Documenting Human Rights Documenting Human Rights ViolationsViolations

Content:Content: Events and indicatorsEvents and indicators Acts and eventsActs and events One person, many rolesOne person, many roles Standard formatsStandard formats Micro-thesauriMicro-thesauri Who did what to whom?Who did what to whom? WinEvsys relational databaseWinEvsys relational database

Monitoring Human Rights ViolationsMonitoring Human Rights Violations

Two Two approachesapproaches to monitoring: to monitoring:1)1) ““Violations” approachViolations” approach2)2) ““Progressive realisation” approachProgressive realisation” approach

Two Two methodologiesmethodologies in monitoring: in monitoring:1)1) Events-based methodologies (acts and events)Events-based methodologies (acts and events)2)2) Indicators-based methodologiesIndicators-based methodologies

WinEvsys: violations approach, events-WinEvsys: violations approach, events-based methodologybased methodology

Events MethodologyEvents MethodologyBasic Elements of a human rights Basic Elements of a human rights

violations caseviolations case

VICTIM

ACT

PERPETRATOR

BUT IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT!!!

Sometimes, a single act can affect many victims

Or several acts can be committed against a single victim

ARREST

MASSACRE

TORTURE EXECUTION

COMMON ERROR:

VICTIM

ACT

PERPETRATOR

PICKING OUT A SINGLE ACT

AND EQUATING IT TO A SINGLE EVENT

EVENT

ARREST TORTURE EXECUTION

For instance, it has been a common error to pick out only the gravest kind of violation for recording

SUCH ERRORS ARE DUE TO THE POOR DESIGN OF DATA ENTRY FORMS (ONLY SPACE FOR ONE ACT, ONE VICTIM, ONE PERPETRATOR)

SOLUTION: Separate the recording of information on events and acts

A single action, usually involving force, which is committed by an individual or group against another (act of commission).

The non-performance of an expected or required movement or action (act of omission).An act is not necessarily a violation! (example: arrest

ACT

Something that happens, with a beginning and an end, and which progresses until its logical conclusion.

An event can contain a single act, a series of related acts, or a number of related acts happening together. For an event to be relevant, least one act should be a human rights violation.

EVENT

Persons and rolesPersons and roles

Four basic roles: victim, perpetrator, source, intervening Four basic roles: victim, perpetrator, source, intervening partyparty

One person can have several roles: in different events, or One person can have several roles: in different events, or even same event.even same event.

Example:Example:Police arrests and tortures Ramon. His lawyer, Edgar,Police arrests and tortures Ramon. His lawyer, Edgar,intervenes on his behalf. Police threatens Edgar. Edgarintervenes on his behalf. Police threatens Edgar. Edgar

provides information against police to human rightsprovides information against police to human rightsorganisation. Organisation makes public report. Police attacksorganisation. Organisation makes public report. Police attacksEdgar’s family.Edgar’s family.

ARREST OF DESACULA ET AL.

Edgar Desacula was arrested together with Ramon Aguilar by members of the Pasay City Police Force at Roxas Boulevard at about 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon of November 18, 1987.

Desacula and Aguilar were brought to the police headquarters for questioning. Aguilar was immediately released. Desacula was passed to operatives of the Intelligence and Special Operations Group (ISOG) who conducted tactical interrogation and subjected Desacula to torture.

Desacula was later charged with “Violation of Presidential Decree 1866 (Illegal Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Rebellion)”. Desacula has remained in detention.

Desacula, 23, single, and Aguilar, 26, married, both worked in the garment factory GenTex. Edna Aguilar, wife of Ramon Aguilar, supplied information regarding the arrest. She also gave personal details of Desacula and Aguilar. She had also sought the help of Atty Ignacio, who provided legal assistance to both victims.

ARREST OF DESACULA ET AL.

Edgar Desacula was arrested together with Ramon Aguilar by members of the Pasay City Police Force at Roxas Boulevard at about 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon of November 18, 1987.

