EuropeAid Human rights and democracy Torture prevention in Peru, Ecuador and Guatemala Education, awareness raising and dissemination of practices of torture prevention for military and police authorities “We work with persons deprived of liberty, which is the only right that they have lost - they have all the rest of their rights in force”. EC Partners Instituto Peruano de Educación en Derechos Humanos y la Paz – IPEDEHP Comisión Ecuménica de Derechos Humanos (Ecuador) – CEDHU Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales de Guatemala – ICCPG Arístides Castillo, National Penintenciary Institute Officer, Peru Context Peru, Ecuador and Guatemala lie in a region with a political history marked by acute periods of human rights violations, with the practice of torture and other cruel and ill treatment reaching alarming levels. Consolidation of democracy in Latin America must take into account this situation, implementing adequate mechanisms to prevent such practices in the future. It is therefore important to educate police and military authorities against torture, as required by Article 10 of the UN Convention against Torture. Facts and Figures EC contribution: €697,181 (73% of the project) Duration: 2007-2009 Objective Engage local authorities, military, policemen and social leaders in the eradication of torture practices. Impact Elaboration, validation and dissemination of awareness-raising and educational materials on the prevention of torture. More than 5 500 targeted persons gained an adequate knowledge on physical and psychological torture prevention and about national and international laws on torture prevention. Round tables established on dialogue and negotiation techniques amongst public security institutions. For more information: http://www.ipedehp.org.pe Human rights and democracy Torture prevention in Peru, Ecuador and Guatemala Education, awareness raising and dissemination of practices of torture prevention for military and police authorities Breaking the barriers and working together towards the respect of basic human rights Mayor Rommel Tapia Coral, member of the Directory of the Department of Human Rights of the Police in Ecuador: “It was almost impossible to think that the doors of military and police quarters could be open to members of human rights defenders. This paradigm has been broken. But how? With the great will of our Police Command, and also with the decisiveness of our policemen and policewomen. In this work, it was enriching to have members of the Armed Forces as companions, members from the Public Ministry, the Social Rehabilitation Directory and community leaders, as well as human rights promoters and defenders. As a conclusion, I believe, and I am sure that this is the consensus, that all of us must be promoters, defenders and guarantee human rights, even more the National Police, which is in close contact with the civil society.” EuropeAid