OMCT’s project “Preventing torture and other forms of violence by acting on their economic, social and cultural root causes” has as its purpose to protect individuals and groups from torture, summary executions, enforced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment by identifying and acting on their economic, social and cultural root causes. It does this by examining the links between violations of economic, social and cultural rights and violence, developing recommendations as the basis for action on the national and international levels and by building the capacity of national nongovernmental organizations to undertake such action.
The five areas of activities of the project are:
The present website includes more details on this project which was implemented by OMCT from January 2007 to March 2010. It also contains information on the other activities of OMCT addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence.
The project was designed on the bases of the results of the Interdisciplinary Study “Attacking the Root Causes of Torture; Poverty, Inequality and Violence” and the conclusions and recommendations of the International Conference “Poverty, Inequality and Violence: Is there a human rights response?” held in Geneva from 4 to 6 October 2005.
The European Union, through the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, provided substantial support for the project which is also supported by the Karl Popper Foundation, the Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation and the Foundation for Human Rights at Work. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DDC) supported this project in 2007 and 2008.
The project, as well as the work on the Interdisciplinary Study, was guided by OMCT’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Scientific Council made up of distinguished experts in the field. OMCT is very grateful for their important contribution to the organisation’s work in addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence.
The project was carried out under the direction of Eric Sottas, OMCT Secretary General, Anne-Laurence Lacroix, Deputy Secretary General and by the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Team: Michael Miller, Francesca Restifo, Jastine Barrett and Tom McCarthy. They received the valuable assistance of the following interns: Federica Morvay, Janna Iskakova, Liza Knox, Ivona Truscan, Pauline Liss, Andrea Meraz and Giselle Bogaert.
The present website and library is the result of a collaborative effort by Marianna Duarte, Sébastien Courvoisier, Francesca Restifo of OMCT and Oleg Burlaca. Their efforts are highly appreciated.