Rising Together: The political Power of Social Movements

As everybody knows there has been a worlwide movement for my political rights, this is, that my right to be a candidate and my right to be elected and thus become a politician be effectively respected. This worldwide movement didn't start in 2020 during the Pandemic years, like many think, started when I was a candidate for the first time in 2016. This year this movement is doing ten years. In 2020, when some people don't allow me to be a candidate was when the movement started to become this really huge worldwide movement that we all can see today on internet, mainly on my social medias. This worldwide movement isn't only to my pre candidacy, but also for justice, for reparations for me, my family and millions other who has had their rights violated around the world and those are waiting for justice.  I'd like to thank all persons doing part in this huge worldwide movement. During many years I've heard that people don't care about injustice, now we all know that this is a lie, thanks a lot good and fair people of the world. This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title above was published at https://www.heinz.cmu.edu/media/2021/May/rising-together-the-political-power-of-social-movements. The second was written by AI from Google Chrome.

Heinz College professor Silvia Borzutzky has been studying the impacts of movements for decades. While she says movements can organize more easily in the digital age, protests and political action have a long history and should see technology as a tool in the fight for justice, not a solution unto itself. In history books, commentary, and popular media there can be an understandable tendency to focus on transformatice leaders like Martin Luther King, or dramatic events like the Stonewall Uprising. A kind of mental shorthand takes over, we connect "there was a great leader who fought for progress" or "there was a catalyzing incident" to hard-won changes, such as shifts in public attitudes, civil rights or landmark judicial decisions. It's a clean narrative, but it ignores the reality of social movements and the many people who work, organize, assemble, and demonstrate to push for change as part of those movements, sometimes for years or even decades. "I've been teaching American politics for a long time and I often hear myself saying that we need to look more closely at the civil rights movement," said Professor Silvia Borzutzky, a political scientist who has published extensively on political movements in Latin America. While lasting policy and structural changes may be the end goal, Borzutzky suggest that some of the greatest impacts of social movements come in the form of expanded political participation and gains in public support. Inspired by her recent work on social unrest in Chile as well as justice protests in the U.S., Borzutzky created a Social Movement Course at Heinz College with her research assistant, that allows students the space to deeply analyze the origins and impacts of a movement of their choosing. During the course, students heard from academic experts and practitioners in this space. Also, students researched and presented on a movement from across the world, including movements related to the environment and climate change, disability rights and inclusion, pro-democracy, and human rights. While social movements may be most effective when they are locally based and powered by people, there is a role for large institutions to play. Borzutzky refers to support from the U.N. for human rights movements in Latin America. The U.N. not only has the money and resources to finance, for example, investigations into human rights abuses, it also has access to advanced technology. Technology has played a growing role in the success of movements, in particular the growth of social media. However, as Borzutzky notes while social media has a role to play, it can't be the only element and must not take the place of on the effective leadership and localized activism. On and off social media, Borzutzky makes one other key point regarding how we talk about movements that organize and communicate online. She says politicians, media figures, and everyday users of social media should be careful not to conflate groups like the Proud Boys with movements like Black Lives Matter. They aren't comparable.

Movements for the political inclusion of victims of systemic human rights violations in Latin America focus on transforming historical injustices into active political participation. These grassroots and transnational initiatives and direct political representation to prevent future abuses. Core Pillars of Inclusion Movements:   1) Transitional Justice and Truth Commissions: Movements leverage testimonies to hold state and non-state actors accountable. Organizations use documentation of historical violence and abuses to force institutional reforms in the legal and political spheres.   2) Direct Representation and Peacebuilding: In post-conflict areas, victims directly participate in peace negotiations to ensure their demands shape reforms. A notable example includes delegations of victims participating directly at peace negotiation tables.  3) Collective and Reparative Justice: Activists advocate for remedies. Rather than only offering monetary compensation, these movements push to dismantle the systems that allowed the violations, guaranteeing non-repetition through civic education and anti-corruption policies.  Legal and Civic Mechanisms:  1) Inter-American System of Human Rights: Victims and civil society organizations (CSOs) litigate cases at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to mandate state reparations and overturn exclusionary domestic policies.   2) Shrinking Civic Space Activism: With rising authoritarianism and shrinking civic spaces in countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, and El Salvador, networks focus on securing international oversight to protect the fundamental rights of activists and journalists.

