Breaking the silence about non-state torture (NST)

In speaking out that non-state torture happens in the home and other places, I write and use my art-work to raise awareness and to help educate. 

It is important that there is human rights recognition of non-state torture as a form of violence in domestic/private settings. Torture that occurs in these settings is a genderised violence. All persons, and particularly women, women who when they were girls, and children who have endured torture victimisation in this way are invisibilized in our world.

For more detailed information about Non-State Torture visit the website of Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald at Persons Against Non-State Torture including Ritual Abuse-Torture: http://www.nonstatetorture.org

 

 

 

And follow these links to my About page here:

What is Non-state torture?

What is Ritual abuse-torture?

Telling the story of non-state torture

The paintings and drawings in the little galleries, I hope, help to raise awareness and relational empathy for all persons who have endured non-state torture, including ritual abuse-torture. Telling the story safely, and relational activism, helps recovery and healing. Being listened to and being heard supports our dignity as persons and our human rights to freedom and living connection with others. 

Article 5 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that...

"No one shall be subjected to torture or to other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment"...

It should be the absolute and non-derogable human right for all persons not to be subjected to non-state torture. Socio-legal human rights recognition of non-state torture including ritual abuse-torture is 'emerging' in UN terms, and necessary, so that all persons, and future generations of adults and children, are free to tell, to speak, and to talk about non-state torture in our communities and in our world, with the knowledge that our human rights are protected, not to be harmed by torture in private settings in any way.