The MATA International Riding Festival in its 12th edition from 17 to 19 May 2024

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12 May 2024

Haiti: UNICEF ensures thousands have safe drinking water

Port-au-Prince has been in the grip of armed groups for several years now, and roughly two months ago they launched coordinated attacks which paralyzed the metropolitan area.

Since then, UNICEF, alongside the National Directorate for Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) and partners, has provided more than 2.6 million litres of safe drinking water to children and families across 20 sites housing those displaced.

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Dire conditions, disease threat

The recent escalation of violence has compounded the already dire situation faced by children and families, who already lack essential support and facilities.

The current rainy season has only added to their plight, leading to major flooding in lowland areas of the capital and the resurgence of cholera cases in Cité Soleil, an extremely impoverished neighbourhood.

“With no drinking quality water and adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, displaced children are exposed to water-borne diseases, more specifically to a widespread cholera outbreak” said Ruben Um Bayiha, Chief of UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Programme.

‘Navigating a war zone’

Furthermore, he said “operating in such an insecure and volatile environment is akin to navigating a war zone every day.”

Despite the challenges, UNICEF and partners are stepping up efforts to protect children and families and provide the lifesaving support they desperately need, he stressed.

Supporting displaced families

UNICEF leads WASH response in Haiti, providing over half of overall support, ensuring safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services at all displacement sites.

Initiatives include trucking water, treating piped water, repairing water supply and sanitation systems, building temporary latrines, providing essential hygiene items, and delivering hygiene messages.

UNICEF said its WASH efforts “yielded significant outcomes” during March, with over 700,000 gallons (2.66 million litres) of chlorinated water distributed to displaced families and children.

Collaborative efforts with partners such as the aid organizations Solidarités International, ORRAH, and ACTED, have ensured that essential needs were met even in the most challenging circumstances.

Furthermore, UNICEF and partners have distributed hygiene kits to almost 11,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across six sites.

A schoolgirl in Port-au-Prince holds up a sign in French which reads ‘peace’.

‘Crisis will worsen’

UNICEF has also prioritized improving sanitary conditions in the high-risk IDP sites, including removing and safely disposing about 78 cubic metres of fecal sludge from three sites accommodating roughly 7,000 people.

Mr. Um Bayiha upheld the agency’s commitment to addressing evolving needs, particularly as the region braces for the upcoming hurricane season.

Yet, he warned that “this crisis will worsen unless the response is scaled up urgently,” underscoring the need for funding.

UNICEF aims to support more than 884,000 people across Haiti this year to access quality water for drinking and domestic needs, as well as appropriate sanitation services and critical WASH supplies.

Thousands receive meals

Meanwhile, UN humanitarians and partners been supporting people affected by recent gang clashes in Delmas commune in Port-au-Prince.

Meals, shelter and other supplies have been provided to displaced persons and the host community, and the hope is that assistance will ramp up as soon as security allows.

This week, the World Food Programme distributed food to 264,000 schoolchildren and more than 5,600 displaced people in the capital.

WFP also distributed food in Cité Soleil, reaching some 26,000 people this week.

Teams have reached more than 680,000 people since the beginning of March and provided more than 800,000 hot meals to more than 94,000 displaced people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

WFP has also distributed school meals to more than 330,000 school children across Haiti.

Somalia urged to take ‘concrete action’ against officials who violate citizens’ rights

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12 May 2024

Somalia urged to take ‘concrete action’ against officials who violate citizens’ rights

Concluding an official visit to the Horn of Africa nation Isha Dyfan highlighted the impact on civilians, especially women and children, who continue to bear the brunt of deadly attacks carried out by Al-Shabaab terrorists.

“I strongly condemn the continued deadly attacks perpetrated by Al-Shabaab and urge the Government to take all steps to ensure the protection of civilians, and for armed groups to comply strictly with the obligations applicable to them under international humanitarian and human rights law,” she said.

“It is also important that the Government takes concrete actions to prosecute State officials involved in human rights violations, ensuring that those responsible were held accountable and that the survivors of such violations were adequately compensated.”

During her visit, she held a series of meetings with representatives from the Somali Federal Government, civil society, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and various UN agencies.

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Act against sexual violence

Ms. Dyfan also urged authorities to promptly investigate and prosecute cases of sexual and gender-based violence.

Allegations of rape and gang rapes combined with homicide need to be addressed efficiently, ensuring that alleged perpetrators are identified and brought to justice, she said.

“All necessary measures must be taken to strengthen capacity for investigation and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence and to promote a safe environment where victims and survivors can report crimes without fear of reprisals or stigma and to ensure that victims are protected and have access to justice and effective remedies,” she added.

