Sons of a Father's Disappearance and a Mother's Struggle

08/28/2014

In the brutality of armed conflict or tyranny of a repressive regime, many who go missing are never found again: whether “disappeared” by agents of the state or abducted by an armed faction, the whereabouts of thousands are still unknown to this day.

The impact of disappearances on family members is devastating, and can last generations. It impedes traditional practices of mourning and honoring their dead, and without truth to bring them closure, relatives are left in an emotional and psychological void. When the truth about disappearances is masked by an imposing silence, entire societies can become gripped with perpetual fear about the future.

Children and youth uniquely feel the effects of disappearances of their loved ones. As a young person, the trauma of the loss of a parent or guardian is compounded by an abrupt absence of support, and can rupture a sense of safety and protection. Often, their relatives try to protect children from the real truth about the circumstances of a disappearance, with ultimate realizations carrying their own adverse psychological effects. The course of their lives can be forever changed: the disappearance of a close family member can have consequences that extend into adulthood, affecting their psychological health, social relationships, and education. Those left behind often go through life demanding to know the whereabouts of their loved ones and why they were taken. Many have grown up to become frontline activists struggling for truth and accountability for the disappeared.

This year, to mark the International Day of the Disappeared, we bring the story of Ziad and Ghassan Halwani, two brothers in Lebanon whose father was kidnapped and disappeared when they were young. Their story is a powerful testament to the long-term impact of disappearances on the life course of those who are still growing up. It is also a reminder of the responsibility of states to fulfill their responsibility to establish the truth about the disappeared, ensure perpetrators are held accountable, and provide redress for victims and their families.

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