Still Time to be Part of Victims’ Rights Communicators Network

In spring 2022, Victim Support Europe (VSE) launched the Victims’ Rights Communicators Network (VRComNet) to jointly explore approaches to advancing a positive victims’ rights narrative in Europe.

Victims’ Rights Communicators Network (VRComNet) is a group of experts in communication working on victims’ rights from VSE member and partner organisations.

The effective communication of victims’ rights is an important area of work for VSE, given that advancing victims’ rights is one of the core functions of our organisation. We provide a platform for communication specialists of our member organisations to build their capacities and exchange expertise on effective victims’ rights communications. We also collaborate with our partners in this area (European institutions, EU NGOs, media and private sector) in an effort to build broader support for victims’ rights across Europe. This work is facilitated through our Victims’ Rights Communicators Network (VRComNet).

The aim of the network is to support communicators in effectively communicating on victims’ rights, by sharing best practices, lessons learned and know-how.

To achieve this, VRComNet:

– Provides an opportunity for collaborative sharing of successful ideas, resources, best practices and strategies to communicate effectively on victims’ rights;
– Assists in the dissemination of consistent communications messages to target audiences;
– Empowers victims’ rights communicators to coordinate their actions at both national and EU-levels as well as ensures the growth of support for our cause and victims’ rights campaigns

VICTIMS’ RIGHTS MESSAGING AND FRAMING

In the context of low victims’ rights awareness among general public and rising populist narratives across Europe, it is important to advance communication practices and plan carefully the messages about victims’ rights to ensure they are delivered and fully understood by the general public. We strengthen VRComNet capacities in this area in different ways, including by drawing together existing research on this topic and providing knowledge exchange and capacity-building activities.

COOPERATION WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS

VSE’s built long-term collaboration with our partners at international level to ensure greater cooperation in the area of communicating victims’ rights. Together with dozens of EU NGOs, law enforcement agencies, EU institutions as well as private sector (Twitter, YouTube/Google, Facebook), VSE conducted multiple victims’ rights campaigns and actions, which serve as the basis for future actions of the Network to address opportunities and challenges around promoting victims’ rights:

https://crimeiscrime.vse-campaign.eu/
https://onevoiceonecause.vse-campaign.eu/
https://victim-support.eu/you-wont-believe-it-but-it-exists/
https://victim-support.eu/media-center/campaigns/future-of-justice-for-victims-in-the-european-union/

How to join the Victims’ Rights Communicators Network?
If you are the VSE member or partner, please, get in contact with us:  l.vandenheuvel@victimsupporteurope.eu.