June 2025

Table of Contents

SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE DAYS – UN

International Day:  June 20, World Refugee Day

This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity with refugees.
Solidarity means honouring refugees not just with words but with actions. It means listening to them and making space for their stories. It means defending their right to seek safety and finding solutions to their plight, ending conflicts so they can return home in safety.
It means ensuring they have opportunities to thrive in the communities that have welcomed them and providing countries with the resources they need to include and support refugees.
But above all, solidarity means saying, clearly and courageously, that refugees are not alone and that we will not turn our backs.

Key Message: At a moment of global uncertainty, of narratives that prioritize self-interest over shared humanity, with the number of forcibly displaced people at a record high and brutal aid funding cuts putting millions of lives at risk,it is more urgent than ever to break through the noise, raise our voice and show solidarity with refugees. This World Refugee Day, solidarity means honouring refugees not just with words but with actions. It means listening deeply, making space for their stories. It means standing up for their right to seek safety and for solutions to their plight. But above all solidarity means saying, clearly and courageously, that refugees are not alone and that we will not turn our backs.

GNPHR NEWS AND EVENTS

GNPHR Network of HR Groups in Psychology Associations

Link to the minutes: Here is the link to minutes and associations reports: https://humanrightspsychology.org/minutes-2024-11-07/. Note – the activities of this network are temporarily on hold.

Webinar Series Human Rights Education

Upcoming Webinars:

• Human Rights and Peace (Derek Indoe)
• Human Rights and Psychology (Elizabeth Lira)

For past Webinars, see: https://humanrightspsychology.org/webinars/

GNPHR Recommends:

• EHCR blog on a media-psyhcological analysis of an open letter concerning migration and migrants

General

Council of Europe  Human Rights Day. May 19, 2025, Tampere Finland.
Bjørn Berge,
Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, set the tone: “Democracy is not something we have; it is something we do – together, every day, through our participation, influence, and responsibility as members of civil society.”

Acclaimed Kenyan writer and dissident, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, dies at 87. ALJAZEERA, May 29, 2025. Ngugi’s work critiqued both British colonialism in Kenya and postcolonial Kenyan society.
Born in Kenya in 1938, Ngugi will be remembered as one of Africa’s most important postcolonial writers. Formative events in Ngugi’s early life included the brutal Mau Mau war that swept British-ruled Kenya in the 1950s.
Ngugi’s work was equally critical of the British colonial era and the postcolonial society that followed Kenya’s independence in 1963. Other topics in his work covered the intersection between language, culture, history, and identity.
Ngugi made a mark for himself in the 1970s when he decided to switch from writing in English to the Kikuyu and Swahili languages – a controversial decision at the time.
One of his most famous works, “Decolonising the Mind”, was published in 1986 while living abroad. The book argues that it is “impossible to liberate oneself while using the language of oppressors”, AFP reports.
He once described the country’s new elite class as “the death of hopes, the death of dreams and the death of beauty”. Thank you Mwalimu [teacher] for your freedom writing,” wrote Amnesty International’s Kenya branch on X. “Having already earned his place in Kenyan history, he transitions from mortality to immortality.”

Academic Freedom / Higher Education

The Sumy State University in eastern Ukraine is looking to set up an international fundraising campaign to rebuild its campus after a devastating Russian bombing back in April. But Russia is trying to close in on the city once more, with troops advancing only 25 kilometres away, three years after Ukraine’s military forced them out of the region.
The university is located in the city of Sumy, not too far from Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia and some 330 kilometres east of Kyiv. The university suffered significant damage from Russian missile strikes on the city back in April, which resulted in 35 deaths (including two students at the university), and over 100 injuries. The university’s international affairs office and several buildings were destroyed, causing approximately $5.3 million in damage, according to Alla Krasulia, head of the university’s international affairs department.

