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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

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

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.

WHRIN Releases Latest UN Report

Witchcraft Accusations and Persecution; Muti Murders and Human Sacrifice:Harmful Beliefs and Practices Behind a Global Crisis in Human Rights

This report was specifically compiled for the United Nations Expert Workshop on Witchcraft and Human Rights, in Geneva on 21st and 22nd September 2017.

The report outlines a study of all recorded online cases of human rights abuses linked to beliefs in witchcraft, muti and human sacrifice in 2016.  It aims to provide some background understanding into the work carried out by the United Nations on these issues to date; outline the current scale of the abuses of human rights that are taking place across the world due such harmful beliefs and practices; identify emerging trends and, finally, act as a call to action for all UN, Government and civil society agencies working on these issues to redouble their efforts to develop solutions to prevent further abuses from taking place.

The full report can be downloaded HERE

Research Project with University of Sussex Launched

As part of WHRIN’s commitment to support practitioners to gain a better understanding of how beliefs in witchcraft and spirit possession impact on the lives of those accused, and their siblings, in the UK, we are partnering with the University of Sussex to research these issues in more depth. This is ground-breaking research and we need your help if we are to ensure that survivors of abuse, their families and the practitioners working to support them get the support they need. So, if you have experience of working on such cases, have a family member who was accused of witchcraft or thought to have been possessed by evil spirits, or have direct experience of these issues yourself, please read below for more information and contact us on the details below. Thanks in advance for any support that you may be able to offer here!

Study title – Accusations of spirit possession and witchcraft against children: how this is experienced by those who are accused and their siblings who are not accused.

Researcher Details 

Leethen Bartholomew is carrying out his doctoral studies at the University of Sussex. He has been a social worker for the past 19 years and for 11 of these years he has worked with families where a child has been accused of being possessed by evil spirits or witchcraft. Leethen is also WHRIN’s lead trainer on these issues and has provided training to thousands of practitioners across the UK.  He is deeply committed to increasing awareness of the issue amongst professionals and communities in the hope that children and young people are better protected and supported.

What is the purpose of the research?

Over the past two decades in the UK, there has been a number of high profile cases involving children who have been accused by their parent or carer of being possessed or being a witch. Some of these children have been harmed and consequently taken into social services care. In a number of these cases their brothers or sisters witnessed them being harmed; sometimes children who were not accused were taken into care too. In most cases, not only the accused child but also their sibling(s) are likely to have been affected by what happened.For example, in a number of high profile cases in the UK, the siblings of those accused have witnessed abuse, been accused themselves and/or undergone serious psychological, emotional and physical distress. We need to understand what this is like for each of them, so that we can  better protect them and respond to their needs. The study aims to do that.

How you can help

As you may appreciate, this is a highly sensitive, and therefore, important, subject area and we really need your help if we are to develop the understanding needed to ensure that vulnerable members of society are better protected and supported. All information will be treated with confidentiality and advice and guidance can be provided by Leethen where needed.

Please email Leethen on l.bartholomew@sussex.ac.uk or call him 07947 366795 if you would like to know more information about how you can take part in this research project.

Thanks in advance for any support that you may be able to offer here and we look forward to hearing from you.

UN Human Rights Council Event – Witchcraft and Human Rights Expert Workshop

 

On September 21st and 22nd 2017, WHRIN, together with the UN Independent Expert on Albinism and Lancaster University, organised the first ever UN Expert Workshop on Witchcraft and Human Rights at the UN Human Rights Council. Co-organizers for the event were the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities.

The workshop was ground-breaking and the first of its kind at the UN or international level. It brought together UN Experts, academics and members of civil society to discuss the violence associated with such beliefs and practices and groups that are particularly vulnerable. The event highlighted the various manifestations of witchcraft beliefs and practice, including accusations, stigma, and ritual killings, before identifying good practice in combating such practices. The event marked an important step towards mainstreaming the issue into the UN Human Rights system, whilst providing impetus and practical guidance to the numerous international and regional mechanisms, academics and civil society actors that have been working to raise awareness and understanding of these challenging issues.

Whilst the workshop marked an important step in the fight to prevent more human rights abuses taking places due to beliefs in witchcraft, it is important that we use it as a springboard to TAKE MORE ACTION and keep the momentum up behind the movement that our network is creating. Please click HERE to see how WHRIN intends to support this happening.

More details about the UN Workshop on Witchcraft and Human Rights can be found below:

TV Coverage – You can view the entire workshop online via UN Web TV via the following links:

Preliminary Findings – A presentation of the preliminary findings from the workshop can be found here. A full report on the findings from the workshop will be compiled and submitted to the UN Human Rights Council by early 2018. WHRIN will look to update the network on progress here.

Final Report – The final report, which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in February 2018, is available to download here

Photos – A slideshow of the photos of the event can be found here. With sincere thanks to Don Sawatsky from Under the Same Sun.

Press Coverage – The workshop was widely covered in the International Media. Please see links below:

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Publicity Video of the Workshop 

Remarks by Kate Gilmore, Deputy UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Violence Against Children welcomes commitment to tackle impunity for witchcraft related human rights violations and to children’s protection from violence

Experts Propose Steps to End Practices Related to Witchcraft

UN moves against witchcraft, abuse of human rights, others

The Trade in Body Parts of People with Albinism is Driven by Myth and International Inaction

 

Toil and Trouble: The Economist

The Economist investigates the challenge police and social workers are facing to prevent the spread of abuse linked to belief in witchcraft and spirit possession in the UK. Read the full story here 

BBC Radio 5 Live Investigation into Witchcraft Accusations in the UK

Listen to the full story, including comment from WHRIN Executive Director – Gary Foxcroft – here 

UN Commission on the Status of Women Session 59 : Witchcraft Accusations Panel

UN Commission on the Status of Women Session 59

 WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATIONS – VIOLENCE & TORTURE –
WOMEN & CHILDREN

 March 11, 2015

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Salvation Army Center – Auditorium

221 E. 52nd St. – Between 2nd & 3rd Avenues – NYC

See full event details here

Read WHRIN’s statement for the panel here

 

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