolonial human rights education: changing the terms and content of conversations on human rights. See: Decolonisation processes.

Human Rights Education Review is pleased to announce the World Education Research Association (WERA)International Research Network on Human Rights Education 2021 Webinar Series.  Autumn sessions open for registration! Human Rights Education 2021 Research Webinar Series. The WERA IRN on Human Rights Education was established in Spring 2019 and launched in London in June 2019. The coordinators are Professor Audrey Osler (USN, Norway) and Professor Hugh Starkey (IOE UCL, UK). The two pillars of the IRN are Human Rights Education Review and the ICEDC conference. UPCOMING WEBINARS:

  • WEBINAR 7, Registration now open here, 13 October 2021. Talking about rights without talking about rights: on the absence of knowledge in classroom discussions. Lee Jerome, Middlesex University, UK, Anna Liddle, University of Leeds, UK and Helen Young, London South Bank University, UK. The presenters’ full paper can be read here
  • WEBINAR 8, Registration now open here, November 10 2021. Revisiting the past: human rights education and epistemic justice. Rebecca Adami, Stockholm University, Sweden.
  • On the 10th anniversary of its founding, HRE USA is launching a new 2021-22 Training As Action Series (TAAS) focused on bridging the personal and collective on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. Participants will leave each session of the training series with a renewed energy and the practical tools necessary to facilitate conversations and promote collective action with students and community members writ large.
    The TAAS will feature a scaffolded three-tier training model. Each tier builds upon the next in terms of depth, participation, and engagement. Participants are welcome to register for Tier 1 only, Tier 1 and 2, or all three tiers as they are interested.
    Tier 1 (2 modules, Sep/Oct) will provide general grounding in human rights and human rights education applications, including understanding ways to engage within the various committees, action teams, and working groups of HRE USA. Monday, September 20 and Monday, October, 4 – 7:00-8:30 pm ET;
    Tier 2 (4 modules, Oct/Nov) will engage HRE USA members in interactive human rights training on urgent topic areas in ways that are applicable to their personal, collective, and professional contexts. Monday, October 18 – Monday, October 25 – Monday, November 1 – Monday, November 8 – 7:00-9:00 pm ET + 2 optional Saturday sessions: Oct 30 and Nov. 6 – 11:00 am-1:00 pm ET
    Tier 3 (2 modules, Dec/Jan) will develop the HRE USA Training Corps focused on improving, planning, and implementing ongoing community building and training efforts. Monday, December 6 – 7:00-9:00 pm ET – Monday, January 10 – 7:00-9:00 pm ET
    For more information: https://hreusa.org/events/workshops-webinars/. Registration Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWTC7DC

Human Rights and Psychology: theory, epistemology, ethics

Speaking of Social Darwinism: Charles Darwin: Victorian Genius, Elizabeth Weiss, June 2021, Minding the Campus. Charles Darwin’s works, including The Descent of Man (1871), withstand the test of time. Darwin got a remarkable amount about the mechanics of evolution, our African origins, the links between humans and the rest of the natural world, and evolution’s impact on our current conditions right. He did this with practically no human fossil record (the only fossils were Neanderthals found in Europe); an overall scarcity of interactions between people of different cultures, classes, and races; and a near absence of information on genetics (including even the most basic concept—the DNA double helix).
Though anthropologists such as Augustin Fuentes (in Science, May 21, 2020) want to paint Darwin as sexist and racist, they do so without consideration of his time and the extent of knowledge at that time. Now, calling someone a Victorian is considered an insult, but Darwin was a Victorian!
Yes, it is true that Darwin pondered sex differences in intelligence, but he also admitted what he did not know, acknowledged that not all agreed that males and females differed in intelligence, and allowed for the possibility that this difference could be erased (by evolution). Furthermore, his perspective on other sex differences in humans were favorable to females. For instance, he surmised that males were more combative, described females as less selfish, and suggested that females were more perceptive. Darwin repeatedly criticized the treatment of women as slaves in The Descent of Man.
With regards to race differences, Darwin argued effectively against polygenesis, which is the belief that each race was created separately or has a separate origin, and put forth that we are all one species, from one common ancestor. He also discounted stories that sex between races leads to infertility. Ahead of his time, he noted the devastation that European contact with tribes can cause, due to novel disease susceptibility. Darwin also wrote about the problems of slavery of all kinds, including in his section of the extinction of races. And, although Darwin pointed out that differences between races exist, he also cited works that discussed similarities between races, choosing to highlight dance, art, language, virtue, and truthfulness.
Even in his personal experiences, Darwin noted that he was “incessantly struck, while living with the Fuegians on board the ‘Beagle,’ with the many traits of characters shewing [sic] how similar their minds were to ours and so it was with a full-blooded negro with whom I happened to be intimate.”
In his conclusion, Darwin revealed his humanity by noting a greater nobility in a “heroic little monkey” than in one who “…practises infanticide without remorse, treats his wives like slaves, knows no decency, and is haunted by the grossest superstitions.” This is hardly something you would expect to hear from a racist, sexist bigot. But it is the sentiment of one who was by all accounts a Victorian genius. Academics would do well to better respect Darwin’s invaluable legacy.

