MEASURES FOR PERSONAL SECURITY REGIONAL FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ASSISTANCE (INREDH, ECUADOR) PREVENTATIVE MEASUERES IN THE HOME AT WORK WHEN TRAVELLING IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND TAXIS IN EXTREME SITUATIONS IN CASE OF THREATS OR ATTACKS IN CASE OF DETENTION MEASURES OF SOLIDARITY WITH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Preventative Preventing is better than curing No percieved risk does not mean that there is no risk Stay in good physical health Determine your level of risk Trust your insticts Talk to your family about the importance of security Keep a low profile (clothing and conversations) Accept appointments only with people you know Dont talk in front of children about work issues Give your address to trusted individuals

At home Doors and reliable security Do not place your names on the doors and mail-boxes Illuminate the access to the house well Enable an emergency exit Allocate a room of refuge from which you can make a call in case of attack Dont leave potential weapons visible Dont open the door to strangers Avoid sleeping with open windows Change locks and door locks if keys are lost for any reason Do not leave evidence of your absence Identify fire stations, poilce, hospital and pharmacy in your neighbourghood

At work Change the hours of arriving at and leaving work Change itineraries Take precautions on the way out Try to position your desk away from the window Close the curtains of the windows during the night Organise a safety plan and an alert system Do not give personal information by phone Have information on your neighbours

When travelling Travel with little luggage Be sure to always have a hand free Keep your luggage secure and with you at all times Try not do drive alone by night Stay alert at red lights Always keep an eye on the rear view Dont take any rides Install an alarm

Means of transport If you need a taxi call a secure one and carry a radio locator If you go down a street and a vehicle stops to ask you questions, be wary and stay away, walk away in the opposite direction Do not walk or drive alone by night Always bring your cell phone so you can call for help in emergencies If you notice that you are under survelliance or someone is following you in the street, find a place or a store with many people (if on foot) or a well-lit gas station if you are driving. From there make a call and ask for support Vary your routes and routines

Measures in extreme situations Address the fear, recognise the consequences, the risk, the bodily reactions, recognise that it disrupts behaviour, alters sense of reality, the fear can be a source of security as a defense mechanism to take precautions, or it can be a source of paralysis Work with the fear, maintain an active stance, avoid impulsive behaviour, acknowledge the fear - this is what I feel and think Socialise the fear – share it with peers Decompose the fear, what does it contain and what to do to afront it Do not devaluate the experience of fear, fear does not mean being a coward

In case of threats and attacks If your are a victim of confrontation in your home, go to a place where you can feel safe Keep a copy of the keys to your home, money and clothes in another place Consider the possibilities of going to a shelter, church or public space Memorise phone numbers that you can call for help

In case of detention You have the right to remain silent, to speak with a lawyer, to telepone, to be brought before a judge Debe estar preparado para ser fichado/a Keep a firm conviction, that helps to make sense of what happens Maintain control of the situation, keep the lucidity Breathe deeply and try to relax your body Look for company, the worst is to feel alone Do not sign any document if you are unsure of what is written and what it implicates Try to memorise the names of the police or military officer involved in the arrest, faces, routines, procedures used, weapons, ranges, etc.

Measures of national and international solidarity Physical accompaniment in support of an action, persons or organisations Collaboration between national and international NGOs when taking action Letters or statements of support in the press and other media Support actions to facilitate exit of the country through human rights organisations