Restrictions on civic space

The independent expert further voiced grave concerns over continuing restrictions on civic space, including harassment, arbitrary arrest, detention and imprisonment of journalists and media workers leading to self-censorship.

“A safe and inclusive civic space is essential to good governance, rule of law, and can help to reduce and prevent violence,” she urged.

“While I am encouraged by the appointment of the Somali National Media Council members in an effort to enhance the media landscape, I have also received concerns that the process was not in accordance with the media law,” she added.

International assistance urged

In conclusion, Ms. Dyfan also appealed to the international community to continue its assistance to Somalia towards strengthening the Federal and State institutions to promote the rule of law and human rights.

“I also urge the international community to strengthen its humanitarian response and reinforce long-term resilience against future disasters in Somalia as the country continues to face serious cyclical humanitarian and climate challenges,” she said.

Independent expert

Ms. Dyfan was appointed as the Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Somalia by the Human Rights Council in May 2020.

She forms a part of the Council’s Special Procedures, a group of Special Rapporteurs and other experts, mandated to monitor and assess protection and promotion of human rights in certain thematic or country situations.

The experts work voluntarily, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary.

A once-dormant magnetic neutron star is emitting strangely polarised light

By

Newsdesk

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12 May 2024

abstract, futuristic, wallpaper hd — Photo by Engin_Akyurt on Pixabay

Magnetars are neutron stars with strong magnetic fields. With CSIRO astronomers, Dr Manisha Caleb from the School of Physics has found one of the most powerful magnets discovered – XTE J1810-197 – and it doesn’t quite fit existing theory.

Astronomers using Murriyang, CSIRO’s radio telescope at Parkes NSW, have detected unusual radio pulses from a previously dormant star with a powerful magnetic field.

New results published today in Nature Astronomy describe radio signals from magnetar XTE J1810-197 behaving in complex ways.

Magnetars are a type of neutron star and the strongest magnets in the Universe. At roughly 8000 light years away, this magnetar is also the closest known to Earth.

Most magnetars are known to emit polarised light, though the light this magnetar is emitting is circularly polarised, where the light appears to spiral as it moves through space.

Dr Marcus Lower, a postdoctoral fellow at Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, led the research and said the results are unexpected and totally unprecedented.

“Unlike the radio signals we’ve seen from other magnetars, this one is emitting enormous amounts of rapidly changing circular polarisation. We have never seen anything like this before,” Dr Lower said.

Co-author Dr Manisha Caleb from the School of Physics and University of Sydney Institute for Astronomy said studying magnetars offers insights into the physics of intense magnetic fields and the environments these create.

“The signals emitted from this magnetar imply that interactions at the surface of the star are more complex than previous theoretical explanations,” she said.

Detecting radio pulses from magnetars is already extremely rare: XTE J1810-197 is one of only a handful known to produce them.

While it’s not certain why this magnetar is behaving so differently, the team has an idea.

“Our results suggest there is a superheated plasma above the magnetar’s magnetic pole, which is acting like a polarising filter,” Dr Lower said.

“How exactly the plasma is doing this is still to be determined.”

XTE J1810-197 was first observed to emit radio signals in 2003. Then it went silent for well over a decade. The signals were again detected by the University of Manchester’s 76-metre Lovell telescope at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in 2018 and quickly followed up by Murriyang at Parkes, which has been crucial to observing the magnetar’s radio emissions ever since.

The 64-metre diameter telescope on Wiradjuri Country is equipped with a cutting-edge ultra-wide bandwidth receiver. The receiver was designed by CSIRO engineers who are world leaders in developing technologies for radio astronomy applications.

The receiver allows for more precise measurements of celestial objects, especially magnetars, as it is highly sensitive to changes in brightness and polarisation across a broad range of radio frequencies.

Studies of magnetars such as these provide insights into a range of extreme and unusual phenomena, such as plasma dynamics, bursts of X-rays and gamma-rays, and potentially fast radio bursts.

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Research

Lower, M, et al, ‘Linear to circular conversion in the polarized radio emission of a magnetar’, Nature Astronomy, vol 8 (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02225-8

Acknowledgement

The researchers acknowledge the Wiradjuri People as the traditional custodians of the Parkes Observatory site where Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, is located.

Declaration

The authors declare no competing interests. Research was funded by the Australian Research Council, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Dutch Research Council.

Source: University of Sydney

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Lia Kali on psychiatry: “a child tied to a bed, even for ten minutes… is torture”

By

Juan Sanchez Gil

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12 May 2024

It struck a chord with many when it was released a year ago. The song sheds light on the flaws and mistreatment prevalent in psychiatric facilities, drawing attention from both the audience and critics. Recently, Lia Kali shared her journey behind the song on the popular Spanish TV show “El Hormiguero” on Antena 3TV where she opened up about the personal struggles that inspired her music.