What is “development ethics”? Des Gasper, International Institute of Social Studies (The Hague), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands. July 12, 2021. Each area of practice generates important ethical questions about priorities and procedures, rights and responsibilities. This holds true also for work in local, national and international development. ‘Development ethics’ can be understood then as discussion of the many and varied ethical questions that arise in development work. It is a field comparable to business ethics, medical ethics, environmental ethics and other areas of practical ethics. Yet unlike the situation in business, medicine, environment, and some other fields, development ethics remains relatively speaking too little known within the practice of international relief & development. This piece offers a brief introduction to development ethics and some suggestions for further reading.

Inclusion, Exclusion, Racism

New JBI Study Identifies Surging Global Antisemitism as an Urgent Human Rights Crisis The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, 1 September 2021.  A new report by the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights (JBI) finds that antisemitic violence has increased in the two years since a landmark UN report on global antisemitism warned governments of its dangers. The JBI report tracks attacks against Jews and Jewish sites and trends in antisemitic rhetoric in 50 countries around the world since October 2020, including the sharp increase in antisemitic violence that occurred in May 2021. The report, A Call to Action Against Antisemitism: Confronting Rising Global Antisemitism in the Context of COVID, Conspiracies, and Conflict is the third in a series produced by JBI since the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, published a historic report to the UN General Assembly on global antisemitism as a human rights concern in September 2019.

Eliminate ageism and age discrimination, says UN expert, OHCHR
A new report lays out why legal and policy action is needed internationally and nationally to stop widespread ageism and discrimination based on older age. The first of October marks the International Day for Older Persons.  “Countering ageism and eliminating age discrimination is a starting point for the full enjoyment of the human rights of older persons,” said Claudia Mahler. “There cannot be dignity and equality of rights if older persons continue to be viewed primarily as beneficiaries of care and support that create pressure on budgets and resources.” Ms Mahler, the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, was presenting her latest report to the 48th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ageism, says Mahler, manifests in stereotypes, prejudices and/or discrimination against older persons based on their age or on a perception that a person is “old.”  Earlier this year, the first ever UN Global Report on Ageism outlined that half of the world’s population is ageist against older persons.

Indigenous peoples’ rights

The 20 Years of Indigenous Advocacy: A Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples conference will be held October 6-7, fully online. https://law.arizona.edu/SRRIP20 University of Arizona
The two-day conference will focus on the work and lessons learned over the course of 20 years of UN Indigenous human rights advocacy by the UN Special Rapporteur. Invited speakers include the Indigenous human rights advocates and movement leaders who were directly involved in the creation of the mandate, UN appointed officials involved in the initial launch of the mandate, Indigenous human rights defenders on the front lines of Indigenous human rights advocacy today, and surprise guests.