Australian universities hesitate on antisemitism definition amid academic freedom concerns
Caitlin Cassidy, The Guardian, 10 June 2025.
The academic board at the Australian National University (ANU) has declined to adopt the definition, paving the way for the university to become the first to reject the policy, while at least 11 other institutions have not yet made a decision. Peak Jewish groups last week accused the ANU of allowing an “unsafe and unwelcoming campus” over the board’s decision not to adopt the definition endorsed by Universities Australia (UA) that closely aligns with the contentious International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, after a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism on campuses.
On Friday 23 May, the last day of term, ANU’s academic board chair, Prof Tony Connolly, informed the ACT Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) the board would recommend against adopting the definition and instead intended to adopt a broader anti-racism definition based on a 2023 report released by the university’s anti-racism taskforce.

Data Rights

Council of Europe: Addressing the risks of artificial intelligence to human rights Technology
14th April 2025.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently a recurring topic in many areas of society, whether in everyday conversations or in specialised forums. This technology, which exhibits a remarkable potential to improve people’s quality of life, has generated a wide spectrum of opinions and debates in different sectors, such as business, health, economics and law. However, it is important to recognise that, like any other technological use, artificial intelligence can carry both benefits and potential risks for society and individuals. In mature societies, regulation emerges as the main tool for responsible use of this technology.

Displaced/Migrants/Refugees/Stateless

In May, 2025, nine EU countries signed an open letter calling for the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to be reinterpreted to allow for policy changes on migration.
The document was published as part of an effort led by Italy and Denmark. It was also signed by leaders from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
The signatories, who believe it should be easier to expel migrants who commit crimes, said the ECHR’s interpretation of the convention should be examined.
“It is important to assess whether, in some cases, the court has over-extended the scope of the convention compared to its original intentions, thus altering the balance between the interests to be protected,” they wrote.

Nine States Call for ‘Open-Minded Conversation’ on ECHR and Migration. Antoine Buyse, Friday, 23 May 2025, https://www.echrblog.com/2025/05/nine-states-call-for-open-minded.html
In a very remarkable initiative, the heads of government and state of no less than nine European states together published an open letter yesterday calling for a shift in interpreting the ECHR in the field of migration, especially relating to ‘irregular migration’ and the possibility to ‘expel criminal foreign nationals’. The letter wants to open up’ an open-minded conversation’ on whether the European Court of Human Rights has gone ‘too far’ in interpreting the Convention in this field.

Here is a response to that open letter

A media Psychological analysis of the Open Letter of Nine European States on the ECHR
www.echrblog.com, June 11, 2025. Sharon Coen, PhD – Associate Professor at the University of Salford (UK) & Thalia Magioglou, PhD – Assistant Professor at the University of Westminster (UK).
On May 22nd 2025 nine representatives of European countries have co-signed an open letter in which they are arguing that the current interpretation of the European Convention of Human Rights is preventing nation states from being able to autonomously decide how to deal with immigrants who have committed crime. The letter has already attracted criticism for politicizing the work of the European Court of Human Rights and therefore dragging the application of the rule of law (i.e. the judicial power) in the political arena.  In his reaction post in this blog, Antoine Buyse appeals to communication scholars to examine how the letter conveys its message by appealing to particular discursive strategies. We therefore decided to respond to the appeal and offer an analysis of the communication strategies adopted by the authors to convey their message.

Emma Bellamy, Podcasts presenting stories of Australia-based immigrants and refugees, along with insights from migration experts and professionals.

Human Rights Education

Rethinking Emotional Engagement in Human Rights Education through Affective Justice
Michalinos Zembylas, Open University of Cyprus and Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, Current Issues in Comparative Education 26(2), March 2025.
This conceptual paper suggests the notion of ‘affective justice’ as a means to critically address the problem of sentimentalism within Human Rights Education (HRE). Originating in sociolegal studies affective justice focuses on how legal frameworks for human rights generate embodied, affective experiences that allow learners to engage deeply with notions of justice. By examining how these affective dimensions shape learners’ understanding of human rights, the paper argues that affective justice offers a valuable framework for countering critiques that emotional engagement with human suffering risks devolving into ‘cheap sentimentality.’ The analysis suggests that affective justice not only enriches HRE theory but also fosters meaningful, reflective practices among learners. The paper concludes by outlining future research directions to further explore how affective justice might be applied in educational contexts to deepen critical engagement with human rights and promote ethically grounded responses to global injustice.