Desacula and Aguilar were brought to the police headquarters for questioning. Aguilar was immediately released. Desacula was passed to operatives of the Intelligence and Special Operations Group (ISOG) who conducted tactical interrogation and subjected Desacula to torture.

Desacula was later charged with “Violation of Presidential Decree 1866 (Illegal Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Rebellion)”. Desacula has remained in detention.

Desacula, 23, single, and Aguilar, 26, married, both worked in the garment factory GenTex. Edna Aguilar, wife of Ramon Aguilar, supplied information regarding the arrest. She also gave personal details of Desacula and Aguilar. She had also sought the help of Atty Ignacio, who provided legal assistance to both victims.

ARREST OF DESACULA ET AL.

Edgar Desacula was arrested together with Ramon Aguilar by members of the Pasay City Police Force at Roxas Boulevard at about 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon of November 18, 1987.

Desacula and Aguilar were brought to the police headquarters for questioning. Aguilar was immediately released. Desacula was passed to operatives of the Intelligence and Special Operations Group (ISOG) who conducted tactical interrogation and subjected Desacula to torture.

Desacula was later charged with “Violation of Presidential Decree 1866 (Illegal Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Rebellion)”. Desacula has remained in detention.

Desacula, 23, single, and Aguilar, 26, married, both worked in the garment factory GenTex. Edna Aguilar, wife of Ramon Aguilar, supplied information regarding the arrest. She also gave personal details of Desacula and Aguilar. She had also sought the help of Atty Ignacio, who provided legal assistance to both victims.

ARREST OF DESACULA ET AL.

Edgar Desacula was arrested together with Ramon Aguilar by members of the Pasay City Police Force at Roxas Boulevard at about 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon of November 18, 1987.

Desacula and Aguilar were brought to the police headquarters for questioning. Aguilar was immediately released. Desacula was passed to operatives of the Intelligence and Special Operations Group (ISOG) who conducted tactical interrogation and subjected Desacula to torture.

Desacula was later charged with “Violation of Presidential Decree 1866 (Illegal Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Rebellion)”. Desacula has remained in detention.

Desacula, 23, single, and Aguilar, 26, married, both worked in the garment factory GenTex. Edna Aguilar, wife of Ramon Aguilar, supplied information regarding the arrest. She also gave personal details of Desacula and Aguilar. She had also sought the help of Atty Ignacio, who provided legal assistance to both victims.

ARREST OF DESACULA ET AL.

Edgar Desacula was arrested together with Ramon Aguilar by members of the Pasay City Police Force at Roxas Boulevard at about 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon of November 18, 1987.

Desacula and Aguilar were brought to the police headquarters for questioning. Aguilar was immediately released. Desacula was passed to operatives of the Intelligence and Special Operations Group (ISOG) who conducted tactical interrogation and subjected Desacula to torture.

Desacula was later charged with “Violation of Presidential Decree 1866 (Illegal Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Rebellion)”. Desacula has remained in detention.

Desacula, 23, single, and Aguilar, 26, married, both worked in the garment factory GenTex. Edna Aguilar, wife of Ramon Aguilar, supplied information regarding the arrest. She also gave personal details of Desacula and Aguilar. She had also sought the help of Atty Ignacio, who provided legal assistance to both victims.

Who did what to whom?Who did what to whom?

IntelligenceArrest

Police

Detention

Arrest

Torture

Edgar Desacula

Ramon Aguilar

Arrest of Desacula et al.

Edna Aguilar

Ignacio

PP

P

PV

V

V

V

S

IPIP

Session 4

Structured textStructured text

PersonPerson Name: Edgar Name: Edgar

DesaculaDesacula Age: 23Age: 23 Civil status: singleCivil status: single Town: PasayTown: Pasay Employer: GenTexEmployer: GenTex ……

ActAct Act: tortureAct: torture Victim: Edgar Victim: Edgar

DesaculaDesacula Perpetrator: ISOGPerpetrator: ISOG Date act: 18.11.1897Date act: 18.11.1897 ……..

