Posts by whrin_admin

New Hope for Survivors as they Celebrate Historic UN Resolution Condemning Harmful Practices Related to Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks

New Hope for Survivors as they Celebrate Historic UN Resolution Condemning Harmful Practices Related to Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks

Following 6 years of intensive advocacy by a coalition of survivors, NGOs, academics and lawyers, the UN Human Rights Council has passed a ground-breaking resolution, which “emphatically condemns harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks that result in human rights violations.

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 27th July 2021

 

 

UN Concept Note: In Support of Advocacy for the Elimination of Harmful Practices: Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks

Please click HERE to download the full concept note and preliminary paper.

Webinar – Public Health and Witchcraft Beliefs

Thanks to those who were able to join us at the webinar on 17th June which looked to explore the understandings of public health conditions and ‘witchcraft’ beliefs. This is with a view to developing a toolkit that could help practitioners and communities demystify the common public health conditions considered as signs of ‘witchcraft’.

This is part of the wider work that WHRIN has been working on with Lancaster University and the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, Ms. Ikponwosa Ero. It looks to implement some of the key recommendations from the 2017 Expert workshop on witchcraft and human rights, at the UN in Geneva. The report from which highlighted how widespread abuses of human rights across the world are due to harmful practices related to abuse of belief in witchcraft which are ‘fuelled by misbeliefs in supernatural powers and misconception of public health issues’.

The presentations from the webinar can be found below:

“Witchcraft” Beliefs and Public Health: An Overview – Gary Foxcroft, Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network

“Witchcraft” Beliefs and Mental Health: A Nigerian Perspective – Dr Olatunde Ayinde, University of Ibadan teaching Hospital, Nigeria 

We ask for them to be returned back by taking them to the sacred forest and make them disappear by burying them and make it secret’  – Sarah Snow, Medical Assistance Sierra Leone, and Mary Penn-Timity, Sierra Leone Autistic Society

Demystifying Dementia and Harmful practices of Witchcraft – Berrie Holzhausen, Alzheimers Dementia, Namibia

 

The recordings of the webinar can be found below:

https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/5be27e1f-447f-4412-ac11-e036c3c79947

https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/28e2c74e-845c-4c62-94b7-7898086b045a

 

 

 

Women in Gambia Describe Torture After Ex-President Called Them Witches: New York Times

Gambia’s former president ordered people he accused of “witchcraft” to be kidnapped and tortured. The victims now plan to tell a truth commission what happened. See article here. 

People Suspected of Witchcraft Are Still Being Persecuted and Killed: VICE News

An international group of advocates are urging the U.N. to do something about the ostracization and violence. See article here. 

Witch Hunting Requires An International Response: Baroness Goudie Blog

Check out this blog post on Baroness Goudie’s blog by WHRIN Campaigns Director, Dr Leo Igwe, here

Exploring the use of JuJu practices within Nigerian Culture, Article available as link

Exploring the use of Juju in Nigerian Cultures

An academic piece written by Anthony Dunkerley

UN Side Event – “Violence Against Children: Witchcraft Beliefs and Practices”

March 7th 2018

All WHRIN members are invited to attend a side event to the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council on: “Violence Against Children: Witchcraft Beliefs and Practices”

Please download the full concept note here

Please download the poster to the event HERE

Email workshop@whrin.org if you wish to attend the event and we will send you the relevant details. Please note that, sadly, we are not in a position to help with any costs or logistical arrangements.

‘What kind of witchcraft is this?’ Development, magic and spiritual ontologies’ Article available in the link

What kind of witchcraft is this Development magic and spiritual ontologies[732]

Continued… A summary of Sorcery in Papua New Guinea (Available here…)

http://http://un.org.au/2013/06/07/sorcery-related-violence-in-papua-new-guinea-in-the-context-of-international-human-rights-law/#more-909