There is no single path through life after torture. Survivors’ experiences, responses and needs differ, and whether someone wants to speak about the violence they have survived may change over time.
That is why the new toolkit ‘Supporting Survival’ puts a survivor-centred approach at its core.
Grounded in 12 years of research
The toolkit consists of a manual and 52 cards designed for practitioners, students and others working with or learning about refugee survivors of torture.
Developed by Professor Victoria Canning in collaboration with DIGNITY, Supporting Survival draws on 12 years of research, including interviews with practitioners, case stories with survivors and participatory workshops.
The cards are organised around four themes: definitions, surviving violence, barriers to support and embedding positive practice.
They can be used individually or in small groups to introduce key issues, challenge assumptions and support reflection and discussion.
»People who have survived torture are not only recipients of treatment and support. They hold knowledge that is essential to making that support better. If we want services to respond to survivors’ actual needs, their voices must help shape how those services are designed and delivered. This toolkit is an important contribution to putting that principle into practice,« says Nikolai Cerisier Roitmann, Director of National Rehabilitation, DIGNITY.
Putting survivor-centred practice into action
Topics include stigma and shame, trust, uncertainty in asylum systems, memory and disclosure.
»It has been fantastic to work with colleagues and survivors to develop a toolkit that can make complex experiences and knowledge accessible and easy to engage with. My projects have benefited so much from the insights of people affected by borders and torture, and those providing crucial support in the face of serious harms and violations. We wanted to ensure those insights are made available and put into practice across organisations and communities internationally.« says Victoria Canning, Professor at Lancaster University.
By bringing together survivors’ perspectives, research and practitioner experience, Supporting Survival makes a complex and often silenced subject more accessible and supports reflection on how practice can become more sensitive, informed and survivor-centred.
Supporting survival
Download Supporting Survival to access the manual and all 52 cards and use them in your own learning, reflection or practice.
Toolkit translated to Ukrainian and Arabic by Oksana Torubara and Noon Sharif Ali Gigir.
The toolkit is designed for information-sharing, reflection and discussion. It is not a certified training resource and does not replace formal professional training.
