Preventing Torture An Operational Guide for National Human Rights Institutions When planning a public education programme, NHRIs should define a specific objective and the group or groups they intend to reach. For example, a targeted campaign might have a goal of helping homeless young people know their rights if they are arrested by the police. These education initiatives are generally most effective when they are conducted in partnership with others working in the field. Therefore NHRIs should consider building networks with a wide range of groups and professionals, such as social workers, charity organizations, human rights NGOs or professional associations of doctors and lawyers. Once the objective for the education programme has been defined, the next step is to consider the best way to communicate with the target group. This will obviously vary considerably, depending on the group. If, for instance, the programme aims to reach homeless young people, it could include strategies such as: • placing leaflets or posters in key places, including police stations or youth centres • running street theatre sessions • distributing caps, T-shirts or pocket cards • establishing and promoting a free information hotline • holding information sessions in youth centres, accommodation centres or other places where young people gather. 2. Public awareness campaigns As part of their mandate to promote human rights, NHRIs should seek to raise awareness among the general public about the absolute prohibition on torture and the right of all persons, in particular those deprived of their liberty, not to be tortured or ill-treated.39 Torture and ill-treatment almost always occurs out of public view. As a result, these issues may be rarely discussed in the media or other public settings and there may be little awareness that such practices occur. NHRIs can play an important role in bringing the issue of torture out of the shadows and into the public domain. Public awareness and community support can be a crucial factor in bringing about changes to laws, policies and practices. In most countries around the world, community attitudes to detainees can vary from indifference to suspicion and even antipathy. These feelings are usually reinforced by public discourse on issues of security and law and order that can legitimate poor treatment of detainees. Similarly, public opinion can sometimes view certain forms of violent behaviour, for example during interrogation, as an acceptable part of police work. This perception can be reinforced by television programmes that show police violence as a normal, or even necessary, part of policing. This is why it is important for NHRIs to regularly communicate the message that torture is never acceptable and that all persons deprived of their liberty deserve humane treatment. One of the best ways to address the community at large is through global public awareness campaigns that engage journalists and opinion leaders. An effective public education campaign will be based on an agreed communication strategy, which will include a specific objective, a clear and simple message, the main methods of communication and the timeframe for the campaign. 39 In its general comment No. 20, the Human Rights Committee asks to “be informed how States parties disseminate, to the population at large, relevant information concerning the ban on torture and the treatment prohibited by article 7” (para. 10). The Committee against Torture also notes that “it is important that the general population be educated on the history, scope and necessity of the non-derogable prohibition of torture and ill-treatment” (general comment No. 2, para. 25). 94 | Chapter 9: Promoting public awareness