Organized Crime and Human Rights in the Americas

              This book was written by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission with the objective to help member States to fighting crimes, violence, oppression from criminal organizations, evil and injustice. There are 50 recommendations to policy makers to follow. Reparations is not only a matter of money, it is a matter of justice, to compensate the victims of human rights violations who have their lives destroyed for almost three decades. Some people speak how the impact of those violations were not so devastating, but those same people don't allow their rights being violated not even for one day. And if this happens, they want to be compensate wihtout delay.  We can't let those people diminish the values of human rights protection and even not allow these unpunished violations used to make people afraid to fight for their rights, democracy, justice, peace, reparatioons and a better country. This post is a summary of the book with the title above published in February 2026 at https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/decisions/pdf/2026/res-1-26-en.pdf

                In the light of the advances and profound impact of crime in the Americas, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) warns of the urgent need to adopt a regional approach, as well as specialized treatment of policies and strategies in the areas of citizen security, administration of justice and guarantees of truth, justice, comprehensive reparation, and non-repetition for victims and their families. The IACHR issues this resolution with the aim of recommending the adoption and implementation of public policies geared toward the design and evaluation of effective security strategies that incorporate respect, protection, and guarantees for human rights. This should be achieved through the social prevention of violence, the strengthening of the administration of justice, and comprehensive reparation for victims and communities affected by this phenomenon. This resolution seeks to contribute to the strengthening of state functions in the area of security and the adoption of comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable strategies instead of fragmented, or exclusively repressive approaches to security. The IACHR reaffirms that the full and cross-cutting incorporation of a human rights approach is a prerequisite for the legitimacy, effectiveness, and sustainability of security policies, in accordance with the international obligations. Crime is one of the main causes of loss of human life in the region, as evidenced by high homicide rates. For example, although Latin America represent only 9% of the world population, they account for one-third of homicides and this rate is three times higher than the global average. While violence used as a control mechanism by criminal groups affects the population, its impact is disproportionate on individuals in situations of vulnerability. Organized crime practices not only physical violence, but also socioeconomic, which erodes the rule of law, hinders access to justice, and affects the exercise of human rights. In turn, it generates mistrust in governance and in political and judicial systems. This resolution constitutes an urgent call to action. Reaffirming that the administration of justice is an indispensable component for guaranteeing the rights of victims of human rights violations, by ensuring the clarification of the truth and effective access to justice and to comprehensive reparation. Reaffirming that Inter-American jurisprudence has held that, no activity of the State can be based on contempt for human dignity. Noting that in some countries, criminal organizations have emerged and consolidated within prisons, from where, in certain cases, they continue to be run today. This reinforces the need to incorporate the prison system as a central axis of security strategies in the fight against organized crime. Affirming that the full and comprehensive incorporation of human rights principles is not only compatible with crime prevention and reduction, but also an essential element for the legitimacy, effectiveness, and sustainability of state security policies and strategies.  In the light of the above and exercising the functions confered upon it by Article 106 of the OAS Charter, the IACHR resolves to make the following 50 recommendations to the member States:      1) Development of information ecosystems and warning systems.   3) Prevention of forced child recruitment and comprehensive protection.       11) Special protection for human rights defenders.     14) Protection of freedom of expression and journalists.   16) Principle of maximum disclosure and dissemination of information of public interest.      18) Guarantees of safety and priority attention for victims and witnesses.       19) Comprehensive protection during judicial proceedings.         32) Registration and analysis of victims with a focus on diversity and intersectionality.         33) Participation of victims in judicial proceedings and guaranteeing of their rights.        34) Access to comprehensive reparation and guarantees of non-repetition.       36) Strengthening transparency and accountability.       37) Investigation and punishment of corruption.      39) Transparency and access to information on public policies.     41) Policies to control drug use and trafficking.      45) Institutional modernization and professionalization.     47) Strengthening technical and investigative capacities.     48) Non-coercive investigation methods and prevention of torture.          49) International cooperation.           50) Strengthening of multilateral forums. 

50th Birthday of Chester Bennington

             Almost four months ago, precisely on 20th March, the lead vocalist and songwriter of the band Linking Park would complete 50 years old. In his songs he wrote about the importance of mental health, peace, respect to our humanity and justice.  We all have to help each other to resolve the problems that we possibly can have, but we should never give up to fight for our life and against what affects our mental health. This post is a summary of two articles and a third paragraph written by AI. The first was published at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Bennington. The second was published at https://www.thomann.de/blog/en/inspire/chester-bennington-linkin-park-tribute-50th-birthday/. The third was written by AI from Google.

Chester Charles Bennington (March 1976 - July 2017) was an American singer who was the lead vocalist and songwriter of the band Linkin Park. Bennington first gained prominence following the release of Linkin Park's debut album, "Hybrid Theory" (2000), which was a worldwide commercial success. The album was certified diamond in 2005, making it the bestselling debut alnum of the decade. Bennington was born in Phoenix, Arizona to a mother who worked as a nurse and a father who was a detective. He had two sisters and an older brother. He took an interest in music at a young age, citing the bands "Depeche Mode" and "Stone Temple Pilots" as his earliest inspirations. In a January 2011 interview, in response to the 2011 Tucson shooting, Bennington said, "There is a non-violent way to express yourself and get your point across. In a free society, people have a right to believe whatever they want to believe. But nobody, has the right to take another person's life." He struggled with depression, anxiety and substance abuse. He overcame his drug addiction and denounced drug use in later interviews. He battled with alcoholism, which he overcame following an intervention from his bandmates. Bennington was a close friend of Chris Cornell. The friendship between the two strengthened during the 2007-2008 Revolution Tour when Bennington joined Cornell on stage. Following Cornell's suicide in May 2017, Bennington wrote that he couldn't imagine a world without Cornell in it. On May 26, 2017, Bennington sang Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" at Cornell's funeral in L.A. On July 20, 2017, Bennington was found dead at his home in Palos Verdes, California. Authorities ruled his death as suicide by hanging. Linking Park went on hiatus following Bennington's death in 2017, during which the band didn't tour or work on new music. In September 2024, Linking Park announced they would reunite after a seven-year hiatus to release a new album, which was released in November 15, 2024. Several publications have commented on the music legacy Bennington left behind. While describing the success of Bennington and Linkin Park, AllMusic's Andrew Leahey said,"Linkin Park became one of the most successful of the 2000s by welcoming elements of hip-hop, modern rock, and eletronic into their music. The N.Y.Times' Jon Caramanica commented that Benington's ability to "pair serrated rawness with sleek melody" separated him from other singers. Mikael Wood of the L.A.Times argued, "more than Linkin Park's influential sound, Bennington's real legacy will be the message he put across, the reassurance he offered from the dark." Ben Beaumont noted, "His cleanly articulated tales of emotional struggle gave millions the sense that someone understood them, and the huge sound of his band around him magnified that sense, moving listeners from the psychic space of their bedrooms into an arena of thousands of people who shared their pain." After Bennington's death, his widow Talinda launched a campaign called 320 Changes Direction in honor of her husband to help break the stigma surrounding mental illness. 

His legacy as a singer, songwriter, and key figure of rock music will continue to be remembered worldwide. His voice and lyrics touched millions of people. Chester would have celebrated his 50th birthday. We offer our posthumous congratulations, wherever you may be now.  Chester suffered from deep emotional scars throughout his life. When he died, the music world was deeply shocked, having lost a role model and rock singer whose openness and honesty had inspired and encouraged countless people around the world.

Chester Bennington and Linkin Park famously addressed emotional scars, injustice, and a lack of personal privacy in their music. The band often sang about the painful feeling of being exposed, judged, and unable to escape scrutiny. Several key songs capture these specific themes:

• "Crawling": The definitive song about battling emotional scars and feeling exposed. Lyrics like "Crawling in my skin, these wounds they will not heal" capture the feeling of psychological vulnerability and being unable to escape your own mind.
• "Points of Authority": This track directly addresses the feeling of being unfairly targeted, judged, and having your boundaries crossed. Lyrics like "You put your name to shame, cover up your face" tackle themes of betrayal and a loss of personal privacy.
• "One Step Closer": The ultimate venting song for feeling crowded and lacking breathing room. The famous bridge ("Shut up when I'm talking to you") embodies the frustration of having one's boundaries violated and being pushed to the breaking point.
• "Faint": A track about screaming to be heard and noticed, fighting back against feeling ignored or undermined by those who judge you.

Of Trauma, Testimony, and the Power of Human Rights Voices

Record any evidence of privacy violation and become a witness. For twenty-six years I've been suffering from high stress, anxiety, insomnia and depression, but now all the world is demanding justice. I've been victim of so many evils in the last three decades, the last evil i was a victims was the loss of the custody of my son. I've been raising him since he was a little baby with four months and now he is eight years old. This persecution has to end, all the world is demanding this. My political right respected in this next election and my right to reparartions for so many violoations.  And besides all the violations there is also the systematic bullying on TV against vulnerable human rights defenders, justice must be demanded urgently. This campaign of dehumanization has to stop and justice to begin.  I have a YouTube channel, here is the link.   https://www.youtube.com/@lucianofietto4773/videos. Since the creation of this channel its visualization counter doesn't work, the same has been happening with the counter of this blog since its creation in 2010.

This post is a summary of an article with the title above published in 2021 at   https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/of-trauma-testimony-and-the-power-of-human-rights-voices/

For the philosopher Jean-François Lyotard, the "perfect crime" does not consist in killing the victim or the witness, as he explains in his most important work "The Different," "but rather in obtaining the silence of the witness, the deafness of the judges, and the inconsistency (insanity) of the testimony." Indeed, in the context of human rights work, the silence of voice, whether on the part of the victim who can't speak out or on the part of the addresses who does not listen, signals a moral dispute of the first order. Part of the work of human rights activists has thus been to break the silences: to enable trauma survivors to testify, to secure an audience that can bear witness to their experiences, and to find corroborating evidence. Human rights video activism is closely tied to the struggle to assert voice in ways that make a difference. On a basic level, video is a vehicle through which survivors testify, claiming an acoustic voice in its literal dimension. According to Pierre Bairin, the former director at Human Rights Watch, "The people we interview understand the power of video and the importance for them to testify. So we go and ask them to tell us what happened, what went wrong, and they understand that they can make a difference." Trauma needs voice to articulate the suffering and start the healing process; in the form of testimony, that means breaking the silence about the experienced trauma. The ability to testify in front of an audience also give the human rights voices the power to assert personal experience as publicly relevant. Testifying is therefore a political act that indicates agency. Voice also has visual qualities. It renders images meaningful beyond their denotative and connotative appeals. When human rights collectives invoke descriptions of video as a tool that provides a "deeper insight into what the realities are," as activists and witness program coordinator Raja Althaibani tells me, they underscore an understanding of voice as visual. This is what historian and filmmaker Christian Delage refers to when stating about the Nuremberg trials the "audiovisual mediation reflected the true essence of Nuremberg in a way that words could not." The video is capable of capturing the magnitude of a human rights violation in ways that are more readily accessible, even in institutional spaces. Although testimony is part of the methodological toolkit for human rights fact-findings, its relevance surpasses the evidentiary dimension. The centrality of the visual and acoustic voice is implicit in how human rights collectives describe and operationalize video's power in their work. In 2009, the NGO WITNESS coproduced a video with the Centre for Minority Rights Development in Kenya, "Rightful Place: Endorois' Struggle for Justice." The video documents four decades of forced evictions of the Endorois community from their lands. It emphasizes personal testimonies as authentic claims to justice. The interplay of hearing their voices and seeing their faces is thought to help the viewer understand the magnitude of the human rights violation. Voice also helps explain how human rights video works in journalism and the law. For example, when news organizations broadcast the footage provided by Human Rights Watch on Syria's torture centers, they palyed to the acoustic and visual dimensions of voice. For safety reasons, the faces of the torture victims are not shown in "Syria's Torture Centers Revealed" (2012), yet this visual absence is strengthened by the power of testimony. As Carrol Bogert, president of "The Marshall Project," tells me, human rights collectives insist that "the video has to be a story of a person. Instead of the horizontal wide, broad evidence, you need the vertical deep evidence.... It is a weird thing because all day long our researchers are meeting people and hearing their stories, but the way they combine or the way they gather that evidence, they aren't, writing up the whole story." A report highlights the evidentiary scope of a human rights investigation, whereas a video reaches beyond truth-telling by capturing the emotional dimensions and perceived authenticity that undergird the testimonial act that is central for human rights work. Reports can talk about human rights in abstract legal terms, but video, to quote filmmaker Veronica Matushaj, "puts a human face in the human rights atrocity story." As the intervening variable between experience and action, witnessing has long constituted the main operational mechanism in human rights work. Video gains power through the assumptions associated with this tradition. It can document human rights violations as they unfold, it can bear witness to personal testimonies and experiences, and it can reference past trauma in the present. Video can mediate witnessing as an individual experience to other platforms. In doing so, it can strategically transform witnessing into material that is socially relevant and suitable for journalism, the law and political policies advocacy. Witnessing also draws from video's power to facilitate voice in that it designates a particular mode of seeing and feeling whereby seeing can be felt and heard and feeling can be heard and seen. In this way, video can potentially expand the spaces where human rights voices, in their acoustic and visual forms matter. Human rights activism negotiates institutional and professional dynamics with their respective logics to make its voice matter. And voice is the oxygen for human rights.

World Press Freedom Day - 2026

 Last Sunday all the world celebrated on of the most important human rights, the press freedom. This right it is very important to others human rights, such as: the right to justice, the right to development, the right to education, the right to security, etc.   For about two decades I have had this activism for better political education, for more democracy and development, for more respect for human rights and better justice. The freedom of speech and a press free and independent are two pillars of democracy and justice and we all must defend them. We can't tolerate censorship of any kind. But if there is systematic bullying on TV against vulnerable human rights defenders, justice must be demanded.  I have a YouTube channel, here is the link.   https://www.youtube.com/@lucianofietto4773/videos. Since the creation of this channel its visualization counter doesn't work, the same has been happening with the counter of this blog since its creation in 2010. This post is a summary of two articles, the first was published at https://www.unesco.org/en/days/press-freedom. The second was published at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/world-press-freedom-day-2026-joint-statement-to-the-osce

3 of May acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professional ethics. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story. The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2026 is "Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press for Human Rights, Development and Security."  Press Freedom is in sharp decline everywhere. UNESCO will also call on them to mobilize sustainable financing to ensure media organizations can continue to operate. The Organization's own analysis shows that, just 15 days of annual global military spending would equal a full year of the investment needed to support public-interest jurnalism worldwide. "Newsrooms around the world are struggling to cover their costs and face an existential threat. Free, and accurate information is a public good. I call on Member States and all our partners to invest in journalism as a lever of peace," said Khaled El-Enany.

To mark World Press Freedom Day, we recognise the vital yet increasingly role that journalists and media actors play in conflict situations, and the important link between a free media and both global and national security. Public interest journalism can stregthen information integrity and act as a defence against disinformation and propaganda, both of which could increase as the security situation worsens. This is clearly demonstrated by the Russian Federation' illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine: a significant number of journalists have been killed or subjected to arbitrary detention, torture and enforce disappearance by Russia while exercising their profession. Media infrastructure and media workers have become direct targets of Russia. In Russia itself and Belarus media actors have been harassed, attacked and imprisoned for their professional activities on politically motivated charges. In fact, global media freedom is under the most sustainable attack in decades, at a time when it is also increasingly important to our mutual security and prosperity.

Economic Outlook: Global Economy in the Shadow of War

                  For about two decades I have had this activism for better political education, for more democracy and development, for more respect for human rights and better justice,  I have a YouTube channel, here is the link.   https://www.youtube.com/@lucianofietto4773/videos. Since the creation of this channel its visualization counter doesn't work, the same has been happening with the counter of this blog since its creation in 2010. Never a human rights defender was so much harmed in so many ways and for so long time. This persecution to harm me can't carry on, the Brazilians authorities must do someting, I've to have my digital rights respected. This post is a summary of the book with the title above published in April 2026 at https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/weo/2026/april/english/text.pdf

 Once again, the global economy is threatened with being thrown off course, this time by the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Over the past year, headwinds from higher trade barriers and elevated uncertaintyhave been offset by tailwinds from technology-related investment, accommodative financial conditions, including a weaker US dollar, and fiscal and monetary policy support. The Middle East conflict presents a significant counterforce to these tailwinds through its impact on commodity markets, inflation expectations and financial conditions. Under an adverse scenario with larger and more persistent increases in energy prices, global growth would slow further to 2.5% in 2026, and inflation would reach 5.4%. Larger fiscal deficits and increasing public debt could put pressure on long-term interest rates and , in turn, on broader financial conditions. In Latin America, growth is projected to remain stable at 2.3% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027. In Brazil, growth is projected to moderate to 1.9% in 2026 and 2.0% in 2027. The war is expected to have a small net positive effect in 2026, as a result of the country being a net energy exporter. In 2027, slowing global demand, higher input costs (including of fertilizers), and tight financial conditions are expected to domnate, reducing growth. Beverages prices plunged by 24.8%, led by 57.4% drop in cocoa prices as favourable weather in West Africa boosted supply and inventories while global demand softened. Coffee prices fell by 9.9% following a record Brazilian harvest and improving supply conditions in Vietnan. In contrast to beverages prices, food prices are expected to increase by 6.0% in 2026. Defense spending is increasing rapidly. Over the past five years, about half of the world's countries have increased their military budgets, and arms sales by the world's largest defense firms have doubled in real terms over two decades. 

Below the GDP growth in 2025, from the highest growth to the smallest growth.  The first column is for countries in the American continent, and the other is for some countries in the rest of the world. As previously forecasted, Guyana had the the second highest GDP growth of the world last year, only the growth in South Sudan was greater. But Guyana had the highest growth in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Congratulations to our neighboring country.

GDP growth 2025 in PanAmerican countries                           Rest of the World

Guyana        19.3%                                                                    Libya    15.9%   

Paraguay       6.0%                                                                     Ireland      12.3%

Nicaragua         4.9%                                                                    Ethiopia       9.2%

Costa Rica        4.6%                                                                      India      7.6%                                  

Argentina           4.4%                                                                   Vietnam       8.0%

Panama            4.4%                                                                      China       5.0%

Guatemala         4.1%                                                                   Philippines      4.4%                                      

Ecuador            3.7%                                                                      Turkiye       3.6%

Honduras           3.7%                                                                     Spain        2.8%

Peru              3.4%                                                                       Australia     2.0%

Colombia           2.6%                                                                    Portugal     1.9%

U.S.A.           2.4%                                                                     Netherlands     1.9%

Chile            2.3%                                                                         Switzerland       1.3%

Brazil            2.3%                                                                               U.K.      1.3% 

Canada           2.1%                                                                         Japan      1.2%

Uruguay           1.8%                                                                          Russia      1.0%

Venezuela         1.5%                                                                       France       0.9%

Mexico           0.6%                                                                           Italy        0.5%

Bolivia            -1.2%                                                                       Germany      0.2%

International Parental Alienation Awareness Day

                         Yesterday 25th of April was a day to remember to all of us to fight parental alienation. Sometimes the way a parent loses the custody of a son, it is already a kind of parental alienation. Besides more lies can be create to separate father and son who were living together since birth. This cowardice can't stay unpunished. A father that has been raising his son since four mmonths old very well, now he is eight years old as everybody knows can't be victim of parental alienation like I am being now. This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at https://www.facebook.com/ParentalAlienationStudyGroup/posts/april-25th-is-international-parental-alienation-awareness-dayparental-alienating/1445772747583960/. The second was published at https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/parental-alienation-awareness-day/

Parental alienating behaviors are not the same as the everyday disagreements, tension, or communication problems that can arise in many family relationship, whether parents remain together or separate. While many families experience period of conflict, alienating behaviors go further than that. They involve repeated actions that draw a child into adult conflict and gradually shape the child's view of a safe parent. The central concern is not the conflict between adults, but the impact on the child. These patterns of conduct that can pressure a child to fear, reject, avoid or disconnect from a safe parent. The harm is psychological, emotional, developmental and relational. Alienating behaviors can include denigration, obstruction of contact, adultification, information control, false or exaggerated narratives, and punishment of the child for showing affection, curiosity, grief or connection. Over time, a child may learn that love for one person creates consequences with another. That is not a free choice. It is pressure placed on a developing child's attachment system, identity, memory and sense of safety. Not every child's rejection of a parent is alienation. Children must always be protected from abuse, neglect, and unsafe relationships. But when rejection is being shaped by manipulation, interference, or loyalty demands, it requires careful assessment,and early intervention. Awareness means recognizing a serious form of family harm in which children may be drawn into rejecting a safe or loved parent, and where healthy, loving relationships can be undermined, fractured, or lost altogether. Children deserve protection from harm. They also deserve the freedom to love safe parents without guilt, fear or punishment.

 This awareness day was created as a part of global awareness campaign about parental alienation. Parental alienation is described "a behavior by a parent, or an adult a child trust, such as a grandma, etc., that could create alienation in the relationaship between a child and a parent." The behavior displaced can be mild and temporary but also extreme and ongoing. Obviously any kind of behaviour that is displayed as a result of parental alienation can be damaging upon a child and could have potentially life long consequences. Parental Alienation Day aims to highlight to care givers the effects that parental alienation could have on children and educate adults in order to identify signs that either they or other are behaving in a manner that could affect the children in their care. Typical types of behaviour displayed by parents or other can include: 1) constantly badmouthing/belittling the other.  2) limiting the other's contact  3) forbidding the child from discussing the parent.  4) creating the impression that other parent doesn't love the child.  5) trying to force the child to reject the parent to make the former partner a former parent as well. With awareness comes education, and with education, comes the power to stop the mental and emotional abuse of children.