“Costa Rican society does not teach us that there are indigenous people in this country,” she said. “It is a form of discrimination, making the existence of indigenous peoples invisible.”
Faustina Torres belongs to the Bribri indigenous community in Costa Rica.
Amid an alarming trend of spiraling hate speech and discrimination online platforms, Costa Rica, with UN support, has been designing Latin America’s first ever strategy to fight back, Poised to unveil the powerful tool by the end of 2023, the landmark strategy aims at laying the foundation for new national policies,
“We must not let expressions of hate, violence, and discrimination become normalized in public and digital spaces,” Costa Rica’s Communication Minister Jorge Rodríguez explained when announcing the strategy’s unveiling. “Today, we recognize that decisive action is required from the State, but also from all social actors to address this great challenge.”
Attempts to unravel the social fabric may be virtual, but the threats are real. An artificial intelligence (AI) driven UN study earlier this year detected more than 1.4 million messages and conversations related to hate and discrimination on Costa Rica’s social media platforms, a 255 per cent spike since 2021.
Allegra Baiocchi, the UN Resident Coordinator the country, said her team realized that most hate content targeted women, particularly those in leadership positions, LGBTQ issues, and migrants.
“When we started speaking to women and some of the people who had been targeted, they told us that they felt scared, scared to express their opinions,” she said.
After the UN urged immediate action, Costa Rica stepped up, laying the groundwork for a safe digital space for all, which can act as a replicable blueprint for fighting hate online around the world.
Multi-pronged approach
Aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s priorities to stamp out hate and led by a multidisciplinary expert team from the UN and the Government, the new strategy will provide solutions to stop these scourges from spreading online, from determining responsibilities, creating new monitoring, and identifying areas of action.
“With the launch of this process of creating a national strategy, we are taking a step in the right direction,” Ms. Baiocchi said.
UN Costa Rica/Danilo Mora
The UN Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica, Allegra Baiocchi (right), visits a young mother who lives in an underserved neighborhood of San José, Costa Rica.
Steps already taken include the recent launch of a guide to confront digital violence against women in politics. In the same vein, the Government established an observatory on hate speech with the University of Costa Rica, passed a law protecting women in politics, and forged a partnership with the Lawyers Committee Association, who studied laws on hate speech evolving around the world and produced a handbook for those affected.
“In Costa Rica, if you’ve been a victim of hate speech, you can go to this handbook and see what is already available for you to protect yourself,” said Ms. Baiocchi, highlighting other such ongoing initiatives as teaching debate in schools.
“Fundamentally, the message behind any work on hate speech and discrimination…is about being able to respect each other and coexist,” she said.
That approach is in line with UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ aim of crushing hate speech online and off. In response to trends of growing xenophobia, racism and intolerance, violent misogyny, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hatred around the world, the Secretary-General launched the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech in 2019.
“If left unchecked,” he said, “hate speech can even harm peace and development, as it lays the ground for conflicts and tensions, wide scale human rights violations.”
Find out more about how the UN is helping Costa Ricans here.
Subscribe to our podcast series, UNiting Against Hate, here.
A refugee from Afghanistan who moved to Ukraine two decades ago has been talking about his motivation for supporting the relief effort for people affected by the ongoing war there.
The latest report from the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia documents atrocities perpetrated “by all parties to the conflict” since 3 November 2020 – the start date of the armed conflict in Tigray – including mass killings, rape, starvation, destruction of schools and medical facilities, forced displacement and arbitrary detention.
Commission Chair Mohamed Chande Othman said that violent confrontations were now “at a near-national scale” and highlighted “alarming” reports of violations against civilians in the Amhara region as well as on-going atrocities.
“The situation in Oromia, Amhara and other parts of the country – including ongoing patterns of violations, entrenched impunity, and increasing securitization of the State – bear hallmarked risks of further atrocities and crimes,” he warned.
In the Amhara region, where the Government announced a state of emergency last month, the Commission said that it was receiving reports of “mass arbitrary detention” of civilians and “at least one drone strike” carried out by the State.
Multiple urban centres in the region are under curfew, and a militarized “Command Post” system without civilian oversight has been deployed. The Commissioners said “such structures are often accompanied by serious violations”.
