presentation at National Consultation

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 1/32

 Testimony to improvepsychosocial wellbeing and

promote advocacy for survivorsof torture and organized

violence

Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi

Convener PVCHR Ms. Shirin Shabana Khan

Project Coordinator, PVCHR 

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 2/32

A collaborative project of  

• Rehabilitation andResearch Centre forTorture Victims (RCT),Copenhagen

&

• Peoples’ VigilanceCommittee on HumanRights (PVCHR), Varanasi

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 3/32

 Testimony as a Brief TherapyIntervention

First project in Varanasi, India with thehuman rights organization:

Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on HumanRights (PVCHR):

“Capacity building project ontestimonial therapy for Human Rights Organizations in India” 

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 4/32

 The objectives of the

project Context specific manuals for using theTestimony Method developed

Capacity built in using the Testimony Methodamong human rights defenders

Psychosocial wellbeing of survivors enhanced

Impact and outcomes analyzed through an

M&E system

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 5/32

Interpretation of Testimony(Dr. Jhawar , clinical

psychologist, Varanasi) T- Truth E- Emotions S- Sentiments T- Tortured I – Individual M- Magnifiable

O- Operations N- Never  Y- Yielding their rights 

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 6/32

 Testimony Model

DevelopedFour sessions:

1. Session one: Opening the story 

2. Session two: Closing the story 

3. Session three: Delivery ceremony 

4. Session four: Follow up

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 7/32

PVCHR Human Rights

Work Investigate & Document Violations

 Advocacy 

“Folk Schools” in “People Friendly” model Villages

People can give testimonies and receive

support from the group Concerns of health and education

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 8/32

Manual

A manual on testimony therapy for community workers

and human rights defenders was developed (published

 both in English and Hindi)

Giving Voice 

“Using Testimony as a Brief Therapy: Intervention in

 Psychosocial Community Work for Survivors of 

Torture and Organised Violence”

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 9/32

 Testimony Workshops

Three two-week training-of-trainers workshops conducted:

1. May 2008: 12 human rights defenders from PVCHR 2. January 2009: 14 Human rights defenders from four states:

Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

3. February-March 2009: 14 Human rights defenders from

three states: Jharkhand, Manipur and Chattisgarh

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 10/32

Schedule of Workshops

 Two parts:

1. First week:

Theory and exercises (through role plays) 

2. Second week:

Practice: Participants take testimonies withsurvivors under supervision

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 11/32

 Testimonies collected

Period of data collection:12 months (May

2008 to April 2009)

On average the interview is held 1 year and5 month after the date of the most stressful

event

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 12/32

Background of survivors A total of 85 primary and secondary victims of 

which:

Male: 65 (76 %) Female: 20 (24 %)

Average age: 39.2 yrs; Age - ranging: 18 -70 yrs

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 13/32

Background of survivors

Category of survivors

Primary Victim: 61

Secondary Victim: 24

Secondary victims most often reported relation

to primary victim as either wife (29 %), father 

(14 %) or brother.

Religion: Vast majority are Hindus (86 %, n= 72) followed by

christian (7 %, n=6). 

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 14/32

Background of survivors

Caste Upper Caste: 9 % (n = 8)

OBC: 46 % (n = 39)

SC: 21 % (n = 18)

ST: 24 % (n = 20)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 15/32

Background of survivors

Education

No education: 28 % (n= 24)

Primary education: 19 % (n=16)

Secondary education: 19 % (n= 16) BA: 11 % (n=9)

Other 24 % (n =20)

high school, intermediate, BAMS

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 16/32

Background of survivors Occupation: 

Agriculture: 37 % (n =31) Business: 6 % (n =5)

Household: 6 % (n =5) Public service, journalism, teacher: 6 % (n=5) Lawyer, doctor: 2 % (n=2) Government or political position: 2 % (n=2)

Other 40 % (n = 34), Primarily landless labour, such as haker, tea stall,

making plates or rickshaw driver   Not working 2 % (n =2)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 17/32

Background of survivors

 Activities:  Humanitarian/ Solidarity: 29 % (n =25)