Labour and Organisation

Vulnerability and Business and Human Rights. Lottie Lane, Stephanie Triefus and Chiara Macchi, Human Rights Here, October 2021. Businesses enjoy a position of power over individuals and groups that are typically considered to be vulnerable, and often operate in situations that by their very nature render portions of the population vulnerable. On 24 June 2021, the Business and Human Rights Working Group of the Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research organized a panel on Vulnerability and Business and Human Rights as part of the Network’s annual conference. The panel brought together three experts from around the world dealing with three distinct yet complementary facets of the topic: (1) children; (2) non-judicial grievance mechanisms; and (3) armed conflict. The presentations, which are summarized in this blog post, shed light on key challenges concerning the definition, position, and protection of vulnerable populations in these contexts.

Mental Health and Human Rights

Database: https://www.hhri.org/hhri-database/

World Mental Health Day 2021

WHO: Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health. Some groups, including health and other frontline workers, students, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions, have been particularly affected. And services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders have been significantly disrupted.
Yet there is cause for optimism. During the World Health Assembly in May 2021, governments from around the world recognized the need to scale up quality mental health services at all levels. And some countries have found new ways of providing mental health care to their populations.
During this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign, we will showcase the efforts made in some of these countries and encourage you to highlight positive stories as part of your own activities, as an inspiration to others.
We will also provide new materials, in easy-to-read formats, of how to take care of your own mental health and provide support to others too. We hope you will find them useful. 

Mental Health in an Unequal World. WFMH  The WFMH President Dr. Ingrid Daniels has announced the theme for World Mental Health Day 2021 which is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’.  This theme was chosen by a global vote including WFMH members, stakeholders and supporters because the world is increasingly polarized, with the very wealthy becoming wealthier, and the number of people living in poverty still far too high. 2020 highlighted inequalities due to race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, and the lack of respect for human rights in many countries, including for people living with mental health conditions. Such inequalities have an impact on people’s mental health. This theme, chosen for 2021, will highlight that access to mental health services remains unequal, with between 75% to 95% of people with mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries unable to access mental health services at all, and access in high income countries is not much better. Lack of investment in mental health disproportionate to the overall health budget contributes to the mental health treatment gap.
Many people with a mental illness do not receive the treatment that they are entitled to and deserve and together with their families and carers continue to experience stigma and discrimination. The gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ grows ever wider and there is continuing unmet need in the care of people with a mental health problem.

Forward Together for Mental Health (UK).  We’ve partnered with ITN Productions Industry News, to co-produce a special news programme for World Mental Health Day which launches on Sunday 10 October 2021. The pandemic and the resulting economic uncertainty have negatively affected many people’s mental health and elevated concerns for those already living with a mental illness. ‘Forward Together for Mental Health’ will explore how the crisis has advanced the mental health narrative and agenda in the workplace and wider society. Our programme also looks at the people and projects safeguarding emotional wellbeing across the UK and the necessary support in place to help those experiencing a mental health problem.  We can’t wait for you to watch the programme in full on World Mental Health Day. In the meantime, you can watch the exclusive trailer, and sign up to be the first to watch it exclusively on our channels below! Be the first to watch ‘Forward Together’ on 10 October

World Mental Health Day 2021: History, theme and significance.  New Delhi, September 17, 2021 Due to Covid, pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health.  World Mental Health Day is observed on 10th October every year, to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health.  Mental health is one of the most neglected areas of public health. About 1 billion people are living with mental disorders; 3 million people die every year from the harmful use of alcohol, and one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide. Social stigma, discrimination, and human rights abuses of people with mental health conditions further precipitate the situation of mental health disorders.
Everyone, everywhere can participate in this year’s campaign: as individuals, to take concrete actions in support of our own mental health, and to support friends and family who are struggling, as employers, to take steps towards putting programmes in place for employee’s wellness.
As governments, to commit to establishing or scaling-up mental health services; and as journalists, to increase awareness about mental health.  Significance and theme: Due to Covid, pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health. During the World Health Assembly in May 2021, governments from around the world recognized the need to scale up quality mental health services at all levels. And some countries have found new ways of providing mental health care to their populations.

