FATHER AND DAUGHTER WILL REMAIN IN THEIR HOME

The intervention led by Sara Romano, Director of the Humanitarian Organization TALLARITA HARRY in Costa Rica and CNU Head of Mission in the country, helped bring a critical situation to a positive outcome. Pressure and intimidation did not stop the humanitarian mission.

COSTA RICA — Some interventions require months of work, determination and, above all, the ability not to step back when pressure begins to mount.

The case followed in Costa Rica by Sara Romano, Director of the Humanitarian Organization TALLARITA HARRY, who also serves as Head of Mission for the Confederation of Humanitarian Nations – CNU in Costa Rica, is one of them.

And this time, we can report an outcome that represents, above all, a profound human satisfaction:

a father will be able to continue living in his home together with his young daughter.

The case was brought to the attention of the Humanitarian Organization several months ago. According to the information gathered and submitted to the organization, the man was at risk of being removed from his home following an extremely delicate dispute with his former partner, involving reported conduct and actions considered potentially and seriously harmful to his rights.

But there was not only an adult involved in a dispute living in that home.

There was a child.

And this was one of the elements that required the mission to examine the case not simply as a private dispute, but as a situation requiring close attention from the perspective of the protection of the individual and fundamental human rights.

When someone who feels powerless asks for help

The father turned to the Humanitarian Organization seeking support.

From that moment, the mission led by Sara Romano began following the situation, gathering information and intervening through formal communications highlighting what, on the basis of the available elements, appeared to constitute possible serious violations of the rights of the person involved.

It was a firm intervention.

There was no interference with the work of the judicial authorities and no attempt to replace the institutions of the Costa Rican State.

Instead, there was an institutional presence capable of reminding all parties of one simple principle: even within private disputes, there are limits that cannot be crossed and fundamental rights that must continue to be respected.

Pressure did not stop Sara Romano

Over the course of these months, the situation was anything but simple.

Sara Romano reported having faced significant pressure and conduct perceived as intimidating while continuing to follow the case.

She did not stop.

It is precisely in situations such as these that the true responsibility of those who undertake a role within a humanitarian organization becomes clear.

Being a territorial representative does not simply mean holding a title.

It means being present when someone asks for help.

It means maintaining balance when tensions rise.

And above all, it means refusing to step aside simply because people on the other side believe they possess greater authority, influence or power.

Our representatives must be prepared. They must be balanced. But when circumstances require it, they must also be extraordinarily determined.

Sara Romano was.

Then came the phone call

Today came the phone call that rewarded months of work.

Sara Romano informed the organization’s leadership of the outcome:

the father will remain in his home with his daughter.

That is the result that matters more than any press release, headline or institutional recognition.

According to the information communicated by the mission, a family that risked losing its residential stability will be able to remain in its home.

As part of the subsequent developments, and again according to information received by the CNU structure operating in Costa Rica, law enforcement authorities also reportedly intervened in relation to the lawyer representing the opposing party, and a criminal complaint has reportedly been filed.

Naturally, it will be for the competent authorities to determine whether any criminal responsibility exists. The filing of a complaint does not constitute a finding of guilt.

It is, however, a significant development in a case in which the person who originally sought assistance had, for months, felt that he was standing on the weaker side of the dispute.

Authority only matters when it is used to help others

This case also says something important about the purpose of the Confederation of Humanitarian Nations – CNU and the organizations working within its international network.

The authority of an organization should not be measured by acronyms, ceremonies, documents or titles.

It should be measured by what happens when that authority is placed at the service of someone who can no longer make their voice heard alone.

The CNU acted through the instruments available to it: observation, dialogue, institutional communications and the reaffirmation of fundamental human rights.

Decisions remain the responsibility of the competent national authorities.

But sometimes, simply shining a light on a situation can radically alter its course.

According to the information currently available, that is precisely what happened in Costa Rica.

A little girl can continue to call it “home”

We can speak about procedures, international organizations, missions, representatives and human rights.

But ultimately, this story comes down to something much simpler.

There is a little girl who can continue living in the home she knows.

There is a father who asked for help and now knows that he was not left alone.

And there is a woman, Sara Romano, who despite pressure and difficulties continued doing precisely what she had been entrusted to do:

to be there.

For this reason, the outcome achieved in Costa Rica represents a source of great satisfaction for the Humanitarian Organization TALLARITA HARRY and for the CNU.

Not because someone has “defeated” someone else.

But because, when faced with a situation in which a person desperately needed to be heard, someone chose to truly listen.

And perhaps this is the most concrete form that the protection of human rights can take.

When someone believes they have been left completely alone, they must know that somewhere there may still be someone willing not to look the other way.