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Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Finally, campaigns should engage faith-based organizations, traditional leaders, persons with albinism and their families. They should address witchcraft and related beliefs, as well as fundamental topics involving albinism, including biological and scientific information on the genetic origins of the condition and other objective facts to debunk myths and misbeliefs surrounding the condition.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against persons with albinism are characterized by the hacking off of body parts. This appears to be the primary purpose of a majority of attacks. Body parts such as limbs are removed from the body and transported to alleged witchdoctors for the purpose of concocting muti or juju medicines and potions.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- In 2013, the Parliament of Papua New Guinea repealed the Sorcery Act (1971) in total. The Act, whose objective was "to prevent and punish evil practices of sorcery and other similar evil practices", acknowledged the existence of sorcery and criminalized its practice, including attacks against people accused of sorcery. In 2014, new legislation criminalizing killings related to sorcery was enacted.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Muti is a Zulu word used in southern Africa that refers to types of traditional medicine, magical charms, potions or amulets. It has also been defined as a substance fabricated from plants, animals or minerals by a person possessing expert knowledge and skill. In West Africa, the term "juju" is used to refer to a similar practice. It is sometimes believed that the muti or juju will be more effective if it contains human body parts, in particular those of persons with albinism, as these are believed to be intrinsically magical or powerful, with the ability to produce wealth and confer good luck. "Muti murder", "medicine murder" and "juju" are therefore the terms most commonly associated with ritual attacks to produce charms, potions or amulets that involve the use of human body parts. In this context, muti and juju seem to be related to witchcraft and are therefore subsumed by the term "witchcraft" in the present report. In particular, witchcraft-related beliefs, rituals and practices seem to give energy and meaning to muti and juju. Even if in some cases witchcraft-related beliefs are described as superstitions unaffiliated with any religious systems, they can be harnessed by witchcraft practitioners to the detriment of various victims, including persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- According to information received, the erroneous beliefs and myths, including certain witchcraft practices, have led to the desecration of graves of persons with albinism. Such desecrations have been reported in at least seven countries in Africa. In the cases reported, graves of persons with albinism were open and body parts or bones were stolen.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Today, it is highly concerning that witchcraft beliefs surrounding albinism have spread widely and that persons with albinism are often nicknamed "asset", "money", "deal" or "million" in reference to the alleged value of their body parts. Such taunts are reportedly widespread in both rural and urban environments, particularly in countries where attacks on persons with albinism are reported.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Most potent is the belief that persons with albinism can be used in money-making rituals and for good luck charms and amulets. The crux of this belief is the notion that the body parts of persons with albinism - their skin, hair, genitals and limbs - can generate financial and other desirable gains when used for witchcraft rituals, practices and paraphernalia.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- Second are the inherent limits of self-regulation, weak law enforcement and the absence of a far-reaching oversight mechanism for both urban and rural areas. Further, self-regulation by organizations of traditional healers have done little to prevent purported practitioners of traditional medicine from establishing themselves on their own, with no oversight at all. Weak enforcement of government licensing systems has also led to similar situations.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- Further, in addressing the issue of attacks against persons with albinism, all initiatives are best taken using a dual or twin-track approach. Such an approach would, on the one hand, urgently deal with attacks and trafficking of body parts for muti and juju; on the other hand, measures employed should go beyond the emergency of attacks, inter alia, to address root causes of attacks including, and particularly, harmful practices linked to witchcraft.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- However, these efforts provide only limited control owing to several factors. First is the absence of a normative framework and legislative clarity on the difference between traditional medicine and witchcraft. This ambiguity is being abused by criminals posing as traditional healers, but also by genuine traditional healers who go beyond using herbs and animal body parts to using body parts of persons with albinism to attract a higher price for their services.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Countries with records of attacks against persons with albinism, including both countries visited this year by the Independent Expert, demonstrated the challenge of the ambiguity between the two practices. This problem has already been identified by the Independent Expert as a root cause of attacks. The issue is further complicated by the lack of effective oversight over the practice of traditional healers, the secrecy that often surrounds witchcraft practice and the absence of a clear national policy position on the issue.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- UNICEF extends this definition by adding that "witchcraft is a theory that explains and justifies a conception of the universe". With both conceptualizations, witchcraft could also be described as a religion or belief. In various countries affected by attacks against persons with albinism, witchcraft beliefs and practices are widespread. Adherents are found across various strata of society, transcending socioeconomic class, the urban-rural divide and levels of education.