HUMAN RIGHT HONDURAS


VOLUNTARIOS HONDURAS



martes, 26 de marzo de 2013

PeaceWoman Itsmania Pineda Platero, Honduras




Itsmania Pineda Platero is a Honduran journalist and human rights defender. During a recent PWAG visit to Honduras, Itsmania explained how she started her engagement as an activist in the 1990s in the capital Tegucigalpa and talked about the increasing human rights violations in her country, a crisis that is affecting especially the security of women.

In the course of her professional life during the past twenty years, Itsmania’s role has varied from journalist to artist, from street social worker to writer and to local expert on gangs and organized crime. Today, she brings together all of her “lives”, as she calls them, in her engagement as a journalist reporting on the injustices in her country and in the region.

Being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize was like a protection

Itsmania started out as a human rights defender in the 1990s. Her organization «Xibalbá Arte y Cultura» initiated a project with young people on the streets, helping them to better integrate into society through art and dance. Itsmania soon became a spokesperson for young people at risk and took a role as an adviser on gang issues for governmental institutions and civil society organizations. «During that period, being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize was like a shield, a protection for me», Itsmania says. In 2011, the organization Xibalbá had to be closed because of the severe persecution of its employees.


In Honduras, the homicide rate has increased dramatically during the past years. According to the National Commission for Human Rights (Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos CONADEH), seventeen persons were killed every day in 2011. Major causes of this violence, the Commission states, are drug trafficking, organized crime and politically motivated violence following the military coup in 2009.

The increasing violence in the region has affected especially the security of women. Globally, Honduras has one of the highest rates of femicides - murdering of women because of their gender - with 473 murders during the past year (CONADEH). «The lack of justice in this country is a serious problem», Itsmania says. Altogether, 90% of all cases are left without conviction. Yet, even when victims denounce their perpetrators, there is hardly any follow-up of the cases of violence. «Honduras does not have enough programs for the protection of women. The government is not doing anything against the culture of impunity around violence against women», Itsmania states.

Itsmania is one of the numerous women human rights defenders whose lives are at risk today in Honduras. «The most important thing is to stay visible. We have to inform the international community about the human rights violations in our country».

http://issuu.com/peacewomenacrosstheglobe/docs/newsletter_march_2013_en/4

itsmania a woman of peace around the world

 ...page 4...Oh¡¡ jee¡¡¡ aqui estoy yo en esta revista la dedico para ustedes en cualquier lugar del mundo los amo itsmania
pagina 4...Oh jee here I am in this magazine I dedicate to you anywhere in the world the love itsmania
a woman of peace around the world

http://issuu.com/peacewomenacrosstheglobe/docs/newsletter_march_2013_en/4
 Newsletter 1/2013
Topic: Preventing Violence
This is the online version. For the full version in pdf, please click here.
Editorial
by Meike Sahling, Director

Promoting Peace: Fighting Violence against Women across the Regions


PeaceWoman Itsmania Pineda Platero, Honduras


«One Billion Rising»: The whole world dances to end violence against women


News
Editorial
Dear Readers,

Around the world, women and girls are still largely affected by different forms of violence, trafficking and political persecution.

This newsletter with its new design contains information on various aspects of our work and activities around this important topic and presents regional strategies for combating violence against women.
In concrete terms, these are the PWAG projects such as the «Women Survivor Learning Forum» in Indonesia as well as the activities in Latin America and the Caribbean regions where women are faced with increasing sexual violence, high rates of femicides and trafficking in women.

We feature in this issue one of our PeaceWomen, Itsmania Pineda Platero from Honduras. As a human rights activist and journalist she urges politicians and government officials to take action against the violence in her country and to stop the prevalent impunity.

The short, encouraging review of this year's first event «One Billion Rising» on Valentine's Day, 14 February, describes the impressive and creative global solidarity shown by women and men around the world to end violence against women.

Finally, the news page provides information on interesting events, some in Bern, which you are cordially invited to attend.

Yours sincerely,

Meike Sahling, PWAG Director

http://issuu.com/peacewomenacrosstheglobe/docs/newsletter_march_2013_en/4