Move for mental health: let’s invest. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). This year’s World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, comes at a time when our daily lives have changed considerably as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The past months have brought many challenges: for health-care workers, providing care in difficult circumstances, going to work fearful of bringing COVID-19 home with them; for students, adapting to taking classes from home, with little contact with teachers and friends, and anxious about their futures; for workers whose livelihoods are threatened; for the vast number of people caught in poverty or in fragile humanitarian settings with extremely limited protection from COVID-19; and for people with mental health conditions, many experiencing even greater social isolation than before. And this is to say nothing of managing the grief of losing a loved one, sometimes without being able to say goodbye.
The economic consequences of the pandemic are already being felt, as companies let staff go in an effort to save their businesses, or indeed shut down completely.
Given past experience of emergencies, it is expected that the need for mental health and psychosocial support will substantially increase in the coming months and years. Investment in mental health programmes at the national and international levels, which have already suffered from years of chronic underfunding, is now more important than it has ever been.
This is why the goal of this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign is increased investment in mental health.

Perspectives for public policies in mental health. Sick or well – a citizen first: The (Ex-)User/Survivor Voice in Democracy. Guadalupe Morales Cano and Stéphanie Wooley, La santé mentale en France et dans le monde; L’Information psychiatrique 2016 ; 92 (9) : 723-30. The European Network of (Ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP), founded in 1990, is the only independent organization of its kind in Europe – self-governed by people with psychiatric experience only. We provide a means of direct democratic representation and a voice to promote, defend and protect our rights and interests. ENUSP has been called on as a stakeholder in Europe by the UN, the WHO, the EU Parliament, the EU Commission and other mental health and disability non-governmental organizations, in spite of our limited resources. Our contribution to a reflection on how public policies in mental health can be designed, improved and implemented takes a life-long approach to recommend policies throughout the various stages of a person’s lifetime. ENUSP recommends an approach based on human rights, social inclusion and well-being where all stakeholders, and especially those impacted by these policies, are meaningfully involved in all stages, rather than the biomedical, top-down approach so often used by States from cradle to coffin. Greater resources must be devoted to high-quality, non-stigmatizing, easily accessible and personalized prevention and support services in the community, as well as for the required involvement of (ex-)users/survivors and our representative organizations.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel, as many great instruments and recommendations have existed for a number of years and it is high time they were implemented. ENUSP sees this as an opportunity to develop user-led projects and activities where the goals of our organization match the recommendations of the UN CRPD Committee, EU and WHO policies in order to reach a consensus on public policy in mental health.

Rehabilitation in Article 14 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Nora Sveaass, F. Gaer & C. Grossman, 2020. In Sir M. D. Evans and J. Modvig (eds.), Research Handbook on Torture. Legal and Medical Perspectives on Prohibition and Prevention.  

Migration / Refugees / Displacement / Statelessness

Associations between migration experience and perceived mental health in optimal ageing: Evidence from the Sardinian Blue Zone. Maria Chiara Fastame, Ilaria Mulas, Marilena Ruiu, International Journal of Psychology, September 2021. Open Source.
The effect of migration on perceived mental health has not been examined in older migrants after their return to their places of origin. This study was mainly aimed at evaluating the perceived mental health of older people who experienced migration and permanent resident peers living in the Sardinian Blue Zone (i.e. one of the four areas of exceptional longevity in the world). Forty-eight community-based older participants (32 males and 16 females) with and without a migration experience were recruited in two villages of the Sardinian Blue Zone and completed a battery of self-report inventories assessing psychological well-being, negative mood, and ego resilience. Older individuals who experienced migration reported higher ego resilience and exhibited greater resources used to manage positive emotionality (i.e. openness to life experiences). Moreover, compared to the normative data, both the groups reported higher psychological well-being and fewer depressive symptoms. Finally, no significant associations were found between the length of migration and each mental health index. In conclusion, resilience seems to represent a psychological trait that helps to manage stressful events and contributes to the preservation of perceived mental health in late adulthood.