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, understanding the root causes of attacks against persons with albinism is necessary in order to design strategies to address discrimination and attacks and to identify adequate prevention measures. The secrecy surrounding witchcraft practices and the underground nature of the market associated with the trafficking in body parts of persons with albinism make it difficult to find evidence. Understanding the phenomena and their implications would therefore be one of the priorities of the Independent Expert.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Information has been received that killings are known to peak during election times as demand for magical potions by politicians seeking election or re-election goes up. Civil society reported that, prior to several elections in the African region, the number of reported attacks increased in various countries. Internal conflicts or political tensions also provide a framework of uncertainty conducive to reliance on supernatural beliefs and witchcraft practices.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- It was reported that witchcraft beliefs and associated practices relating to the body parts of persons with albinism have led to an underground black market in the purchase and sale of body parts. This entire phenomenon seems to have no historical precedent. Yet there is a reasonable link between historical discrimination and stigma (including myths relating to disappearances and infanticide) on the one hand and the current situation of attacks on the other - the former laying the foundation for the latter.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, myths contribute to minimizing the social impact of attacks against persons with albinism and justify their disappearance. In this regard, the testimony of a digger is telling as he explains that myths are used to "deceive people because the waganga [witchdoctors/traditional healers] believe that the zeruzeru [a pejorative term for a person with albinism] aren't missed in the community. They believe that they are not useful people and if they die they are not lost".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Since 2007, civil society organizations have reported hundreds of attacks against persons with albinism in 25 countries. All of those physical attacks appear to be, at least in part, related to the erroneous beliefs and myths linked to witchcraft practices.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- That being said, given the extent of witchcraft practices and the diversity of victims of related harmful practices, including persons with albinism, a transversal approach is timely. This could be in the form of a guiding document that takes into account the several recommendations made to date, including by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Constitutional Law Reform Commission of Papua New Guinea and the preliminary conclusions of the Independent Expert.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft practice, in particular the use of body parts of persons with albinism for muti or juju, is undeniably one of the main root causes of attacks against persons with albinism. However, owing to challenges in conceptualizing "witchcraft" using objective elements, attempts at establishing clear legal boundaries around such practices - including to deter related harmful practices - have been elusive. One key exception is witchcraft accusations, an aspect of witchcraft practice that can be, and has been, legally captured with objective elements because there is no need to define "witchcraft" itself to achieve the purpose of preventing accusations and related violence.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The adoption of regulatory measures regarding traditional medicine would benefit from a Government-enforced monitoring mechanism that reaches rural, remote and border areas, particularly where attacks against persons with albinism have been reported. It is also critical that any legislation enacted regarding the practice of traditional medicine be accompanied by public education campaigns explaining the criminal nature of witchcraft-related attacks and violence. In addition, efforts should be made to ensure that relevant legislative developments are communicated to practitioners of traditional medicine and that the new provisions are effective and enforced.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The present report does not question the necessity, complementarity or usefulness of traditional medicine. However, the broad definition of the concept has led to situations where the difference between witchcraft practitioners and traditional doctors is difficult to establish in practice. For example, the Independent Expert has seen advertisements in newspapers posted by "traditional healers" offering to make clients richer, cure incurable diseases, secure release from prison, and making other claims that are more suggestive of witchcraft than traditional medicine. In this context, the ideological affinity found between patients and traditional medicine could facilitate witchcraft as a harmful practice because witchcraft can have a diagnostic objective that could implicate innocent third parties - for example, persons known to and disliked by the patient - as the source of a patient's problem.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Persons with albinism are victims of ritual attacks. It is believed that their body parts can bring, inter alia, wealth and good luck when used in potions made by practitioners of witchcraft, referred to as witchdoctors. Persons with albinism who are victims of such attacks are often dismembered and their body parts stolen, including limbs, genitals and hair. In addition, body parts are often taken from live victims because of the related belief that the intensity of their screams while being dismembered enhances the potency of the muti or juju.