Doing away with impunity

This strategy of pressure, mostly used by human rights organizations in Colombia, seeks to demonstrate to the authorities that individuals, communities, or organizations that face threats are mobilizing international support, and that crimes against them will have a political cost. The « Urgent Action Network » presents itself then as a complementary tool to international accompaniment in order to create a protection mechanism for social activists, and to reduce political threats against them.

The PASC Urgent Action Network

Through its Urgent Action Network, the PASC sends news reports on threats and human rights violations that its partner organizations are seeking to denounce on an international level. These articles present a precise description of the situation and offer simple instructions as to ways to intervene in order to apply political pressure on the concerned authorities, whether it's through sending emails, faxes, or making phone calls. To facilitate an immediate reaction, we provide model letters that can be endorsed before being addressed to the targeted authorities. All urgent actions sent out are also published on our website, under the « urgent action » section. In order to complete an effective follow-up with the authorities, and to assure a massive response to the urgent action notices, the PASC only solicits its network in cases of serious threats to the integrity and security of the organizations it accompanies. As a general rule, these urgent actions are carried out at the request of our [partners] or when the security of our accompaniment teams is threatened.

For example, these urgent actions are sent in the case of crimes against humanity : forced disappearances, torture, extra-judicial executions, arbitrary detentions, massacres; or when there is a military or paramilitary incursion being staged in an accompanied community; a person we are accompanying receives death threats, or is subjected to heightened political surveillance or legal pressure.

To participate in the urgent action network, we invite you to fill out the form included in the banner of the website.Through this email list, you will also be kept up to date about the public activities of the PASC in Quebec. At any point in time, you can unsubscribe yourself by following the instructions at the bottom of the emails.