Inclusion, Exclusion, Racism

Affective methodologies for a critical study of whiteness: Considerations for white scholars. Michalinos Zembylas, Contemporary Educational Psychology, 80(5):102346,
March 2025.
This paper aims to extend the conversation on the importance of renewing the scope of educational research to critically examine whiteness in a way that acknowledges and values Black affects. Additionally, it explores methodological considerations for White scholars who seek to advance this research agenda. The paper offers strategies for White researchers to center Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in their analyses of the affective enactments of whiteness in educational settings. The discussion emphasizes two key insights: the need for educational research, particularly by White scholars, to explicitly focus on the critical study of whiteness, considering the affective, material, and historically contextual impacts of racialization, anti-Blackness, and white supremacy; and the importance of recognizing and addressing the affective experiences of Black individuals, as shaped by these same processes.

Mental Health and Human Rights

Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives
The Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives project proposes a new, arts-based way of gathering and commemorating the experiences of genocide and mass atrocity survivors, one that places survivors’ well-being, agency, and cooperation at its centre. Our purpose is not to develop a blueprint for testimony collection but instead to restore agency to survivor narratives.
The first priority of the Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives project is to uphold our duty of care to the survivors of genocide and mass atrocity with whom we work. Without this commitment to care, the project cannot move forward. When a survivor chooses to share their testimony, they are not simply imparting information but are engaging in a relationship that depends on mutual respect, empathy, and responsibility. It is our greatest responsibility as a project to ensure that we honour the trust given to us by the survivors who choose to participate, and that every scholar, artist, and filmmaker associated with the SCVN upholds this priority.
We affirm the value of human life and of human community and condemn all violations of human rights. Please connect with us and let us know how we can be here for you – you are not alone. Contact: Charlotte Schallié.

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support page of UNHCR: https://www.unhcr.org/what-we-do/protect-human-rights/public-health/mental-health-and-psychosocial-support
• The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Minimum Service Package: For an effective MHPSS emergency response: https://www.mhpssmsp.org/en
• Mental Health in Complex Emergencies (online synchronous and asynchronous, 15 weeks, 5 hrs per week (sept- dec 2025): https://www.fordham.edu/academics/centers-and-institutes/institute-of-international-humanitarian-affairs/graduate-programs/online-and-in-person-humanitarian-training-courses/mental-health-in-complex-emergencies-course/

Peace / Violence and War 

Pursuing Peace with Justice: Five Years after the Murder of George Floyd
The Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence Division 48 of the American Psychological Association. May 20, 2025.
This statement was approved by the Executive Committee of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence on May 20, 2025. It does not represent the position of the American Psychological Association or any of its other Divisions or subunits.
Recognizing that the concerns expressed here are not unique to peace psychologists alone, our Society welcomes support and endorsement of this statement from other APA divisions and allied groups.

Women

Women and Health: Uncovering Health-Care Disparities
The Lancet, May 28, 2025.
Despite comprising half of the global population, women’s health issues are underreported, underrepresented, and underprioritised. Women’s health research receives a disproportionate share of funding. Contrary to popular belief, obstetrics and gynaecology alone do not encompass women’s comprehensive health needs. Women’s health encompasses all aspects of health care and research. In this video, experts from various fields—health-care professionals and researchers, charity founders, and Lancet Editors—examine the disparities, frequently exacerbated by intersectionality, that impact women globally. Watch this video with British Sign Language interpretation here.

