reporting human rights violations
You can—and should—report human rights abuses. As the world continues to contend with the novel coronavirus, journalists can turn to established tools and methods to help them effectively cover rights violations and abuses. State the facts, as far as possible in chronological order. United for Human Rights is a nonprofit, international education program proudly sponsored by the Church of Scientology and Scientologists all over the world. SUSTAINABLE TRADE AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITMENTS BY THIRD COUNTRIES . human rights protection and promotion in the last decade of the twentieth century. Graphics, video and audio footage can add needed depth and context to coverage of authorities' responses to rights violations. Whistleblowers can also share anonymous tips on rights violations using tools such as SecureDrop and WeTransfer, through which you can share large video files. The BBC and Nigeria’s Punch Newspaper ask readers at the end of their articles to share eyewitness accounts, especially if a story is breaking or continuing to develop. Audiences today are already navigating information overload. Journalists should follow the social media pages and websites of organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, UNICEF and others that work in the areas of sexual violence, child abuse and criminal justice, for example, to get leads on stories, and identify credible sources, angles and interview subjects. Assignment: County Report on Human Rights Violations: Gender & Sexuality. In that way, they can then be addressed. Staying safe physically, mentally and digitally should be top of mind for any journalist reporting on rights violations during the COVID-19 pandemic, advised Jonathan Rozen, a senior Africa researcher at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Human rights violations and abuses have increased in many countries during COVID-19. Amid restrictions on movement and travel during COVID-19, journalists should utilize social media, messaging apps and phone calls to gather eyewitness accounts to support their reporting. World Report 2020 is Human Rights Watch’s 30th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. Human rights work — whether of a monitoring or a promotional nature — has Evaluating the credibility of reports of human rights violations and abuses remains difficult. Journalists should minimize their risk of physical exposure by limiting the reporting they carry out in person. This was documented in a UNAMID report submitted to the UN Security Council earlier this month. Assignment: County Report on Human Rights Violations: Gender & Sexuality. You can confirm the legitimacy of photos using tools such as TinEye or Google Images, which allows you to reverse image search and review metadata. Deadline: June 18, 2020. PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Using verifiable eyewitness accounts that minimize physical movement for health safety reasons is the right thing to do, said Nigerian journalist Fisayo Soyombo. Report Human Rights Abuses List the specific Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that have been violated. National and international law recognizes certain basic rights and freedoms, such as the right to equal treatment under the law, or freedom of thought and expression, as human rights. This means that your information must come from bona fide sources such as peer-reviewed scholarship, non-profit publications, government statistics, and first-hand accounts. “Journalists should therefore increase their search on social media where people go first to share stories of abuse.”. Even if they are not prosecuted, publicity or the prospect of an investigation can have a restraining effect on the perpetrators. Human rights are key in shaping the pandemic response, both for the public health emergency and the broader impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. Human rights reporting may take different forms, but certain elements are crucial to a UN HRO's report. “Several … Consider inviting members of the public to contribute to your news gathering efforts. Restrictions during the pandemic can also mean that people living in more remote communities with low internet connectivity will have less access to information. Your research must validate the claims of human rights violations. Senami Kojah is a Nigerian investigative journalist and news editor at Saharareporters.com. “They must put themselves out there and make themselves accessible to the public.”. Serious human rights violations. Assignment summary:Students are expected to write a country report on human rights violations/issues with gender and sexuality focus. Public and civilian safety continues to be compromised to combat counterinsurgency through illegal detention, arbitrary arrests and denial of freedom of expression. To learn more, click here. Digital rights may be further hindered In countries where governments seek to control the flow of information. You can do so through online polls, call-outs asking for information from the public, and questionnaires, for example. Titled "The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2020", the 15,000-Chinese-character document details facts regarding Washington's incompetent pandemic containment leading to tragic outcomes, American democracy disorder triggering political chaos, ethnic minorities suffering racial discrimination, continuous social unrest threatening public security, growing … To join a local chapter or start your own, contact us. “You cannot report on rights violations accurately, even those carried out against journalists if you are not in the right headspace psychologically,” said Rozen. A basic introduction to human rights, this booklet outlines their development through history, up to the present day. List the specific Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that have been violated. Read more about China bans BBC for reporting on human rights violation, US condemns move on Business Standard. Human rights put … This report lays its foundation by outlining the laws governing human Two successful examples of this are the New York Times’ reporting on the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, both of which incorporate crowdsourced information and video footage. Ecuadorean Ombudsman's Office Commission for Truth and Justice is set to deliver a report on human rights violations committed against demonstrators that took to the streets in October last year to reject President Lenin Moreno's decision to cut fuel subsidies. It did not observe improvements, stating it still has “reasonable grounds to believe” serious human rights violations were committed, particularly around the election targeting the main opposition party, National Congress for Liberty. All Rights Reserved. The Guardian tracks topics of interest for their readers by embedding options for them to ask questions in their articles. Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party government's mouthpiece, said that the broadcaster is responsible "for falsified reporting" on China's handling of … “The focus should be on documented evidence of violations rather than attempting to physically report the event. Most governments and opposition groups deny they commit human rights violations or abuses and occasionally go to great lengths to conceal any wrongdoing. State the facts, as far as possible in chronological order. Assignment summary:Students are expected to write a country report on human rights violations/issues with gender and sexuality focus. Reference should be made to Chapter VIII "Interviewing". While journalists and researchers have documented some incidents in their reporting, like this article on infringements on free speech and this report on xenophobic attacks and discrimination, others have gone unreported due to the increased difficulty of reporting during the pandemic. According to a draft that the Ecuadorian press had access … Stories must be approached in a multimedia way so that their impact can be far reaching.”. RELATED: Ecuador: Debates Start to Set the Minimum Wage for 2021 . While journalists and researchers have documented some incidents in their reporting, like this article on infringements on free speech and this report on xenophobic attacks and discrimination, others have gone unreported due to the increased difficulty of reporting during the pandemic. The 652-page volume reviews human rights practices and trends in … It also introduces the world’s most important human rights documents and includes the full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To Our Clients and Friends: The European Commission Commission) has launched a centralized complaints system through which EU-registered companies, industry associations, trade unions and NGOs can report market access barriers or breaches by third countr ies of their ‘trade and sustainable development’ (TSD) … Human rights reports must be prepared using consistent approaches to human rights information, terminology (e.g., standardized spelling of names and locations, qualification of violations), data compilation, presentation and analysis. There are Human Rights chapters all over the world. These accounts must go through rigorous verification to avoid spreading misleading information. People visit hospitals less frequently and are less likely to report violations to the police, as well. Summary for February 18–24, 2021. Journalists should utilize multimedia components to generate more impact, said Sanusi. Field presences should follow guidance on reporting issued by OHCHR for different kinds of reports, and adopt, as needed, specific reporting guidelines. There may be few eyewitnesses to specific alleged violations or abuses. The United for Human Rights logo is owned by United for Human Rights. Deadline: June 18, 2020. Journalists should pay heightened attention to especially vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women in correctional facilities, domestic workers quarantining with their bosses, and immigrants at detention facilities, among others. Soyombo started a popular hashtag series #fisayoscovid19series on Twitter to amplify stories of rights violations shared by Twitter users in Nigeria during the first lockdown of the pandemic in his country. The joint United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) mission reported 47 cases of human rights violations and the displacement of more than 50,000 people in Darfur between September 1 and November 23 of this year. Students can pick any topics/issues that are relevant to gender and sexuality human rights issues. Strong multimedia reporting can shine a light on rights violations in a way that text alone may not be able to achieve. She is a 2019 Climate Tracker Online Data Journalism Fellow. Include the date, time and place of the incident(s); name and position of the perpetrator(s); place of detention if applicable; names and addresses of any witnesses and any other important details. Titled "The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2020," the 15,000-Chinese-character document details facts regarding Washington's … The report, based on verified information gathered by UN human rights officers, states that armed groups were responsible for around two-thirds of the human rights violations and abuses registered during the reporting period, while Government security forces – mainly the army and the National Police (PNC) – accounted for the other third (20 percent by the FARDC and nine percent by the PNC). It is important for journalists to learn how to use circumventing tools such as NordVPN, Psiphon and Tor, among others, to stay connected in the event of an internet shutdown. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Titled "The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2020," the 15,000-Chinese-character document details facts regarding Washington's incompetent pandemic containment leading to tragic outcomes, American democracy disorder triggering political chaos, ethnic minorities suffering racial discrimination, continuous social unrest threatening public security, growing … If you witness law enforcement or other government actors violating these rights, there are a number of things you can do to stop the violations. Adopting a multimedia format will help engage audiences while sustaining their attention. Help make human rights an everyday reality with educational tools that bring them to life. It’s important for journalists to establish alternative ways to reach these people so that issues that may otherwise go unreported in these communities are escalated and properly documented. This report documents the ways Nigeria’s current legal framework, aided by the SSMPA, endorses human rights violations on its own citizens by deeming LGBTQI persons unworthy and undeserving of their fundamental human rights. There may be few eyewitnesses to specific violations or abuses. CNN recently used crowdsourced video footage from the Lekki shootings in Nigeria, which experts then analyzed, to produce an explosive investigative feature that confirmed the killing of peaceful protesters in October. During a crisis like a global pandemic, perpetrators may feel any rights violations they commit will receive less attention. This week, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights documented 209 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by IOF and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). “I think crowdsourcing is the way. On digital security, CPJ recommends that journalists working from home should update their devices to the latest operating system to reduce cyber threats. If you know your rights, they can’t be taken away. further violation. Others will also come forward with their own stories if they see reporting on rights violations in the news, added Soyombo. Frequently, eyewitnesses are intimidated or prevented from reporting … Unless it is absolutely necessary, we all need to embrace non-physical means of reporting the news,” he said. You should also analyze the profiles of the users sharing stories to ensure that they have not shared false or harmful information in the past. Frequently, eyewitnesses are intimidated or prevented from reporting what they … A human rights report like any argument is based on supporting evidence.