Structured VS Free textStructured VS Free text

Easy to search, Easy to search, compare, count, compare, count, identify patterns and identify patterns and trends, count, make trends, count, make statisticsstatistics

Possible import into a Possible import into a databasedatabase

Easy to input data, Easy to input data, writing skills not writing skills not important skillsimportant skills

You cannot translate You cannot translate everything into fields everything into fields and labels.and labels.

People relate well to People relate well to narrative accounts, narrative accounts, structured data is structured data is cold.cold.

With free text you can With free text you can convey the cumulative convey the cumulative effects of several effects of several violations on a violations on a person.person.

Standard formatsStandard formats

Record 1

Field: textField: yes or noField: multiple choiceField: controlled vocabularyField: numberField: date

File

Lets make some standard formats… Lets make some standard formats…

Person formatPerson format Field 1Field 1 Field 2Field 2

Act format:Act format: Field 1:Field 1: Field 2:Field 2:

Main Formats

1. Event Format

2. Person Format

Link Formats:

1. Act Format

2. Involvement Format

3. Information Format

4. Intervention Format

5. Chain of Event Format

6. Biographic Details Format

7. Additional Details Format

HURIDOCS Standard FormatsHURIDOCS Standard Formats

EVENT FORMAT101 Event Record Number102 Event Title111 Geographical Term112 Local Geographical Area113 Initial Date114 Final Date115 Event Description116 Impact of Event150 Remarks151 Violation Status152 Violation index153 Rights Affected154 HURIDOCS Index155 Local Index160 Date received161 Date of Entry162 Entered by163 Project Title164 Confidentiality165 Comments166 Supporting Documents167 Files168 Record Grouping170 Date updated171 Updated by172 Monitoring status

EXAMPLE OF A FORMAT

EXAMPLE OF A COMPLETED FORMAT

EVENT FORMAT

101 Event Record Number 000001102 Event Title Desacula et al Arrest111 Geographical Term Philippines112 Local Geographical Area National Capital Region [00040101000]113 Initial Date 18 November 1987114 Final Date115 Event Description Edgar Desacula was arrested together with Ramon Aguilar by members

of the Pasay City Police Force at Roxas Boulevard at about 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon of 18 November1987. When brought to the police headquarters, they were passed to the Intelligence and Special Operations Group (ISOG.) which conducted tactical interrogation and subjected Desacula to torture.

116 Impact of Event 2 victims150 Remarks151 Violation Status Confirmed152 Violation Index Arbitrary / unlawful action153 Rights Affected Liberty / Freedom from torture154 HURIDOCS Index Detention / Torture155 Local Index 160 Date Received 19871119

Sources of error when entering Sources of error when entering data into standard formatsdata into standard formats

Source 1: spelling mistakes or multiple Source 1: spelling mistakes or multiple spellingsspellings

Source 2: indiscriminate use of synonyms, Source 2: indiscriminate use of synonyms, overlapping or related conceptsoverlapping or related concepts

Result: unreliable retrieval and searchingResult: unreliable retrieval and searching How to eliminate errors? By using controlled How to eliminate errors? By using controlled

vocabularies, or vocabularies, or micro-thesaurimicro-thesauri HURIDOCS task force produced 48 micro-HURIDOCS task force produced 48 micro-