“We are deeply alarmed by the deteriorating security situation in Amhara and the continued presence of risk factors for atrocity crimes,” they said.
Humanitarian needs in the region have surged. In early August WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the people of Amhara “could not bear another conflict”, emphasizing that almost two million required health assistance – a situation made even more complex by the influx of refugees from war-torn Sudan.
Tigray: intergenerational trauma
Turning to Tigray, Commissioner Radhika Coomaraswamy warned that rape and sexual violence against women and girls by Eritrean forces was “ongoing” in the region.
“The ongoing presence of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia is a clear sign not only of an entrenched policy of impunity, but also continued support for and tolerance of such violations by the Federal Government,” she said.
The Commissioner highlighted the trauma brought on by atrocities in Tigray, which is “likely to persist for generations”.
‘Flawed’ justice process
The Commissioners called for a “credible” process of truth, justice, reconciliation and healing, while pointing out the shortcomings of the consultation process initiated by Ethiopia’s Government.
Their report maintained that Ethiopia’s Government has “failed to effectively prevent or investigate violations” and has instead launched a “flawed” transitional justice process where victims “remain overlooked”.
The Commission
The International Commission was established by the UN Human Rights Council in December 2021 to conduct an impartial investigation into violations committed in Ethiopia since the start of the conflict in Tigray in November 2020.
It is composed of three human rights experts appointed by the President of the Council, who are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.
South Sudan and Sudan are the world’s most dangerous countries for aid workers today, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday.
On Thursday, Hoang Thi Minh Hong, an acclaimed climate activist and former World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) employee, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $4,100 after being convicted for tax evasion.
Her trial lasted only three hours, and access to family and defence counsel were limited throughout her detention.
Moreover, the charges against her may have been politically motivated, according to independent human rights experts.
She becomes the fifth of six environmental human rights defenders arrested since 2021, to be convicted.
“Four other environmental rights advocates have been prosecuted on similar charges and sentenced to up to five years imprisonment, in what seems to be a wider crackdown on environmental rights defenders and against civic space in Viet Nam,” Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said.
The charges levelled against the sixth person remaining have still not be made public.
‘A chilling effect’
The arrests need to be viewed in the light of Viet Nam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, OHCHR said.
It is an international collaboration designed to support decarbonisation efforts in developing nations, and Viet Nam opened its Secretariat in July, according to news reports.
The office reiterated that to successfully achieve a just and sustainable transition to green energy, human rights defenders and environmental organizations must have the freedom to participate actively and without hinderances in shaping policies and decision-making.
“These prosecutions and the arbitrary application of restrictive legislation are having a chilling effect on the critically important work of environmental defenders, and that of other human rights defenders in Viet Nam,” Mr. Lawrence said.
Call for unconditional release
He called on the Government to refrain from using criminal charges to curtail the exercise of fundamental freedoms and to release unconditionally all those who have been detained in such cases.
“We also remind the authorities of their obligations under international law to respect the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, and ensuring judicial independence.”
When looking for an ideal destination for a romantic getaway, Antwerp is often the city that comes to mind. Located in Belgium, this charming city offers a perfect blend of history, culture and romance. Whether you’re a couple looking for a romantic getaway or simply looking for a place to spend quality time with your partner, Antwerp is the perfect place.
The first thing that strikes you when you arrive in Antwerp is its impressive architecture. Historic buildings, Gothic churches and cobblestone streets create a romantic atmosphere that transports you to another era. One of the city’s most iconic sites is Notre-Dame Cathedral, with its imposing tower and magnificent interior. A visit to this cathedral is a must for lovers of architecture and history.
In addition to its architecture, Antwerp is also known for its thriving art scene. The city was the birthplace of many famous artists, including the Baroque painter Pieter Paul Rubens. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp houses an impressive collection of his works, as well as those of other renowned artists. A visit to this museum is not only an opportunity to discover art, but also to share a cultural moment with your partner.
