Physicians for Human Rights – Mission
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has been around since 1986; using medicine and science, they seek to document human rights violations (Physicians for Human Rights [PHR], 2011a). In short, they attempt to provide evidence that can be used in courts to bring justice for atrocities committed by governments, political parties, or individuals. Physical body examinations, autopsies, and psychological evaluations are part of the work that is being done by this organization. Their overall mission is to stop crimes against humanity that are meant to cause “severe physical or mental harm to individuals” (PHR, 2011b).
Projects
One of the most recent projects PHR has undertaken is in relation to the war in Syria that has been going on since 2011. In Aleppo Abandoned, the authors describe how hospitals are being
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Governments and groups doing the fighting won 't admit to committing international law violations. Also, the people investigating the crimes are not always permitted into the country or area where the human rights violations are taking place. Because of that, a lot of the work has to be done after the fighting comes to rest. Unfortunately, forensic evidence degrades with time. Even now, 20 years after the Rwanda massacres, some of the missing people have not been found or identified.
Besides those reasons, harm to the investigators is a constant reminder of how dangerous the fight for human rights can be. Many of the PHR researchers and investigators put their lives in danger to find evidence of crimes against humanity.
In summary, Physicians for Human Rights is taking on multiple human rights issues that need to be addressed. Their work is challenging and dangerous, but the risks outweigh the costs in the end. Our human right were established for a reason, and those reasons are worth fighting