OPPORTUNITIES

PUBLICATIONS

Un siècle de droits de l’enfant. Rendre hommage à l’héritage de la

Déclaration de Genève et s’engager pour son avenir [A century of children’s rights. Honouring the legacy of the Geneva Declaration and committing to its future]
This book celebrates the progress made in promoting and protecting children’s rights. On the occasion of the centenary of these rights, it looks back at the major advances and obstacles overcome.
But this journey is far from over. Children’s rights are constantly evolving, shaped by contemporary realities and the aspirations of tomorrow. Each page bears witness to a living commitment, emphasizing that this cause remains a collective and uninterrupted effort.
More than a retrospective, this book pays tribute to current actions and calls for active participation. It invites reflection and engagement, reminding us that defending children’s rights is a shared duty, that transcends generations and borders.

An American Fight Against Fascism. Rachel Maddow, Penguin Random House, Secondary education, May 2025.

AWARDS

The International Council of Psychologists calls for nominations for the International Human Rights Award. Deadline: July 31, 2025
This award recognizes work being done by psychologists to advance human rights.  The award is given to a psychologist or a group/organization largely composed of psychologists that has done substantial work to address human rights issues locally or globally through education, research, service or advocacy. Human rights are defined broadly and include social, cultural, economic, civil, and political rights.

UPCOMING EVENTS

61st Psychological Association of the Philippines Annual Convention and 8th ASEAN Regional Union of Psychological Societies Congress  September 25-27, 2025. Cebu, Philippines.
At the heart of this year’s theme, “Futurescaping Psychology: The Role of Psychology in Achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” exemplifies psychology’s powerful force that can help shape a better and more sustainable world. “Futurescaping” is about looking ahead, anticipating challenges, and taking strategic action to create a world where individuals and communities can thrive. Psychology plays a crucial role in this process because at the core of all global issues—whether it’s poverty, education, mental health, or climate change—are human thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.

https://ilp.world/events/wosonos-2025

2nd Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies
International Conference on Mental Health, Human Dignity, and Climate Change: Mitigating Global Psychological Risk in Lahore, Pakistan and online
Monday – Tuesday, 27th – 28th October 2025: Dignilogues
Wednesday – Thursday, 29th – 30th October 2025: Academic Dignity Conference
Please visit this webpage regularly for the latest information, as plans for this conference unfold,
If you wish to participate, please register here!
Please know that you are invited to spend the entire conference with us, so that true dignity-family-building can emerge! All our events are part of an ongoing effort to nurture a global dignity community. You are invited to fill out our Appreciative Introduction form, print it out, and bring it with you.
There is no registration fee, we share minimal cost according to ability at the end.

Children’s rights under pressure in a changing world: Need for a new research agenda?
Ann Skelton. https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/2025/10/childrens-rights-under-pressure-in-a-changing-world
Date – Thursday 16 October 2025 – Friday 17 October 2025
Location – Kamerlingh Onnes Gebouw, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES Leiden
The 11th CREAN Children’s Rights Research PhD Symposium brings together doctoral candidates and supervisors from different universities and disciplines. Its aim is to actively promote exchange and cooperation. The Symposium offers an opportunity to hear about current, cutting edge research by PhD’s and to work together on a research agenda.

18th EUROPEAN PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE
Helsinki, Finland
PRE-CONFERENCES 11 NOVEMBER 2025 MAIN CONFERENCE 12 – 14 NOVEMBER 2025

You can follow the meetings of the Human Rights Council by the United Nations Web TV: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k15/k15fbsertp?kalturaStartTime=10784

ENDNOTES

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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• Share Your Experiences and Examples
  One of the best ways to illustrate the intersection of psychology and human rights is through example. We are looking for examples of your encounters with human rights issues in your professional life. You might describe 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. Please send your narrative / story (500-1000 words) to Marlena Plavšić (marlena_plavsic@hotmail.com). We will compile these for publication in the GNPHR Bulletin and on the website. Please also indicate if you would like your stories to remain anonymous.
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