For a romantic getaway, strolling hand in hand through picturesque places is essential. Antwerp offers many perfect places for this, such as the Old Port, where you can enjoy wonderful views of the water while strolling along the quays. The narrow streets of the historic district are also ideal for a romantic stroll, with their quaint shops and welcoming cafes.
Gastronomy also plays an important role in a successful romantic getaway. Antwerp is known for its delicious cuisine, and there are many romantic restaurants where you can enjoy local and international dishes. Whether you want to enjoy fresh mussels in a traditional restaurant or prefer a more sophisticated dinner in a Michelin-starred establishment, you will certainly find something to satisfy your taste buds in Antwerp.
For shopping enthusiasts, Antwerp is also a paradise. The city is renowned for being the diamond capital of the world, and there are many shops where you can find sparkling jewelry. Antwerp’s bustling shopping streets also offer a wide variety of fashion boutiques, local and international designers. Shopping together can be a fun and romantic experience, and Antwerp is the perfect place for it.
Finally, for a complete romantic getaway, it is important to find comfortable and romantic accommodation. Antwerp offers a wide variety of accommodation options, from luxury hotels with city views to charming bed and breakfasts nestled in historic buildings. Whatever your budget, you are sure to find a place that suits your needs and preferences.
In conclusion, Antwerp is an ideal destination for a romantic getaway. With its impressive architecture, thriving art scene, picturesque spots, delicious food and shopping opportunities, this charming city offers everything you need to have an unforgettable time with your partner. Whether you want to stroll hand-in-hand along the quays, visit art museums or simply relax in a romantic restaurant, Antwerp is the perfect place for a romantic getaway.
More than 11,600 unaccompanied children have crossed the Central Mediterranean to Italy so far this year the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday, an increase of 60 per cent compared with last year.
In its frantic quest for victims of sexual exploitation, PROTEX, an Argentinian state agency fighting trafficking in human beings and criminal gangs exploiting prostitutes, has also fabricated imaginary prostitutes and hereby made real victims by alerting the media when it carried out a spectacular armed SWAT crackdown in August 2022 on the Buenos Aires Yoga School (BAYS), a philosophical belief group allegedly running a prostitution ring and on some fifty other places in Buenos Aires.
All in all, arrest warrants were issued against 19 persons, 10 men and 9 women, allegedly running a criminal ring. They were all imprisoned and submitted to a very harsh jail regime for pre-detention periods ranging from 18 to 84 days. In two cases, the Court of Appeals revoked the indictment for being unfounded. The others are free and are waiting for the next round.
Five women older than fifty, three in their forties and one in her mid-thirties are on the one hand suing two prosecutors of PROTEX on unfounded claims of their being victims of sexual exploitation in the framework of a yoga school. On the other hand, they are real victims of PROTEX as they now publicly bear the stigma of prostitute, which they strongly deny ever having been. Although prostitution is not illegal in Argentina, the damage is huge in their personal, family, and professional life.
Those fabricated prostitutes were recently interviewed in Buenos Aires by Susan Palmer, an Affiliate Professor in the Religions and Cultures Department at Concordia University in Montreal (Canada) and Director of the Children in Sectarian Religions and State Control Project at McGill University (Canada), supported by the Social Sciences and the Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). These women are not from a vulnerable social class and have not been trafficked into Argentina. They belong to the middle class and had a job. During the interviews, they again strongly denied having been involved in prostitution. As of today, PROTEX has not provided any evidence of prostitution, and consequently of any form of exploitation in this framework.
In a 22-page well-documented report published in the July-August issue of The Journal of CESNUR, Susan Palmer highlighted the various facets of the destructive effect of PROTEX operation in the lives of imaginary prostitutes and their imaginary pimps in BAYS.
Canadian scholar Susan Palmer and her study of the BAYS alleged “victims.”
The legislation against sexual exploitation
Until 2012, this sort of criminal activity was punishable by Law 26.364 but on 19 December 2012, this law was amended in such a way that it opened the door to controversial interpretation and implementation. It is now identified as Law 26.842.
The financial exploitation of prostitution by third parties must undoubtedly be prosecuted in courts as the victims are most often poor local women, female refugees, or women imported for prostitution purposes. Some accept to be considered as victims. Others do not. In this second category, a number of women state that prostitution is their choice because they fear reprisals from their pimp or the mafia ring on which they depend. They may therefore be considered as victims as well by the courts in charge of an investigation, despite their denials.
