APAV awarded with the Gulbenkian Cohesion Award 2019
APAV – Portuguese Association for Victim Support was awarded with the 2019 Gulbenkian Award in the category of Cohesion. This award is a merit for APAV’s work the field of violence against vulnerable groups and was delivered by the President of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Isabel Mota, and President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to the President of APAV, João Lázaro.
The Gulbenkian Cohesion Award is a profound incentive for APAV’s to continue its mission: as an innovative project in Portuguese society dedicated to serve the country by contributing to social cohesion, by supporting those who are victims of crime and by promoting the defense of victims’ rights.
APAV thanks this distinction to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and takes it as the recognition of a work of more than 29 years with the victims of crime and violence.
Carolina Reis wins APAV‘s Prize for Journalism 2018
With the aim of recognising the quality, relevance and importance of the Journalistic work made in Portugal, the Portuguese Association for Victim Support launched, in 2019, the Prize for Journalism.
The Prize is awarded annually to the best journalistic piece contributing to raise public knowledge on themes or problems related with victim support to victims of crime in Portugal. The articles have to be included in one of the following categories: Printed Press, Radio, Television or Digital Media. The winner of APAV’s Prize for Journalism is awarded with 1.500 Euros and with a trophy, designed by Gonçalo Falcão specifically for the Prize.
A panel of jurors, composed by Álvaro Laborinho Lúcio (Founding-Associate and President of APAV’s General Assembly), Sofia Branco (President of the Journalists Union) and André Sendin (President of the Escola Superior de Comunicação Social /Media University), assesses the quality of the journalistic work and selects the best article.
The 2018 edition of APAV’s Prize for Journalism was awarded to the article “Sons of Violence”, which emphasises a theme rarely focused by Portuguese journalists: the consequences of domestic violence perpetuated in the sons and daughters of victims, raising the question of considering these children as direct victims of crime. “Sons of Violence” may be consulted here (only in Portuguese).
Miscellanea APAV #7
Miscellanea APAV is a publication promoted by APAV with the aim of disseminating scientific articles and reflecting on themes related with victims of crime and victim support. The magazine also supports Portuguese artists as each issue counts with a unique design containing work developed in the fields of photography and illustration.
APAV just presented the 7th issue of the magazine Miscellanea APAV, which highlighted the scientific work developed internally by APAV’s staff and volunteers. This issue included the articles: “Project VOCIARE – Victims of Crime Implementation Analysis of Rights in Europe”; “Criminal Process and Human Rights: Protection Measures and the crime of domestic violence in light of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights”; article “Emotional intelligence as a protective factor of victim support workers well-being and mental health”.
Artist Kruella D’Enfer illustrations were the inspiration for the design of Miscellanea APAV #7, available in PDF | E-Book.
empowering victims of cybercrime
At least a million people are victims of cybercrime daily, although many attacks go unnoticed. Successfully preventing and fighting cybercrime involves an accurate understanding of the phenomena, its evolving and ever-changing character, alongside the role each key-stakeholder plays, including but not limited to professionals, policy makers and public at large,
The European Commission defines cybercrime, as a crime that is committed through the use of electronic communications networks and information systems. It is viewed to be a crime without boundaries and it is believed that it will continue to occur at an increasing rate. Due to this dynamic, ventures such as Project ROAR: empowering victims of cybercrime are needed. With the financial support of the European Union’s Internal Security Fund – Police, ROAR is being promoted by the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) in partnership with multisector key-actors in the field, namely the Portuguese General Prosecutors Office, the Portuguese National Republican Guard, Altice Portugal, Weisser Ring Germany and the Romanian Equality and Human Rights Action Centre (ACTEDO).
ROAR generally aims to foster prevention and reporting of cybercrime, whilst improving support and protection to its victims. ROAR’s design methodology will also contribute to improve understanding of cybercrime among law enforcement/judicial authorities (LEA’s), in parallel to the development of pilot specialist victim support units and while establishing avenues to improved cooperation between victim support services and LEA’s. ROAR will furthermore promote public-private cooperation, including with the ICT industry, which will play a crucial role in supporting ROAR’s awareness raising and preventive activities.
We invite you all to learn more about the project and its activities by clicking here.
preventing and combatting online radicalisation
Phenomena of discrimination and segregation greatly contribute to promote intolerance and, ultimately, lead to polarisation and violent extremism, particularly amongst youngsters. Discourses conveyed by extremist groups feed on frailties and feelings of injustice of youth, advocating violence as a legitimate mean against a system that “marginalises” them. It is therefore crucial, in preventing and combatting radicalisation, to deconstruct such messages and disseminate amongst these youngsters alternative narratives founded in positive messages of inclusion and cohesion.
Messages with extremist and radical content are disseminated throughout the internet in a daily basis, particularly in social networks. The so called radical propaganda is mostly targeted to youngsters, who are permanently present in cyber space. This exposure is critical to processes of radicalisation.
Combatting terrorism and preventing radicalisation is one of the pillars of the European Agenda on safety, placing Member-States and local stakeholders as key-actors in understanding the phenomena and in developing combat measures.
Preventing and combating online radicalisation is therefore an absolute priority to which project Counter@ct: preventing and combatting online radicalisation aims to respond. With the financial support of the Internal Security Fund – Police of the European Union, Counter@ct’s main objective is to promote behavioural change, dissuading youngsters from adhering to extremist/terrorist content online and/or promoting violence, by providing them with an alternative positive narrative base in successful integration histories, particularly of young migrants and refugees.