“UCA” serves as more than a musical piece, it stands as a powerful testament to the challenges faced by a young girl caught in a system that fails to provide genuine support and compassion, instead perpetuating oppression and cruelty. The song delves into a narrative of turmoil within a family dynamic that quickly spirals into violence, leading Lia Kali to seek refuge and eventually find herself confined in an adolescent psychiatric facility out of desperation.

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Life in a psychiatric center was like torture, says Lia Kali

During her appearance on “El Hormiguero” Lia Kali shared how her freedom and autonomy were stripped away in the name of treatment. She painted a picture of conditions at UCA, where youths are often heavily medicated and kept isolated, resembling prisoners more, than patients. The song talks about how she was made to take medication without a diagnosis, highlighting the lack of empathy and care that worsened her suffering and that of other young people in similar circumstances.

The showman Pablo Motos asked Lia Kali “what was life like? I’ve never asked him…. I’ve never been with anyone who’s already been…. What was life like in there?”

And Lia answered categorically: “Torture. I mean…all of a sudden… that’s when you realize it and that’s also why, when I… when I asked myself whether I wanted to release this song or not, I realized that I did because I talked to people who still dealt with those centers and who still knew that the same practices were still being done, which ultimately are torture, which is tying people to the bed the same way for a week.

Kali described the inhumane and degrading practices that still persist in some adolescent crisis units, where young people are tied to beds and over-medicated, deprived of any human contact and basic understanding-treatments that she said are tantamount to torture.

“Are you going to tell me that you are trying to heal and help someone who is sick and what she needs is a fucking hug, and you won’t let her have any physical contact or talk to anyone and that your solution is to medicate her until she doesn’t even know who she is and have her tied to the bed without really caring about her diagnosis? I think that in Spain there is a big problem that what we do with people who bother is to put them to sleep. They dont care.” Lia Kali said.

She continued saying: “So I am ashamed and I am very sad that even today there are people who have relatives who have to go through similar tortures, tortures that are even forbidden in Europe, for example mechanical restraint, which is tying you to a bed, a lot of places in Europe, in which it is forbidden because it is understood as torture, which is what it is. I mean, to have a child, even a child tied to a bed, whether it is for an hour, ten minutes, it doesn’t matter, it is torture. It is a child… For God’s sake!””

Lia Kali’s impactful story in “UCA” has sparked conversations about the morality of psychiatric treatment for juveniles and the urgent need for changes within these facilities. The singer not only critiques the physical and emotional harm she endured but also condemns the apathy and systemic mistreatment by individuals who are meant to provide protection and healing.

Lia Kali’s appearance on “El Hormiguero” not just helped share her personal journey but also amplified the message of the song, resonating with audiences who may have been unaware of the reality faced by many adolescent crisis units, or those who suffered it and thought it “was normal”, or just did not find the strength to speak up. Her courage in sharing her story has been praised as a step towards demanding change, motivating others to speak up and take action against injustices and tortures in the mental health sector.

Psychiatry, treating patients “like dogs”

“What I found was a bunch of psychopaths who were there, probably underpaid, but treating us as if we were literally dogs. And in the UCA of Sant Boi I will say it and well, well, even enjoying it, for me the hardest thing was to say that I was there for a week, because after that week they realized that I did not have to be there. I got there because of something that made no sense at all and it was a doctor who did not feel like stopping to look at what was happening to me at home and why I was the way I was at that moment and sent me to a place where I did not belong.”

Evidencing a practice that is denounced a common in psychiatric hospital, Lia stated that she “was medicated without a diagnosis, right? I mean, it was like super crazy and I was aware of everything and I was like ‘how can there be such psychopaths here enjoying watching and laughing even when they do a restraint on someone and throw them on the [floor]?’. You know those…” speaking of when the hospital personnel were putting their knees on the chest of the patient, “Yeah, this happened to me. And I remember the face. I have that kid’s face etched in my mind, that half smile, of enjoying that and saying Loco, man, we have real psychopaths. How come there’s not a much bigger control in Spain? Fuck, they are our people, you know? They are also people. They’re people who feel, they’re people who love and they’re people who sometimes life has gotten the better of them. Sometimes they are just born this way, different. And I don’t think anybody deserves this. Hopefully, it will never happen to anyone in your family, no and hopefully and hopefully, it will change. And what I am saying here now, I hope that tomorrow there will be more control over these shitty centers where people are literally mistreated.”

“UCA” by Lia Kali transcends being a song, it serves as a call to provoke change emphasizing that art has a role, in addressing society’s darkest truths to inspire empathy. In a world where young voices are often disregarded or hushed, Lia Kali has found a potent means to ensure that her voice alongside others is acknowledged.

