Building relationships across countries is vital to creating a more peaceful and just world. Yesterday, ‘Victim Support Europe’ met with ‘Strength to Strength’ to learn from each other’s best practices in fundraising, public relations and event management. Mastering the challenges of victims’ rights field and strengthening the services for victims of crime is the common goal of both organisations.
Sarri Singer, a victim of terror and a founder of the US-based non-profit Strength to Strength, shared with us their fundraising experience for victims of terrorism as well as know-hows to organise and run programs designed to allow survivors and their families to connect with other victims:
– The Survivors Circle monthly programs are designed to allow survivors and their families to connect with other victims of terrorism in a safe, empowering and healing environment.
– The Young Ambassadors Program (YAP) brings together young people ages 14-20 who lost either a parent or immediate family member in a terrorist attack or were injured themselves.
– Victims Weekend Retreats unite victims, survivors, first responders and bereaved family members who have all been directly impacted by terrorism.
Strength to Strength is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to support victims of terrorism around the world to heal, become empowered, and move forward to build a culture of peace.
We look forward to bringing the discussed best practices to live in 2020 and hope that the exchange will be an important contribution to the overall success of Victim Support Europe’s communications strategy. Our collective experience is a tremendous resource, and we should do everything we can to utilise it.
Sarri Singer (Strength To Strength), Marina Kazakova (Victim Support Europe)