Women’s rights

Why nations that fail women fail.  The Economist, September 9th, 2021. In Asia, the Middle East and Africa our cover examines why it is that nations that fail women fail. Places that oppress girls and women are far more likely to be violent and unstable. All of the 20 most fragile states in the world practice polygamy, including Guinea, where a coup took place on September 5th. In many regions selective abortions lead to skewed sex ratios, and a dangerous surplus of young single men. Societies based on male kinship groups tend to subjugate women through unequal inheritance rights, child marriage and more. Geopolitics should not be viewed solely through a feminist lens, any more than it should be viewed solely in terms of economics or nuclear non-proliferation. But policymakers who ignore half the population cannot hope to understand the world.

New Taliban Chancellor Bars Women From Kabul University. Cora Engelbrecht and Sharif Hassan, NY Times, September 27, 2021. The new policy for Afghanistan’s premier university is another major blow to women’s rights under Taliban rule, and to a two-decade effort to build up higher education. Tightening the Taliban’s restrictions on women, the group’s new chancellor for Kabul University announced on Monday that women would be indefinitely banned from the institution either as instructors or students. “I give you my words as chancellor of Kabul University,” Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat said in a Tweet on Monday. “As long as a real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first.”

REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

Europe

FRA / FRP Europe. https://fra.europa.eu/en: Migration: Key fundamental rights concerns – Bulletin 2 – 2021 – September 2021

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has been regularly collecting data on asylum and migration since September 2015. This report focuses on the fundamental rights situation of people arriving in Member States and EU candidate countries particularly affected by migration. It addresses fundamental rights concerns between 1 January and 30 June 2021.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

The new face of the menace and how to fight it with artificial intelligence, UNICRI, UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. A High-Level Side-Event to the 76th Session of   the United Nations General Assembly. Background: More than 30 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted, children continue to have their rights violated on an ongoing basis. While the digital era has enabled unprecedented opportunities to realize children’s rights, it has also intensified children’s exposure to risks and harm, in particular the trafficking of children and online child sexual exploitation. Not only has the scale of abuse increased as a result, but also its severity and complexity.

UN Agencies Call for Protection Measures and a Comprehensive Regional Approach for Haitians on the Move. Joint statement by IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF, OHCHR, 30 September 2021.  Geneva – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) call on states to refrain from expelling Haitians without proper assessment of their individual protection needs, to uphold the fundamental human rights of Haitians on the move, and to offer protection mechanisms or other legal stay arrangements for more effective access to regular migration pathways.
The four agencies also encourage countries in the Americas to engage in a comprehensive regional approach to ensure the protection of Haitian men, women and children moving throughout the region.Links: https://www.unhcr.org/;  https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/Home.aspx ; https://www.iom.int/

PUBLICATIONS

Religion in Gender-Based Violence, Immigration, and Human Rights. By Mary Nyangweso, Jacob K. Olupona,March 31, 2021, Routledge.  This book builds on work that examines the interactions between immigration and gender-based violence, to explore how both the justification and condemnation of violence in the name of religion further complicates our societal relationships. Violence has been described as a universal challenge that is rooted in the social formation process. As humans seek to exert power on the other, conflict occurs. Gender based violence, immigration, and religious values have often intersected where patriarchy-based power is exerted on the other.

CONFERENCES, EVENTS, EDUCATION, CALL FOR PAPERS, GRANTS

October 4, 2021, 7:00-8:30 EDT (Eastern Daylight Time). Tier 1, module #2 – general grounding in human rights and human rights education applications, including understanding ways to engage within the various committees, action teams, and working groups of HRE USA. Registration Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWTC7DC

October 5-8, 2-21: Conference on Climate Change and Health in Small Island Developing States: Focus on the Caribbean: 4 days (October 5 – 8, 2021). Immersion in the science of climate change and health in the Caribbean, identifying knowledge gaps, posing solutions, resource sharing, networking, and empowerment. Together we will work to address the critical public health issue of climate change, and find sustainable ways to live healthy lives. English, Spanish, and French interpretation will be available. Register by September 27, 2021 11:59 PM, Viewing in Eastern Time

October 11-12, 2021 #RightsForum21 – 145 sessions, 500+ speakers and 1,500 registered participants so far!   Fundamental Rights Forum 

October 13, 2021: Talking about rights without talking about rights: on the absence of knowledge in classroom discussions. Lee Jerome, Middlesex University, UK, Anna Liddle, University of Leeds, UK and Helen Young, London South Bank University, UK. The presenters’ full paper can be read here. , Registration now open here.