More about Lia Kali

According to the site of her agents:

“Lia Kali first discovered music within home and when she was just sixteen she rode her bike over all the jams in Barcelona. There’s where she made friend with lots of musicians and artists of the city and where she started to dialogue with reggae, jazz, soul and rap. Since then she has never stopped singing. Lia jumped from jams to other live stages of Barcelona with a bunch of projects, such as the Amy Winehouse tribute she leaded. That’s how she realised her love with the stage was much more than a first-glimpse love: the stage is her place to be. Eventually she got tired of singing others’ songs and started writing her own pieces and discovered the healing within it. Lia Kali writes the original soundtrack from her day by day stumbles and falls and released her first singles on 2022, going viral and reaching milions of streams and views in musical platforms and TikTok. On March 2023 she launches her very first album ‘Contra Todo Pronóstico’, where she summs featurings with the real who-is-who in the urban and rap Spanish scene such as Toni Anzis, Acción Sanchez, J Abecia, Zatu Rey from SFDK and even the top respected Colombian rapper Nanpa Básico. Lia Kali is nowadays most requested voices of the scene and with her debut album she makes one thing clear above all: any label falls short for her!”

Gaza: As exodus from Rafah continues, UN urges reopening of aid lines

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11 May 2024

Gaza: As exodus from Rafah continues, UN urges reopening of aid lines

“As Israeli Forces bombardment intensifies in Rafah, forced displacement continues,” said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in a post on X. “Around 110,000 people have now fled Rafah looking for safety. But, nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip and living conditions are atrocious. The only hope is an immediate ceasefire.”

In addition to the immediate threat of ongoing military action, UN aid agencies have warned with increasing urgency since Israeli tanks rolled into the Rafah border crossing on Monday that the humanitarian operation across the enclave has been crippled.

“Impossibly, again, it will worsen if humanitarian operations are not revived in the next 48 hours,” said UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Senior Emergency Coordinator in the Gaza Strip, Hamish Young.

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UN under attack

In a related development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned a new attack by protesters on an UNRWA facility in Jerusalem.

“I condemn the recent attack on @UNRWA’s Headquarters in East Jerusalem. Targeting aid workers and humanitarian assets is unacceptable, and must stop,” the UN chief said in a post on X.

His comments underscored those of UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on Thursday who reported that Israeli residents had “set fire twice to the perimeter” of the agency’s headquarters, marking the second time UNRWA had been targeted in a week amid weeks of demonstrations.

Uprooted again

Back in Gaza, the latest images from Rafah provided by UNRWA showed a steady stream of people leaving the east of the city with cars, motorbikes and donkey carts laden with their belongings in response to evacuation orders from the Israeli military.

Most of those displaced are seeking safety in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah. But, these areas lack the basic services required to support civilians who need food, shelter and healthcare, aid teams maintain.

Roads to the coastal zone of Al Mawasi, where Gazans have been instructed to move to, “are jammed”, said UNICEF’s Mr. Young. Speaking from Rafah via video-link to journalists in Geneva, he described desperate scenes as families were uprooted once again, with “many hundreds of trucks, buses, cars and donkey carts loaded with people and possessions” continuing to stream out of the southern city.

“People I speak with tell me they are exhausted, terrified and know life in Al Mawasi will, again, impossibly be harder,” he said. “Families lack proper sanitation facilities, drinking water and shelter. People are making improvised toilets by digging holes in the ground around groups of tents. Open defecation is on the rise.”

“One of the fathers told me he had nothing other than bad options to choose from. And as he was telling me where he was going, he started sobbing. Then his children starting crying and then started asking me what to do. It’s just a tragic situation and there’s just nowhere safe in Gaza for children.”

Griffiths call

“Civilians in Gaza are being starved and killed…This is Gaza today,” said the UN’s top aid official, Martin Griffiths.

In a social media post on X, he warned late Thursday that for days, “nothing and no one had been allowed in or out of Gaza.”

The closure of Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings in southern Gaza – the main entry points for critically needed aid food, water, fuel and medical supplies – “means no aid”, Mr. Griffiths continued.

“Our supplies are stuck. Our teams are stuck,” he said, a message echoed by aid teams whose assessment missions have been cancelled because of a lack of fuel.

Meanwhile, civilians have faced and repeatedly fled intense and daily bombardment and clashes “and we are prevented from helping them”, the emergency relief chief insisted.

Aid stores too dangerous to access

At the same time, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported that its main warehouse in Gaza was now out of reach.

“Our main warehouse is now inaccessible. No aid has entered from southern crossings in two days,” said WFP Palestine Country Director ad interim Matthew Hollingworth on X late Thursday.

“Thousands of people are on the move. Only one bakery is still working. Supplies of food and fuel in Gaza will only last one to three days. Without them, our operations will go into standstill.”