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Evans-Pritchard distinguishes between "witchcraft" and "sorcery". According to his definition, witches have supernatural powers and operate in secret, in order to harm victims by devouring their life essence. In contrast, a sorcerer is someone who does harm by using plant substances and rituals. The use of body parts of persons with albinism in amulets, charms, potions or other preparations could arguably fall under either category. Therefore, in the present report, the Independent Expert will use the term "witchcraft" to denote both concepts. She will not use the term "magic", which has been employed in some cases to describe attacks against persons with albinism, because it seems to have a dual quality of both benevolence and malevolence, and may therefore be misunderstood. Since the report intends to capture witchcraft in the broader sense and its negative impact on persons with albinism, the term "magic" - in its malevolent form - will be understood to be subsumed by the term "witchcraft".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- It has been widely reported and documented that persons with albinism are hunted and physically attacked due to prevailing myths such as the misbelief that their body parts, when used in witchcraft rituals and potions or amulets, will induce wealth, good luck and political success. Other dangerous myths that facilitate the perpetration of attacks are those linked to perceptions of their appearance, including misbeliefs and myths that persons with albinism are not human beings, but ghosts, that they are subhuman and that they do not die, but disappear. An increase of those attacks, referred to as "ritual attacks", has been reported by civil society during periods of political elections.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The characterization of persons with albinism in films and literature has largely been belittling, negative and caricature-peddling. Although there is reason to be optimistic on the basis of new trends in the past five years, there remains a lot of work to be done because "modern movies, novels, television programs, etc. still insist on using albinism for its shock value…¸ rather than present the facts about the condition since these do not lend themselves to an interesting story. Storytellers choose to use the physical appearance of albinism to invent their own fantasies, and expose their own superstitions and fears" [about the condition]. It has also been reported that the Nigerian film industry, by similarly portraying persons with albinism and normalizing witchcraft, contributes to the spreading of myths and encourages resort to witchdoctors in times of misfortune or hardship.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft is therefore, at least in part, a means of reconciling the traditional with the modern, the former promising to answer questions deemed unanswered by the latter. However the explanations provided by witchcraft are often not grounded on fact but are based on myths and pre-existing beliefs, for which the witchdoctor has a solution at a price. The situation bears strong elements of fraud. To the extent that it solves socioeconomic problems, at best, it supplies only a limited form of social justice and equity as it fails to address the real causes of problems and ultimately leads people to resign themselves to their "misfortunes" instead of accurately understanding and resolving them.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- In a context of poverty, and in view of the reported black market value of body parts of persons with albinism, the perceived possibility of becoming rich quickly is a strong incentive for attacks. Perpetrators recruited to abduct or kill a person with albinism, or informants revealing where persons with albinism live, are often promised a sum of money. Similarly, traditional healers or herbalists in a difficult economic context may be tempted to take advantage of myths and witchcraft beliefs concerning albinism to go beyond using herbs and animal body parts to using body parts of persons with albinism to attract a higher price for their services.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft beliefs and practices as they relate to albinism have essentially capitalized on a myth-riddled situation, to the benefit of practitioners and willing believers. Further, the relative rarity of body parts of persons with albinism has been capitalized upon by the witchcraft beliefs which proffer that the body parts can attract equally rare minerals, such as gold or diamonds. The same argument with regard to rarity appears to have informed the market value of body parts, such that "the albino fetish has become the most expensive charm because it is perceived as harnessing spirits that are far more powerful than … a waganga [witchdoctor/traditional healer] could otherwise offer".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- A witness reported: "witchdoctors told me that they kill persons with albinism and use their organs to make magic potions for their clients who want to become rich and successful". Similarly, a witchdoctor admitted to the use of bones of persons with albinism after being instructed by his ancestors, stating that "good witchcraft is when one uses organs of a dead person with albinism" while "bad witchcraft is when one kills a person with albinism for their body parts". In another interview, a witchdoctor explained that "from their hair to their bones, albinos are sought after. When we hear that an albino has died somewhere, we try to find out where he has been buried in order to recover some parts which are really important to help us … we even kill albinos because we need certain parts of their bodies". In addition to attacks against persons with albinism, such witchcraft beliefs have often led to the desecration of their graves.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Further witchcraft beliefs are that placing the skull of a person with albinism in the foundation of a new building will bring luck to the building, that burying body parts in key places on a farm ensures big harvests and that inserting the hand of a person with albinism into the entrances of shops encourages customers to come. It was also reported that fishermen weave hair of persons with albinism into their nets or use the skin of persons with albinism to brush their nets to enhance fishing. Body parts are also sought after for protection, for example against plane crashes. It is also believed that body parts can protect one against witches and that burying a body part of a person with albinism in one's house will keep witches away.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph