Summer, holidays, walks, the beach, the sea, everything to forget the horrors of our world. That is all I wish you in this summer that is already well underway. But for all that, take the time to help us. When you return, do not forget to continue to support ECPM, its struggles and commitments for a just world. The first of human rights is the right to live with dignity and involves the equality of all before the law. Universal abolition requires the recognition of universal justice. We believe in a world that is aware of the uselessness of capital punishment in the criminal justice system and the barbarism it creates and sustains in society.
We believe in a world that will be able to renounce a radical and erroneous vision of the very principle of justice and, from the citizen to the political, from the magistrates to the religious, will be able to say Together “No to the death penalty”!
Supporting ECPM means making a donation, joining the association, becoming an activist, giving your time or sharing our publications on social networks, in order to make us known to as many people as possible and thus spread abolitionist ideas.
It is sometimes difficult to bring about abolition when one has been affected in the flesh, within one’s own community, by abject violence. That is why our partnership with the Association française des victimes du terrorisme (AFVT) is so important to us. For more than 7 years, ECPM and AFVT have been working together on joint projects with young people to educate new generations about the principles of justice and citizenship that are ours. These values are also shared with former partners, such as Murder’s Victims Family for Human Rights (MVFHR), which, as its name suggests, represents the voice of murder victims’ families in the United States who are against the death penalty. Its director, Renny Cushing, was responsible for the recent abolition in the state of New Hampshire. We also support Journey of Hope on a permanent basis, which in its advocacy mixes the voices of the families of victims and former death row inmates around the idea of resilience and forgiveness.
Hugo Pratt made his comic book hero, Corto Maltese, say: “Revenge will never replace the loss of a friend”. No one can bring a deceased loved one back to earth, not even the killing of his murderer. In any case, this is certainly not a zero-sum addition, but rather the suffering added to the suffering. This reflection should be able to feed those who seek peace and justice.
Our commitment at ECPM to the issue of French nationals sentenced to death (or at risk of being sentenced to death) in Iraq is part of this history, part of this logic. To not see it is to deny the values of abolition. Guarantee the basis of these values, even (especially) in the most difficult situations, which affect us most closely. The response to terrorism stems from this logic. Terrorism sets us a trap, it wants to push us to the fault. It is up to us not to succumb to it.
Finally, for many of you, summer is already well established, you are certainly already on holiday. But at ECPM, we are already preparing the start of the school year so that from September and October the abolitionist calendar will be full, so that you can quickly join us in mobilizing actions and allow you to live your commitment on a daily basis. I look forward to seeing you in September at the ECPM stand at Huma Day, or in Geneva at the next session of the Human Rights Council, where we will officially launch the Proceedings of the Brussels Congress, or in many countries where ECPM will celebrate the next World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October.
It is for this fight for human rights and justice that we fight every day. We need you in this struggle. Join us in Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM)
Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan
Executive Director ECPM