Media Campaign Consultant

Background

With the rise of recurring acts of violence in the region, the Lebanese public have demonstrated increased tolerance for torture as a means to counter violent extremism. The public’s increased acceptance towards acts of torture and demands for the re- effectuation of the death penalty is resulting in the tolerance of violations of human rights and abuses of persons deprived of their liberty in places of detention. Hence, there is a need to develop and implement an advocacy strategy and a media campaign deemed to raise public awareness on the unlawfulness and effects of torture and to mobilize all actors to advocate for the full implementation of the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT) and its Optional Protocol in 2000 and 2008 respectively.
The Committee Against Torture (CAT) mentioned the following in its Concluding Observations on Lebanon’s review in 2017: “…the Committee remains concerned at the extremely high levels of overcrowding –over three times the prison system’s capacity– and the harsh conditions prevailing in detention facilities, including holding cells in police stations…” recommending that “…the State party should Continue its efforts to improve conditions of detention and alleviate the overcrowding of penitentiary institutions and other detention facilities, including through the application of non-custodial measures.”
The awareness campaign will therefore aim to sensitize the general public to the pertinence of alternatives to detention in relation to curbing overcrowding and the prevalence of ill- treatment in detention.

Key Tasks

 Draft an awareness strategy, including a media campaign strategy with project partners
 Devise key messages to convey to the general public together with project partners
 Create digital and offline content for the campaign
 Oversee the development and implementation of the campaign together with project partners