Living in Fear

An ISHHR Webinar
April 23rd 2024
at 8 pm CET

How can we support physically and mentally traumatised Human Rights Defenders (HRD)? 
The first ISHHR webinar of 2024 will focus on care for and protection of HRDs. There will be speakers from different conflict zones, sharing their ideas and experiences.

Arnold Djuma from The Democratic Republic of Congo, leader of The Voluntary Committee for Peace and Development in eastern DRC, Ruth Wells, psychologist and Senior Research Fellow at The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, Rick Wabano from the Mushkegowuk community involved in land-based healing in Canada, and David Danto, Dean of Health and Community Studies at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada, as well as Amber Gray, psychologist, activist, academic dancer – focused on embodied experience, from USA, and Hector Aristizábal, psychologist, theatre performer, leader of Reconectando, having worked closely with the Colombia Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

They are all experienced individuals presenting a wide specter of approaches from different areas of the world, bringing also indigenous perspectives into the equation.

Please join for an excting event!

Since 1987, ISHHR has worked with programs of capacity building in different post-conflict regions every 3-5 years, followed by an International Conference on Health and Human Rights. This conference is a unique event for organizations and individuals working with mental health issues affecting people who have experienced trauma in the context of war and organized violence. 

The conference took place at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia from November 21-25, 2022.  Around 90 delegates, both local and international, took part.  As usual, a combination of workshops, plenary and parallell sessions set the light on a variety of different aspects and approaches of working with persons subjected to various kinds of challenges.  There were also social events organized, bringing the participants closer to different parts of local culture, be it food, music or nature. 

The ISHHR is deeply grateful to our local organizers without whose help this event could not have taken place.  We look forward to keeping in touch, preparing for the next step.  As financial sponsor The Norwegian Human Rights Fund, Colombia branch, also contributed generously to make this possible.  A comprehensive report about the conference will be published on this website soon. 

ISHHR Membership

Becoming a member of the International Society of Health and Human Rights means you, or your organisation, will join a global network of clinicians, practitioners, advocates, researchers, and other likeminded individuals and organisations who are committed to aiding the recovery, rehabilitation, and integration of survivors of human rights violations. You, or your organisation, will receive updates from ISHHR, and also will be given the opportunity to capitalise on offers & discounts at the next ISHHR Conference or event.

Conversations on the way to Colombia

Photo by Kobby Mendez on Unsplash

Photo by Kobby Mendez on Unsplash

Loes van Wiligen, founder and Honorary President of ISHHR, suggested arranging in this time of crisis a series of webinars, alternating between English and Spanish.

These “Conversations ” could prepare the ground for our planned capacity-building and the International Conference in Colombia in 2022 in cooperation with Colombian partners.

Facilitators and front-workers from Colombia and around the world could share perspectives on their work with the final beneficiaries: women and men in Colombia and other post-conflict countries – tools for coping and healing.

So far, we have arranged four exciting and informative webinars on our way to Colombia:

If you did not get the opportunity to participate in the webinars, you can now watch them here:


Collective Healing:
Restoring the relationship of humanity and nature

The 11th ISHHR Conference for health and Human Rights

The conference did take place at the

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Bogotá, Colombia

November 21 – 25, 2022

Conference Program

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The Council

The ISHHR Council are elected by members of the organisation at each ISHHR Conference. The Council operates as a steering-committee that guides the decisions and actions made by ISHHR as an organisation.

ISHHR Council Members