Hospital services critical

The outlook is equally dire for the enclave’s remaining medical facilities, warned the UN World Health Organization (WHO), which said that “without fuel, the whole system collapses”.

WHO is responsible for fuel deliveries to all hospitals in Gaza, but it has had to suspend missions to the north so that those in the south can stay open, said spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris.

“All the things that a hospital does, all the lifesaving treatments no longer can be done, even if you’ve got somebody back from the brink, you’ve operated on them, you’ve put them on a ventilator, the ventilator stops, they no longer breathe.”

The following health facilities are scheduled to run out of fuel within the next 24 hours, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said, citing Gazan authorities:

• Five ministry of health-run hospitals

• 28 ambulances (14 Palestinian Red Crescent Society and 14 from the health ministry)

• 17 primary health care centers run by UNRWA and other partners

• Five field hospitals

• 10 mobile clinics which provide immunizations, trauma care and malnutrition services and 23 medical facilities in Al Mawasi

From UNICEF, Executive Director Catherine Russell also warned that services for premature babies risk losing power unless fuel supplies reached Gaza.

“We need fuel to move lifesaving supplies – medicine, treatments for malnutrition, tents and water pipes – as well as staff to reach children and families in need.”

Without fresh aid supplies, children and families face becoming dehydrated or will be forced to drink dangerous water, while sewage treatment centres “will overflow and spread disease further”.

According to UNICEF, approximately 80 babies are born at Emirati hospital every day. But, it “cannot function” without fuel, insisted Mr. Young, who added that pregnant women “are left without options for safe delivery of their newborns. As we have seen in other parts of Gaza over the last seven months, when hospitals run out of fuel, lifesaving equipment such as ventilators and incubators stop working.”

Rising toll

According to the Gazan health authorities, at least 34,900 people have been killed and well over 78,500 wounded during the Israeli bombardment and ground operation in Gaza since 7 October.

Some 1,250 people were killed in Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel that sparked the war, with more than 250 taken hostage. Dozens are still being held.

Gaza crossings are ‘aid lifelines’: Rights chief

In a statement later on Friday UN Human Rights Chief (UNHCR) Volker Türk said he disapproved of any hostilities that impact the “entry and distribution of critically needed humanitarian aid” to Gaza.

“The handful of land crossings into Gaza serve as lifelines for the supply of food, medicine, fuel and other necessities that must be allowed to reach the despairing and terrified population,” Mr. Turk said.

He called on all warring parties to “lay down their weapons immediately” to ensure that crossings for civilians and necessary goods and aid will reach people in Gaza with no delay and without risk through military operations.

Security Council calls for independent and immediate investigation into mass graves

Also on Friday, members of the Security Council voiced “deep concern” over reports of the discovery of mass graves, in and around the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza, where several hundred bodies, including women, children and older persons, were located.

Underscoring the need for accountability for violations of international law, Council members called for “investigators to be allowed the unimpeded access to all locations of mass graves in Gaza to conduct immediate, independent, thorough, comprehensive, transparent and impartial investigations to establish the circumstances behind the graves”.

They also reiterated their demand that all parties “scrupulously comply” with their obligations under international law, in particular the protection of civilians and civilian objects.

Members also reaffirmed the importance of allowing families to know the fate and whereabouts of their missing love ones.

Experts raise concern of threats against ICC staffers and their families

UN independent human rights experts on Friday voiced concern over some US and Israeli statements that threaten retaliation against the International Criminal Court (ICC), its officials and family members.

“At a time when the world should unite to end the terrible bloodshed in Gaza and seek justice for those unlawfully killed, injured, traumatised, or taken hostage, since October 7, it is distressing to see State officials threatening to retaliate against a Court for pursuing international justice,” the experts said.

The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) condemned statements made on Friday, May 4, regarding threats to retaliate against the court. It reminded everyone that per Article 70 of the Rome Statute, any threats of reprisal could be considered a crime against the administration of justice.

“Threats of retaliatory action violate human rights norms against attacks on justice personnel and exceed the accepted limits of freedom of expression. We call on all States to respect the Court’s independence as a judicial institution and protect the independence and impartiality of those who work within the Court.”

Users of Antidepressants may suffer due to Doctors not knowing new Research and Guidelines

By

Torsten Hjelmar

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11 May 2024

Withdrawing from antidepressants — Research show withdrawing from antidepressants is a problem from half the users. Image: Nastya Dulhiier (Unsplash)

Research show people using antidepressants have problems withdrawing from the drugs due to doctors not knowing how to do it correctly, and that it can take months and years due to severe withdrawal effects. Adverse withdrawal effects often are not recognized or misdiagnosed as relapse.