Other independent prostitutes who are not linked to any network also declare that it is a real-life choice and that they are not victims. It is at this point that the interpretation and the application of Law 26.842 become very problematic because the legal system considers them to be victims, despite their denials.
Last but not least, other women who have not been involved in prostitution are held to be victims, against their will, by the judicial system because of an investigation into an organization suspected of sexual exploitation. This is the case of the nine women having attended the Buenos Aires Yoga School who vehemently deny any prostitution activity in their lives.
Abolitionism, a questionable “feminist” concept
Two political standpoints, abolitionism and accommodation, are at loggerheads on the prostitution issue.
With regard to legislation on prostitution, abolitionism is a school of thought that aims to abolish prostitution and rejects all forms of accommodation that authorize it. The supporters of both approaches agree on the decriminalization of prostitution, but abolitionism currently considers “all” prostitutes to be victims of a system that exploits them due to their vulnerability. This viewpoint about the victims and their situation of vulnerability has been adopted by PROTEX.
The original aim of the abolitionist movement was to oppose the accommodation and regulation of prostitution, which among other things imposed medical and police controls on prostitutes.
The accommodation and regulation of prostitution in fact amounted to the establishment of prostitution and the officialisation of procuring. As the neo-abolitionist movement, with a more radicalized vision than that of the original abolitionism, asserted that the most intolerable forms of violence accompanying trafficking and forced prostitution are linked to the impunity of procurers, its aim is to prohibit all forms of exploitation of the prostitution wherever it is susceptible to take place.
The next step was to enlarge the scope of “irregularly authorized” places where prostitution could be exploited by criminal rings, such as “saunas,” “pubs,” “whisky clubs,” “night clubs,” “yoga clubs,” etc., which were said to be promoted with impunity in the media and in the public space. The Public Prosecutor’s Office encouraged the adoption of measures aimed at uncovering the veil of these “houses of tolerance,” which are the destination of the trafficking process for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and which enjoy an allegedly spurious and inappropriate legal recognition.
This approach provided an open door to suspicions of sexual exploitation in spiritual groups such as BAYS.
The drifting of PROTEX about the victimization issue
The controversial implementation of the controversial Law 26.842 along with its dissemination in and by the intellectual elite and the judiciary in Argentina was criticized by Marisa S. Tarantino in a book she published in 2021 under the title “Ni víctimas ni criminales: trabajadores sexuales. Una crítica feminista a las políticas contra la trata de personas y la prostitución” (Neither Victims nor Criminals: Sex Workers. A Feminist Critique of Anti-Trafficking and Anti-Prostitution Policies; Buenos Aires: Fondo de Cultura Económica de Argentina).
Marisa S. Tarantino. From Twitter.
Marisa Tarantino is the Legal Prosecutor of the Attorney General’s Office of the Nation and was the former Secretary of the Federal Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 2 of the Federal Capital. She is a specialist in Justice Administration (Universidad de Buenos Aires/ Buenos Aires University) and Criminal Law (Universidad de Palermo/ Palermo University). As she has participated in workshops organized by PROTEX, her opinion is all the more valuable. In short, these are a few of her findings:
– “UFASE-PROTEX—which had been one of the agencies strongly linked to the International Organization for Migration to address this issue—was especially dedicated to the task of disseminating the neo-abolitionist perspective, presenting it as the correct paradigm for dealing with cases of trafficking and sexual exploitation. This was reflected in the organization of multiple training courses and workshops, dissemination materials, ‘best practice protocols,’ and even in academic production. All this exerted a strong influence in various institutional spheres throughout the country” (p. 194).
– “Thus, the incorporation of this particular gender perspective, built from the main neo-abolitionist postulates, made it possible to (re)interpret the different forms of organization and exchange of sexual services in terms of criminal conflict and, more precisely, in terms of trafficking” (p. 195).
