IGC Justice Impact Group: Launch of the Civil Society Declaration on Sexual Violence

CCDSV-onendavid.com
Launched in The Hague in June 2019, the IGC Justice Impact Group’s first project on advancing understanding of all forms of sexual violence is making steady progress. The Declaration is available in English and in French and will soon be available in Spanish and Arabic. The three documents (the Civil Society Declaration, the ICL Guidelines and the Key Principles for Policy Makers) will together form The Hague Principles on Sexual Violence.
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The High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement should focus on addressing the causes of long-term displacements

Kampala Convention Signatories
On 23 October 2019, the UN Secretary-General announced the establishment of a High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement in an event organised to mark the 10-anniversary of the adoption of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Africa a.k.a Kampala Convention. Herein, I argue that the yet to be composed panel should look deeply into the vulnerabilities of refugees and focus on addressing the root causes of internal displacements.
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Uganda’s Commitment to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Requires ‘Whole-of-Society’ Approach of Intervention

Uganda_Delegation_at_MindTheMind
The Kingdom of the Netherlands recently (7-8 October 2019) demonstrated its commitment to improving Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for millions of people affected by conflicts and forced displacements through the first International Conference on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Crisis held in Amsterdam. I bring to you the (audio-recorded) speech of Dr. Olaro Charles, Director of Clinical Services at the Ministry of Health who represented the Government of the Republic of Uganda at the conference.
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‘Unless documented and shared; it didn’t happen’: Upskilling ‘First Responders’ to do so

Training-on-Documentation
Despite tremendous technological advancements, increase in number of ‘experts’ with spectacular insights on laws and policies to make this world a better place, international community still grapple with disturbing cases and statistics of human rights abuses including conflict-related sexual violence. Consequently, the need to empower national and international practitioners on documentation and investigation has suffused among humanitarian and development actors as one of the measures of tackling impunity and guaranteeing non-repetition of human rights abuses and violations.
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Tribute to Med Kaggwa (RIP) – Compilation of photos taken during UN Day Against Torture 2019

Guests marching during UN Day Against Torture 2019
This video is a compilation of photos taken during the commemoration of the UN Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June 2019 where the late Med Kaggwa was present and delivered a moving speech calling on all actors to fight torture. Mr. Med Kaggwa (RIP) fought a good fight in the promotion of and defending rights for all in and out of Uganda. May his soul rest in eternal peace!
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Tribute to Med Kaggwa (RIP) – Compilation of photos taken during UN Day Against Torture 2019

This video is a compilation of photos taken during the commemoration of the UN Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June 2019 where the late Med Kaggwa was present and delivered a moving speech calling on all actors to fight torture. Mr. Med Kaggwa (RIP) fought a good fight in the promotion of and defending rights for all in and out of Uganda. May his soul rest in eternal peace!
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In support of the Civil Society Declaration on Sexual Violence

Civil Society Declaration on Sexual Violence 2019
After several years of work on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), this declaration is a demonstration that through rigorous advocacy, we can collectively realise progressive transformation towards better support for survivors/victims and gender inclusivity. However, herculean hurdles lie ahead of the journeys toward realising contexts where all survivors can access and uptake services without discrimination, and where survivors/victims are not only beneficiaries of services but also active partners in response to and prevention of sexual violence.
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Amateur or Organic? Re-imagining photography in forced migration work

Police Band in action during the march
I have had an interesting photography journey thus far! With numerous interactions with ‘professional’ photographers, I have learnt to view the world in an entirely different way. That said, I have contributed to Refugee Law Project’s photo gallery with my ‘raw’ photos which 'professional' photographers refer to as amateur, but I brand them as ‘organic photos’ since they contain no artificial additives. For those who missed out on my photos shared via social media and/or struggle with the constant bustle and alerts of the 'new media', worry no more – the Photo Gallery on RLP’s website is up and running with carefully selected and stunning photos.
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Surviving Torture and Fighting Stigma Workshop

Torture is Real, Speak Up
Following RLP’s contribution at the 49th Session of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNFVT) on 3 April 2019 during which Aimé Moninga and David Onen Ongwech, Programme Manager Gender & Sexuality, represented Refugee Law Project and amplified the voices of male survivors of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV), we are pleased to share the report of the Public Event and the Annual Expert Workshop produced by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.
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Proactive Approaches Required for Transformative Political Participation of Refugee Women and Girls

Proactive approaches required for transformative political participation of refugee women and girls
The article throws light on the contentious debates surrounding the question whether women are doing enough to support fellow women in the empowerment struggle to attain their full leadership potential. The article also explores some ways that may be used to address the challenges that hinder refugee women and girls from achieving their full leadership potential.
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