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Millions affected

When the SSRI antidepressants first appeared on the market they were presented as drugs that could solve life situations and with no problems related to them. In fact, manufacturers distributed numerous papers with description of withdrawal symptoms from the drugs as being “brief and mild”, based on studies conducted by the drug companies themselves which focused on people who had been on the antidepressants for only 8 to 12 weeks. The result has been that over the years both doctors and the general population have come to believe these drugs can not cause severe and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms on stopping them. And further that stopping the use of these drugs following a treatment would not be a problem.

What has not been the focus in research is that the longer people are on these antidepressants, the harder it is to stop and the more severe the withdrawal effects.

Research presented at this year’s European Psychiatric Congress show there are major problems related to this and research indicate that more than half will have problems stopping, amounting to millions in Europe being affected.

Antidepressants cause residual change to cell structure

The use of antidepressants causes changes to the body and its ability to regulate the use of its own neurotransmitters used to control numerous bodily functions. The result of this change of the cell structures is that once a user has stopped the antidepressants this can cause withdrawal effects and these can last months or years after the drug has left the system. The new research explain what many users have said they have felt for years.

Dr Mark Horowitz, an expert and Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry at the National Health Service (NHS) in England, presented extensive research findings that put a new light to the problem.

“When you stop the drug, let’s say months or years after the patient had been started on drug treatment following a stressful period in their life, the antidepressant is metabolized by the liver and kidneys in a few days or weeks. But what doesn’t change in a few days or weeks is the residual changes to the post-synaptic serotonin receptors and other systems downstream of this,” Dr. Horowitz told.

In studies on humans, there are changes to the serotonergic system that persists for up to four years after the antidepressants are stopped.

“In other words, you now have a system that is less sensitive to serotonin being exposed to normal levels of serotonin after the drug is removed. And overall, this could be seen as a low serotonin syndrome,” he clarified.

This of course is a very simplified version of what’s going on. There are many other neurotransmitters and downstream effects of these changes that may also persist for long periods after the drug is stopped. All of these changes also are likely to explain the wide-ranging and long-lasting symptoms that occur after stopping antidepressants.

Adaptation to the drug

Dr Horowitz presenting findings on antidepressant withdrawal. Image: THIX Photo.

The underlying problem that has often been neglected is that years of use has caused an adaptation to the antidepressant drug by the body and brain and this condition persists for longer than it takes the drug to be eliminated from the body, and that’s what causes withdrawal effects.

Dr Mark Horowitz explains why withdrawal effects last for more than a few days or weeks after the drug is out of the system, “it’s not the time taken for the drug to leave the system that determines the length of the effect. It’s the time taken for the system to readapt to the drug not being there that explains how long withdrawal symptoms can last for.”

Antidepressant withdrawal syndrome is a set of physiological symptoms that occur on stopping or reducing the dose of an antidepressant. They can manifest in either psychological or physical symptoms because these drugs affect so many bodily systems. They occur because adaptations to the brain caused by the drug take time to resolve.

Dr Mark Horowitz pointed out that it’s important to understand that withdrawal symptoms do not require addiction, all that is required is adaptation to the drug. This is often referred to as physical dependence. Physical dependence in pharmacological terms means the process of adaptation to appear to exposure to a drug that affects the brain, which is true for antidepressants (and, for example, to caffeine, which does not generally cause addiction but can cause physical dependence and therefore withdrawal effects).

As the SSRI antidepressants act on a neurotransmitter mechanism that influence not only mood but many bodily systems withdrawing from the drug after years of adaptation thus can cause strong reactions on many of these functions and their influence on one’s life.

Symptoms of withdrawal

There are dozens and dozens of possible effects that can be caused. Symptoms include dizziness, insomnia, impaired concentration, fatigue, headache, tremor, tachycardia, and nightmares. Withdrawal can even cause affective symptoms such as depressed mood, irritability, anxiety, and panic attacks.

“We know that these are symptoms of withdrawal and not just relapse (a return of someone’s underlying condition), because they have been found in studies of people who stopped antidepressants with no underlying mental health conditions,” Dr Mark Horowitz told. He mentioned examples such as people who are given these drugs for pain, for the menopause, and even in healthy volunteers.

There are other effects including an increase in suicide attempts in the two weeks after stopping antidepressants. It has been attributed to withdrawal effects itself because it’s too quick for relapse to explain this increase in symptoms. Dr Mark Horowitz further noted that they have also found in studies that while 30% of those who responded were suicidal before starting medication, 60% became suicidal after stopping so that this means for 30% of people they will experience being suicidal for the first time in their lives because of withdrawal effects.

