OMCT’s Latin American Regional Seminar: Call for nominations

An invitation to submit nominations to participate in OMCT’s Latin American Regional Seminar on addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence (Buenos Aires, Argentina 18 to 22 May 2009) The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) invites nominations for participation in the Latin American Regional Seminar on addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence to be held in (Buenos Aires, Argentina from 18 to 22 May 2009). The Latin American Regional Seminar is being organised with the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS) and it is the second of three regional seminars on this issue scheduled as part of a project supported by the European Union.
Objectives The principal objective of the Latin American Regional Seminar is to help NGOs prepare action files for submission to the UN or other organisations and/or elements for inclusion in alternative reports for submission to UN Treaty Bodies containing recommendations for practical action to stop or prevent torture and other forms of violence by dealing with their economic social and cultural root causes. An important objective for OMCT is to build partnerships with NGOs to work together on these issues over the long term. The seminar, in particular, will seek to:

• help NGOs understand the various ways violations of economic, social and cultural rights are linked to violence and how acting on those root causes can reduce violence;
• help NGOs to develop their own capacity to address the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence;
• identify how action on the root causes of violence could relate to the specific circumstances of the participants’ countries;
• assist participants in preparing action files for submission to the UN and other organisations;
• assist participants in preparing elements for including in alternative reports to UN Treaty bodies and in submissions to other institutions (for example the European Union) containing information on the link between the denial of economic, social and cultural rights and torture along with recommendations for specific action; and
• identify new and emerging issues for attention.

Methods of work The seminar’s work will be built principally around a discussion and refinement of draft action files or elements for alternative report prepared in advance by each participant in order to ensure that the participants leave the seminar with practical action to take on returning home. Particular emphasis will be placed on the potential for human rights and development NGOs to bring about change through collaborative projects. In addition, participants will be encouraged to exchange experiences and challenges and describe the methods that they have used to address the seminar’s issues. Selection of participants Eighteen representatives from Latin American NGOs will be selected to participate. Nominations are invited from members of OMCT’s SOS-Torture Network and other NGO working closely with OMCT. Nominations are also invited from NGOs active in the fields of economic, social and cultural rights and development that wish to address the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence from their own perspective. Organisations combating torture and those working for economic, social and cultural rights and development may wish to submit joint nominations (2 participants) with a view to working together in the future on these issues.
Organisations wishing to nominate a participant are requested to provide a short explanation of the relevance of participation in the seminar to their work. The participants selected to take part in the regional seminar must prepare and submit in advance of the seminar a 5 to 10 page paper addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence in their country. This paper should include the elements for an action file or for elements for inclusion in an alternative report; joint approaches by human rights and development NGOs are encouraged. The annexes to this note provide information on these issues and further guidance is available on request from OMCT.

Submitting nominations If your organisation would like to nominate a participant, please submit the nomination to OMCT by 10 April 2009 and include a short explanation of the relevance of participation in the seminar to your organisation’s work. Participants who have been selected will be informed by 17 April 2009. Practical information OMCT will cover travel costs (including visa fees) and living expenses in accordance with OMCT’s established practice. The seminar will be conducted in Spanish. Nominations should be sent to Tom McCarthy by email (tmc@omct.org) or by fax to +41 22 809 49 29 Geneva, 24 March 2009