We believe that the process towards our purpose should start with consulting the primary stakeholders – HRDs and the victims they accompany- to frame common needs and suggestions, with a view on gender specificity, to be included in the victim assistance program that includes at least, training HRDs, building psycho-social mutual support groups, integrating the psycho-social element in advocacy.

Though the program will focus directly on HRD and victims’ organizations, it is meant to have an empowering impact on their surrounding environment -families and communities working under ‘indirect’ impact of political violence against HRD and victims’ organizations. A longer term result would be enhancement of the support they (families and communities) can provide to HRD and victims organizations, let alone revisiting the facts and including their perspectives.

Though no one is immune to political violence impact, most HRD and victims continue their activities supported by the conviction that they cannot give them up for the common sake. It is with them that we want to start working because their capacity for resilience is an asset to the goal of empowerment.

We would like to start our work by partnering with some HRD and victims’ as well as national and sub-national not for profit organisations that are interested in this exciting work. We also see an opportunity for HRD INGOs supporting this work attending since it might benefit their activities.

There is a common interest in all the development actors working together towards the realization of VVSA’s goals.

Identify and train respondents to assist victims: This leads to creating a network of competent responders thus an effective victim support system.

Provide safe space for victims to talk about their experiences, contextualize the facts, work towards empowerment and avenues for community support action. This creates a sense of trust and confidence. Advocate through collective action and involvement of local, national and international support (organizations, media, civil society), in the fight against impunity and injustice. As well as create awareness of the hindrances that psycho-social impact of political violence means to the global aims of the work carried out by primary (HRD and victims’ organizations) and secondary stakeholders (supporting organizations, both governmental and non- governmental) towards human rights defense.