The maybe most disturbing symptom from withdrawal of antidepressants, which often has been neglected, is a condition known as akathisia. Akathisia is a movement disorder usually caused by a psychoactive substance in which the individual generally will experience an intense sensation of unease or an inner restlessness that often prompts the patient to pace backwards and forwards and can be an intensely unpleasant experience. Dr Mark Horowitz noted that it is often recognised as a long-term consequence of antipsychotic exposure, but withdrawal from antidepressants and benzodiazepines and a variety of other psychiatric drugs can also cause the condition.

“It is the most horrible presentations that I see. People are pacing, they feel agitated, they feel terror. A lot of them are talking about suicide because it is a state in which you get no rest and no calm, often for weeks and sometimes longer,” Dr Mark Horowitz pointed out.

And it’s important as this condition is often misdiagnosed when people are presented to the emergency department as agitated depression, as mania, because many clinicians and others are unfamiliar with the fact that coming off these drugs can cause akathisia.

Withdrawal effects not recognized or misdiagnosed as relapse

Tens of thousands users of antidepressants from Europe every month are seeking information and advice from American peer support forums on how to come off their medications. Their stories are for many very similar.

The research group of Dr Mark Horowitz surveyed 1,300 of these. Three quarters of them said their doctor’s advice on withdrawing was unhelpful.

The major reasons where that the doctor had recommended a rate of reduction that was much too quick. And that the treating doctors weren’t familiar enough with withdrawal symptoms to have any advice, or they told the user that stopping with antidepressants would not cause withdrawal symptoms.

Dr Mark Horowitz indicated that doctors often still believe that withdrawal effects from antidepressants are “brief and mild”. And they do not know that withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, depressed mood, and insomnia.

“It’s easy to confuse with a relapse of depression or anxiety, especially when it’s in the clinician’s minds that withdrawal effects are brief and mild. Someone turns up with severe symptoms that are long lasting, it’s very hard to put the connection together,” Dr Mark Horowitz added.

Another disturbing fact is that withdrawal effects is not only related to antidepressants. “The same is true for coming off of all psychiatric drugs. Often the changes produced on the brain by psychiatric drugs can persist for months or years after stopping, which is why withdrawal syndromes can last a lot longer if it takes the drug to be eliminated from the body,” Dr Mark Horowitz pointed out.

Mali: Results 5 Months After a Training on Human Rights and Good Governance

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EuropeanTimes

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11 May 2024

By Murielle Gemis and Mariam Traoré – May 11, 2024

63 young activists, aged 18 to 25, 28 women and 35 men, gathered for a training session on Human Rights and good governance from December in honor of the anniversary of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

An educational initiative, focused on Human Rights and good governance, took place from December 11th to 13th, 2023, at the AZALAI Grand Hôtel in Bamako, commemorating the anniversary of the 1948 Human Rights Charter. Organized for 63 participants aged 18 to 25, this three-day training session saw the presence of several key figures.

The results of this training, presented on Wednesday, May 1st, to Ms. Galatée Fouquet, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Luxembourg, highlight a deep understanding of the subject matter and increased involvement in various organizations, demonstrating these young people’s willingness to apply this knowledge in their daily lives and communities.

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Reflection on the Training: Gathering for Change

Among the partners and educational leaders of this event, Mr. Kabine DOUMBIA, president of the NGO ASRAD Mali, and Ms. Marie Anne MARX, representative of the Embassy of Luxembourg, played a key role as supporters and facilitators of this initiative. The training sessions were conducted by experts, including Ms. Murielle GEMIS, assistant professor in education sciences in Belgium, and Dr. Souleymane SACKO, university professor in Mali, specializing in International Strategy. Additionally, in this context, tools provided by the humanitarian partner Youth for Human Rights International were graciously utilized. Furthermore, several political figures supported this educational initiative focused on Human Rights and good governance by participating in its inaugural sessions.

This three-day session was structured around specific modules. These modules covered various aspects ranging from the dynamics of human rights (LRH), clarifying the terms and principles of Human Rights, to analyzing governance systems and the challenges to overcome. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences, enriching the discussions and strengthening their commitment to these essential causes. Interactive sessions were complemented by practical exercises, including simulations and role-playing games, enabling participants to develop their advocacy and rights defense skills. Additionally, tools and resources were shared to facilitate the integration of Human Rights principles into their daily actions.

Participants Perspectives and Future Challenges

To assess the achievement of the set objectives, a follow-up survey was conducted. It revealed a deep understanding of the knowledge acquired and an increased involvement in various organizations such as “Secretary for the Relations of Graduated Disabled Collective” or “Advisor to the Secretary-General of the UNESCO Club of the IUG.” As another example, some participants testified to the impact of the training on their personal and professional behavior. One of them stated, “Initially, I applied this acquired knowledge through my own behavior conscientiously. It gave me the idea to always think before acting with the utmost respect for human rights so as not to penalize others.” Furthermore, some participants took concrete initiatives to raise awareness in their community. For instance, one mentioned, “I launched a digital campaign to raise awareness about respect for human rights.” Another mentioned speaking up for more vulnerable audiences: “Through advocacy with authorities. Participation in TV and radio programs, notably TV JOLIBA, to address issues facing disabled individuals in Mali.” These various testimonies highlight the positive impact of the training on the participants and their willingness to apply the knowledge acquired in their daily lives and community involvement. They also reflect the participants’ expressed need for additional support, particularly in terms of supplementary training and financial resources. “We must redouble efforts in the fields of education and social welfare, without forgetting financial resources, in order to expand training opportunities and clubs to advocate for human rights and good governance.” This underscores the ongoing importance of this educational initiative in enhancing citizens’ capacity for action in the realm of human rights and good governance.

Conclusion: Towards an Engaged Citizenship

The conclusion of this survey highlights the significant impact of a training on human rights and good governance on civic engagement. The results indicate a notable increase in participants involvement in organizations after the training, particularly in key positions related to the protection of human rights. This reflects a heightened sense of responsibility in promoting and defending human rights within society. Additionally, participants’ responses reveal a deep understanding of human rights and good governance concepts, as well as the ability to apply them in various contexts of their daily lives and community engagement. This knowledge appropriation translates into concrete actions of awareness-raising, education, and advocacy, demonstrating a genuine desire to contribute to social and political change towards a fairer and more respectful society. Furthermore, the expressed needs of participants for additional support underscore the importance of continuing to provide training opportunities and material and financial resources to enhance their capacity for action in the field of human rights and good governance. These conclusions highlight the crucial role of training in empowering citizens and promoting an active and engaged citizenship within society.

Therefore, this report bears witness to the positive impact of this training on the participants, 63 young individuals from various regions of Mali. By strengthening their knowledge and skills, this educational initiative contributes to shaping a new generation that is committed and responsible towards humanity and its differences, with a focus on peace and readiness to strive for a world where human rights are respected and protected.

UN expert raises alarm over unfair treatment of pro-Palestinian student protesters in US

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11 May 2024

UN expert raises alarm over unfair treatment of pro-Palestinian student protesters in US

“I am deeply troubled by the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, arrests, detentions, police violence, surveillance and disciplinary measures and sanctions against members of the educational community exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed said, in a statement at the end of an official visit to the US.

The UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert said she is particularly concerned by the way protesters are unfairly treated based on their political viewpoint – specifically pro-Palestinian protestors.

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Core constitutional commitment

While Ms. Shaheed was in the US, she visited Washington DC, Indiana and Colorado.

Her visit occurred simultaneously with US students setting up encampments on campus grounds to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, call for a ceasefire, and in many cases demand that university divest any assets linked to Israel.

She said, “These attacks signal a concerning erosion of intellectual freedom and democratic principles within educational settings.”

Ms. Shaheed is appealing to the US Government to reiterate its core commitment to freedom of speech by ensuring all students have unrestricted access to diverse ideas and perspectives.

Academic freedoms under threat

The Special Rapporteur also expressed concern about 307 policies and educational gag order bills introduced in the US since January 2021.

“These policies, manifested through book bans and restrictions on curricula, have instilled a pervasive ‘chilling effect’ that stifles the free exchange of ideas and silences marginalised voices,” she said.

Ms. Shaheed found that underfunding in the US educational system paved the way for other systemic issues including teacher shortages and student mental health support challenges.

These educational funding disparities are worsened by over reliance on local property taxes, harming marginalized and low-income neighbourhoods.

The rapporteur said, “Communities need to find a way to distribute funds more equitably between wealthier and poorer districts to end the cycle of deprivation and segregation.”

“I also urge the federal government to take decisive action to address disparities in educational funding,” she added.

Increased educational rights

The Special Rapporteur has called on federal and state authorities to acknowledge education as a human right while ensuring fair access for all students irrespective of background or identity, level of income, place of residence or any other personal circumstance.

Ms. Shaheed also mentioned that despite federal non-discrimination safeguards, school safety and police presence in schools in addition to standardised testing and students’ mental health, are all related but negatively affect people from marginalized and minority communities.

“It is crucial to remove police presence from schools and invest in qualified personnel such as counsellors and social workers to create a safe and nurturing learning environment,” Ms. Shaheed said.

“It is time to shift the narrative, prioritising holistic growth and social interaction skills over standardised testing results reducing students to mere numbers.”

Special Rapporteurs and other UN rights experts are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organisation. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.

New privacy-preserving robotic cameras obscure images beyond human recognition

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Newsdesk

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11 May 2024