To illustrate how international days can influence actions by NGOs, here an example from Syria:
The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (30 August) the Platform of Families of Missing and Enforcedly Disappeared Persons in North and East Syria organized a solidarity stand in Qamishlo.
The event took place today under the slogan, “Our doors are still open, waiting for their return,” in front of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Qamishlo, Jazira Canton, with participation from relatives of the missing, activists, and human rights defenders.
Participants carried banners with messages in Kurdish, Arabic, and English, including: “A mother is still waiting at the window,” “Absence is a weight heavier than iron,” “No peace and no future without knowing the fate of the missing,” “Knowing the fate is the beginning of holding perpetrators accountable,” and “Our voices will not be silenced; we will continue demanding our loved ones.”
Abbas Ali Mousa, coordinator of the Platform of Families of Missing Persons in North and East Syria, told ANHA agency that the number of families affiliated with the platform ranges between 600 and 700.
Mousa explained that the event was held in solidarity with victims of enforced disappearances and their families, reaffirming their legitimate right to know the fate of their loved ones and emphasizing the necessity of establishing truth and justice.
Ilham Ahmed, the mother of journalist Farhad Hamo, who has been missing by ISIS mercenaries for 11 years, said: “I know nothing about my son or his fate.”
Ahmed added: “Despite repeatedly appealing to human rights organizations and relevant bodies, we have received no response or clarification.” She called on human rights organizations and groups working with abductees to reveal the fate of her son and all missing persons.
This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.