October 14, 2021, 10:00 CET: Webinar ”Peer workers perspective: Human rights in mental health and the importance of the role of peer workers in mental health care’’.   CET RECOVER-E is organising a webinar focused on promoting, protecting and upholding the human rights of persons with mental health problems. The webinar is organized by RECOVER-E, a Horizon 2020 project on the implementation and evaluation of multidisciplinary community mental health teams (CMHTs) consisting of a psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse, social worker and peer worker in five sites in five countries -Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria. This webinar focuses on the pioneering role of peer workers in these project sites. Anyone, from users, mental health care professionals, policy makers, advocacy organisations, researchers and more can join this webinar. The overall goal of the RECOVER-E project is to contribute to the implementation of and research on an evidence-based community-based service delivery model for recovery-oriented care in the five sites.  Register here!

Deadline October 15, 2021 Call for Papers: Special Issue of Feminist Formations. On Decolonial Feminisms: Engagement, Practice, and Action. Guest edited by Leece Lee-Oliver and Xamuel Bañales. Feminist Formations invites submissions for a special issue, “On Decolonial Feminisms: Engagement, Practice, and Action.” This special issue aims to explore decolonization as a feminist social justice modality in the 21st century and advance new strategies for radical feminist social justice practices in the United States, while considering or centralizing transnational inroads.

October 18, 2021 : Tier 2 (4 modules, Oct/Nov) will engage HRE USA members in interactive human rights training on urgent topic areas in ways that are applicable to their personal, collective, and professional contexts. Monday, October 18 – Monday, October 25 – Monday, November 1 – Monday, November 8 – 7:00-9:00 pm ET + 2 optional Saturday sessions: Oct 30 and Nov. 6 – 11:00 am-1:00 pm ET. Registration Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWTC7DC

October 22-24, 2021 ICP2021 – Conference Human Rights, Dignity and Justice – Symposia on Climate Justice, Health Equity, Disabilities Justice, Decolonising Processes. https://icpweb.org/icp-annual-conference/icp2021-virtual/ Join your colleagues for 2 days of exploring psychology and human rights!

October – December, 2021: Peace Education and Action for Impact is a new programme launched by World BEYOND War in collaboration with the Rotary Action Group for Peace. Part I takes place September 6 – October 16, and Part II October 17 – December 10, 2021.  There are more young people in the world today than ever before. Of the 7.3 billion people across the globe, 1.8 billion are between the ages of 10 and 24. This generation is the largest and fastest growing demographic on the planet. When it comes to building sustainable peace and development, we need the meaningful participation of all generations. However, although increasing numbers of young people around the world are striving for peace and related areas of progress, far too many young people find themselves routinely excluded from peace and security decision-making processes that affect them and their communities. With this in mind, equipping young people with the tools, networks, and support to build and sustain peace is one of the largest, most global and important challenges facing humanity.

November 10, 2021: Revisiting the past: human rights education and epistemic justice. Rebecca Adami, Stockholm University, Sweden. Registration now open here, 

November 10-12, 2021: 14TH European Public Health conference, virtual edition. Theme: Public health futures in a changing world. https://ephconference.eu/index.php

December 6, 2021 – Tier 3 (2 modules, Dec/Jan) will develop the HRE USA Training Corps focused on improving, planning, and implementing ongoing community building and training efforts. Monday, December 6 – 7:00-9:00 pm ET – Monday, January 10 – 7:00-9:00 pm ET.  Registration Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWTC7DC

CONTACTS: Published by the Global Network of Psychologists for Human Rights – www.humanrightspsychology.org

Disclaimer: The website of the Global Network of Psychologists for Human Rights (GNPHR) contains articles, events and news about the domain where psychology and human rights intersect. The information presented in this Bulletin, does not imply that the GNPHR shares the views and beliefs in the articles.

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