Political Torture

Article 1, United Nations Convention Against Torture (1984)

United Nations:  "For the purpose of this Convention, the term "torture" means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him/her or a third person information or a confession, punishing him/her for an act he/she or a third person has committed, or intimidating or coercing him/her or a third person for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the insigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public offical or other person acting in an offical capacity."

Table of Contents:  

1. Jewish Resources

   • Treatment Centers

2. Secular Resources

   • Articles
   • Organizations
   • Professional Organizations
   • Treatment Centers

Treatment Centers

Florida Center for Survivors of Torture in partnership with the University of South Florida and area resettlement agencies, has developed a network of psychologists, pyschiatrists, interpreters, social workers, attorneys and public health agencies who provide medical, legal, psychiatric and social services for torture victims. Through funding awarded from the US office of Refugee Resettlement, Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services has been given the unique opportunity to assist Holocaust Survivors and those individuals who have been tortured, fleeing perseecution and are attempting to acculurate to living in a new society. A Program of the Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, Inc., 407 S. Arcturas Ave., Clearwater FL 33765  (727) 298-2749

Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma

(Top)

Articles

1. About Torture

2. After-Effects of Torture  Psychological symptoms of torture frequently include anxiety, depression, irritability, paranoia, guilt, suspiciousness, sexual dysfunction, loss of concentration, confusion, insomnia, nightmares, impaired memory, and memory loss.

3. Barriers to Treatment

4. Common Reactions to Torture

5. FEMISA: Oct. 1996 : Re: sexual assault and torture  A collection of published speeches that were given at Oxford under the auspices of Amnesty International.

6. POLITICAL TORTURE  This selected list of readings, prepared especially for the "Political Torture" program, is provided for background information.

7. Torture, Abuse and Assault of Women  December 10,1998, marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the UDHR. Yet we are today nowhere near to treating women under arrest with the humanity and justice that is their due. The story of Sinnarasa Anthony Mala is an all too familiar illustration of the mishandling of justice.

(Top)

1. Amnesty International on-line Works to protect human rights on an international level.

2. Human Rights USA - home page University of Minnesota Human Rights Center and its Human Rights USA Resouce Center

3. REDRESS - SEEKING REPARATION FOR TORTURE SURVIVORS Redress is a London based, internationally focused, non-profit legal / human rights organisation founded on Human Rights Day 10th December 1992 to help torture survivors use available legal remedies to obtain reparation and to campaign for effective remedies where they do not exist. Reparation (including compensation and rehabilitation) plays an important part in healing and restoring the lives of those who have been tortured. Also seeking legal redress helps to combat the practice of torture and deter repressive regimes.

(Top)

1. Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation  The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) is a South African non-governmental organisation. Since its inception in 1989, the CSVR has been dedicated to making a meaningful contribution to peaceful and fundamental transformation in South Africa and hence, in the Southern African region.

2. IRCT, The International Rehabilitation Council  The objective of the foundation is on an international basis to promote the provision of specialised treatment and rehabilitation services for victims of torture and to contribute to the prevention of torture globally.  

(Top)

1. Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture  The CCVT is a non-profit, registered charitable organization, founded by several Toronto doctors, lawyers and social service professionals associated with Amnesty International. CCVT - Table of Contents

2. Center for Victims of Torture  This Center is dedicated to heal the wounds of government-inflicted torture on individuals, their families and their communities.

3. Phoenix Centre for Survivors of Torture and Trauma  The Phoenix Centre offers support to refugees or people who have been subjected to torture or trauma due to political instability in their country of origin. This includes family members.

(Top)

Information Provided by the Florida Center for Survivors of Torture

Common Reactions to Torture Grief Guild Shame Anxiety Depression Feelings of Helplessness Preceived Loss of Control Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Breaking of assumptions about humanity: Trust, dignity and meaning destroyed. Loss of relatiionships to parents, framily community, cultural, and religious systems

Barriers to Treatment Language Culural Differences Being seen by others of same culture Psychological Pain Fear of medical facilities (due to being tortured in a similar setting) Financial Issues Fear of government or officals

(Top)

Email Groups for the Awareness Center   This link will bring you to a list of different mailing lists offered by The Awareness Center.  We offers several different email groups,which include our general mailing list, press-releases, Jewish survivors of childhood sexual abuse, Parents of children who were molested, Family members of sex offenders, etc.

Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Last Updated:  07/08/2003 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

--Margaret Mead

(Top)