thesauri relevant for human rights workthesauri relevant for human rights work

TYPES OF ACTS

01 Violations of the right to life0101 Deliberate killings of specific individuals010101 Summary execution010102 Extra-judicial execution outside any legal proceedings010103 Legal execution (capital punishment)010104 Politically-motivated killing by non-state agent(s)010105 Murder (deliberate killing which ought to be seen as a common criminal act)01010501 Dowry death01010502 Bride burning01010503 Death as part of a ritual01010504 Rape-slay01010505 Death in snuff films0102 Killings carried out against a person with specific characteristics010201 Infanticide010202 Feticide010203 Parricide0103 Killings in the context of conflict010301 Killing between combatants010302 Deliberate killing of a non-combatant010303 Death of a non-combatant in a crossfire0104 Death in a massacre or mass killing0105 Indiscriminate/random killings010501 Killing in demonstrations, crowd control, and similar events010502 Killing in indiscriminate attacks such as bombing010503 Death as a result of being caught in a crossfire, such as in police operations

MICRO-THESAURI 4

METHODS OF VIOLENCE

01 Methods of deprivation of life0101 Shooting0102 Beating0103 Attack with knife and/or other sharp instrument0104 Asphyxiation0105 Burning0106 Bombing0107 Starvation0108 Poisoning0109 Medical experimentation02 Methods of imprisonment, restriction of movement0201 Held in a regular detention place0202 Held in a regular prison0203 Held in a military camp0204 Held in a psychiatric institution0205 Held in a labour, concentration or extermination camp0206 Held in an government or military facility without any legal authorisation0207 Held in a private place, such as in the case of slavery, prostitution

0208 Held in a prisoner of war camp03 Methods of violence against a person (such as torture)0301 Beating030101 Slapping, kicking or punching030102 Blows with rifle butts, whips, straps, heavy sticks030103 “Telefono”030104 “Falanga”

MICRO-THESAURI 5

OCCUPATIONS

01 Legislators, senior officials and managers0101 Legislators and senior officials010101 Legislators010102 Senior government officials010103 Traditional chiefs and heads of villages010104 Senior officials of special-interest organisations01010401 Senior officials of political party organisations01010402 Senior officials of economic-interest organisations01010403 Senior officials of humanitarian organisations0102 Corporate managers010201 Directors and chief executives010202 Production and operations department managers010203 Other department managers0103 General managers02 Professionals0201 Physical, mathematical and engineering science professionals020101 Physicists, chemists and related professionals020102 Mathematicians, statisticians and related professionals020103 Computing professionals020104 Architects, engineers and related professionalsEtc.

CONTROLLED VOCABULARIES

GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS

01 Africa0101 Central Africa010117 Burundi010118 Cameroon010120 Central African Republic010121 Chad010123 Congo010126 Equatorial Guinea010128 Gabon010150 Rwanda010153 Sao Tome and Principe010165 Zaire010200 East Africa010224 Djibouti010227 Ethiopia010234 Kenya010257 Somalia010259 Sudan010263 Uganda010264 Tanzania, United Republic of010281 EritreaEtc.

CONTROLLED VOCABULARIES

Representing violations:Representing violations:linear table (simple case)linear table (simple case)

Soldier XJimAssaultAssault of Jim

PerpetratorVictimActEvent

Who did what to whom?Easy to say in this case…

Linear table: complex casesLinear table: complex casesWho did what to whom? Not so easy anymore…

EtcCoup attempt

Edna Aguilar- Police- Intelligence

- Edgar Desacula- Ramon Aguilar

- Arrest- Killing- Torture

Arrest of Desacula et al.

SourcePerpetratorsVictimsActsEvent

How are the formats related?How are the formats related?

Person Event

Act(victim)

Information(source)

Intervention(intervening party)

Involvement(perpetrator)

Additional details

Chain ofevents

Biographicdetails

Add. info

Link

Entity

WinEvsys: a relational modelWinEvsys: a relational model

1. Revised Events Standard Formats, by Dueck, Guzman and Verstappen. Geneva: 2000

2. HURIDOCS Micro-Thesauri, by Dueck, Guzman and Verstappen. Geneva: 2000

3. WinEvsys (computer application of the formats and microthesauri)

HURIDOCS TOOLS FOR MONITORING EVENTS:

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