This is the context generated by the 2012 amendments to the law on trafficking and the exploitation of prostitution by criminal rings and PROTEX’ endorsement of the neo-abolitionist political model that was (mis)used to justify the crackdown on BAYS.
Apart from the political model, PROTEX found an ally in the person of the anti-cultist Pablo Salum who shot all his arrows at non-traditional religious or belief groups in Argentina, including a respected international Evangelical NGO whose 38 centers were recently raided on alleged charges of trafficking.
Raids against the Evangelical NGO REMAR. Source: Government of Argentina.
The diabolical triangle in the BAYS case: a political standpoint, the fabrication of false victims, the PROTEX and Salum couple
BAYS is the victim of a political model, its judicial architect PROTEX, and the anti-cultist Pablo Salum.
Salum, who had lived with relatives practising yoga at BAYS until he was a teenager, arrived with an “added value” in the debate. He accused BAYS of being a “cult,” controlling and brainwashing women to involve them in prostitution for the purpose of financing itself. His position was comforted by a tidal wave of media reports, which reproduced his accusations without any check, This is how BAYS became “the horror cult” in Argentina and abroad.
Several reports by foreign researchers have however shown that Salum only spread fantasies and lies about BAYS and new religious movements to attract the attention of the media on his own person.
Some leaders of PROTEX unwisely started befriending Salum, whom they saw as an opportunity to investigate and prosecute new groups on the basis of charges of human trafficking and exploitation of prostitution.
On the one hand, according to PROTEX, people used for prostitution are all real victims because of the exploitation of their vulnerabilities, even if they fiercely deny it. On the other hand, according to Salum, cults achieve the same result by brainwashing their members and exploiting their weaknesses. The abuse of vulnerability according to PROTEX and the abuse of weakness according to the anti-cultist Salum thus lead to the same result: the creation of so-called victims who are unaware of being victims and deny it.
This explains the trap into which BAYS and the nine women described by PROTEX as unaware victims of prostitution by a criminal network have fallen.
How to get out of this trap? Argentina remains a democracy and justice is the main way out. The Christian group “Cómo vivir por fe” won its case against PROTEX in November 2022 after a raid instigated by Pablo Salum and accusations of exploitation and organ trafficking. The court criticized Salum for having “coached” and manipulated the main witness.
In the case of BAYS, brainwashing is a fantasy denounced as a non-existent concept by scholars in religious studies. Concerning the nine female plaintiffs the courts will have to recognize that there is no evidence of sale of sexual services.
The machinations of PROTEX and Co. were recently denounced by CAP/ Liberté de Conscience, an NGO with ECOSOC status, at the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
PROTEX and the judiciary in Argentina would do well to heed this warning shot before losing face in front of the international human rights community when the ghost of prostitution vanishes in the BAYS case.
Among the growing trends noted in the report was the increase in people choosing not to cooperate with the UN due to concerns for their safety, or only doing so if kept anonymous.
Victims and witnesses in two-thirds of the States listed in the report requested anonymous reporting of reprisals, compared with just a third last year.
The increased surveillance of those who cooperate or attempt to cooperate with the UN was reported in half of the countries listed.
An increase in physical surveillance by State actors was also noted, likely linked to a return to in-person forms of UN engagement.
Notably, almost 45 per cent of the countries listed in the report continue to apply or enact new laws and regulations which punish, deter, or hinder cooperation with the UN. These legislative frameworks represent severe obstacles to long-standing human rights partners of the UN.
“A global context of shrinking civic space is making it increasingly difficult to properly document, report and respond to cases of reprisals, which means that the number is likely much higher,” said Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris, in Thursday’s presentation to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Women and girls
The severity of reprisals against women and girls, which constitute half of the victims in this year’s report, was once again identified as a particular concern.
Most of these women were human rights defenders targeted for their cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms and peace operations, but there were also a significant number of judicial officers and lawyers.
“We have a duty to those who put their trust in us,” said Ms. Kehris.
“That is why at the UN, we are determined to live up to our collective responsibility to prevent and address intimidation and reprisals against those who cooperate with the organisation and its human rights mechanisms.”
Over 88,000 refugees from the Karabakh region have fled to Armenia in less than a week and humanitarian needs are surging, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