Political: 6 % (n=5) Religious: 6 % (n=5)

Trade Union: 2 % (n=2)

Press: 1 % (n=1)

No activities: 49 % (n=42)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 18/32

Type of Violations

Types of Human Rights violations: Psychological torture: 82 % (n=70)

Physical torture: 48 % (n=41)

Sexual torture: 4 % (n=3)

Custodial death of primary victim: 2 % (n =2)

Extra-judicial killing of primary victim: 1 %

(n=1)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 19/32

Identity of Perpetrator

Identity of perpetrator: Police: 80 % (n =68)

 Armed forces: 5 % (n =4)

Intelligence Service: 2 % (n =2)

Prison authority: 1 % (n =1)

Other: 34 % (n =29), Primarily neighbours, Village leader and Upper

caste

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 20/32

Injured Part of Body

Most frequently injured parts of body

one or both legs 25 % (n =21)

 back 24 % (n =20)

one or both arms 20 % (n =17) one foot or both feet 15 % (n =13)

face 13 % (n =11)

head 9 % (n =8)

chest/breast 8 % (n =7)

not injured: 28 % (n =24)

On average primary victims report 2.4 injured body parts

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 21/32

Nature of Injury

Most frequently types of physical injuries: Pain 26 % (n=22)

Loss of function 26 % (n =20)

Loss of sensation 20 % (n= 17) Open wound 20 % (n =17)

Loss of strength 18 % (n =15)

Bruise 11 % (n=8)

Fracture 9 % (n =8)

Not injured 24 % (n=20)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 22/32

 Treatment before Testimonial Therapy

Legal aid: 33 % (n=28)

Testimony before tribunal: 31 % (n=26)

Public hospital: 19 % (n=16)

Counselling: 19 % (n=16)

Medication: 17 % (n=14)

Private hospital: 11 % (n=9)

Physiotherapy: 4 % (n=3) Surgery: 2 % (n=2)

None: 29 % (n=25)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 23/32

Use of Testimony

Survivor wants:

80 % want it published or used for human rights work 

Other interventions by PVCHR or other actors: Medical: 8 % (n=7)

Social: 55 % (n=47)

Legal: 60 % (n=51) Reading of testimony at Folk School Meeting: 53 % (n=45)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 24/32

 Types of Delivery Ceremonies

 At public demonstration in front of Government

Head Quarters

 At “Folk School” meetings

 At community meetings

 At street plays & singing

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 25/32

Demonstration in front of District Headquarter

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 26/32

Folk School Meeting

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 27/32

Community Meeting

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 28/32

Street Play

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 29/32

Out come of ProfessionalConsultation

Interesting part of this therapy is that it has both Western element of Anger Management, ClassicalConditioning and Eastern approach of relaxationmethods and Meditation.

It’s a cost effective model of psychotherapy whichdon’t require clinics or hospitals but, directly onecan do this intervention at the doorsteps of the victim. For ex. His house, community, in a forest

etc. The economic cost of the whole approach seems to be very less than regular psychotherapy session in aclinic or hospital.

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 30/32

Facts

There are around 3,000 adequately qualified 

 psychiatrists and 1000 clinical psychologist 

in the entire country of more than a billion populations.

 In U.P itself there may only be less than 100 psychiatrists and 100 psychologists. The

ratio of doctors is very less.

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 31/32

Advocacy

 Web Advocacy:

 Web News: www.mynews.in  You Tube: www.youtube.com

Legal: Meta Legal: (Cases in Human Rights institutions, allied

system, police departments, policy makers and UN)

Legal: (which are in the court)

8/14/2019 presentation at National Consultation

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/presentation-at-national-consultation 32/32

Aims of this Consultation

To increase the awareness of how torture engenders psychological symptomsin survivors and how it affects their daily life. To discuss the experiencesgained after taking testimonies of 80 survivors of TOV.

To integrate testimony into political campaigns, contributing to the national

campaign for the ratification of CAT and the national domestic law againsttorture.

To explore the possibility of creating alliances with different politicalorganizations and stake holders in India concerning the fight against TOV.

To promote the psycho-social well-being of the survivor of TOV.