Survivor Engagement

GRAFFITI in support of Mocao, a group of survivors of police Torture in Colombia.

Survivor engagement can be defined as the process by which survivors of traumatic experiences actively take part in activities related to the anti-torture movement that go beyond the receipt of individual treatment. It’s a process that empowers survivors to control, not merely be consulted on, their own rehabilitation, and can be considered as operating at three levels: Personal, Community, and National and in three key areas: Governance, Health, and Human Rights Advocacy.

Examples may include, but are not limited to: participation in peer support groups; becoming volunteers or paid staff members to provide services to other survivors; giving insights from lived experience and expertise to service providers or governments in order to shape service provision and improve access to justice; advocating with politicians and other key decision makers to eradicate torture.

The aim of survivor engagement initiatives is determined by survivors themselves. Some seek to engage with their wider networks as part of their healing processes; others want to share their experience to help others; some seek justice in a more direct manner.

Developed and implemented through a Steering Committee of five member centres with experience in integrating survivor engagement as a component of rehabilitation, the Special Project is one of the goals the IRCT has set itself under its Strategy 2026-2030.

Léonce Byimana, Director of Clinical Programs, CVT, is pictured with the daughter he was forced to leave behind when fleeing Rwanda. A survivor himself, he has become a powerful and compassionate advocate against torture, using his experience to support others on their path to healing. Credit: Jonathan Banks, Portraits of Resilience

What does it take to survive torture and then use your experience to support others and take the lead in the global anti-torture movement?

The IRCT’s ‘Survivor Engagement’ project aims to put the answer to that question at the centre of our work on healing and justice. We believe that survivors who can and want to should be the principal agents in their own healing journey, and that their experiences of overcoming often unimaginable hardship can serve to improve rehabilitation services for themselves, and others.

Torture damages the physical and psychological well-being, and the socio-economic and legal situation, of survivors and their families, as well as their communities. Not only does it violate their personal integrity in these ways, but, according to survivors, it also deprives them of two of the most fundamental forms of human agency, which are essential to rehabilitation: their right to livelihood, and their ability to speak out about what happened to them.

The IRCT will support its members to create more safe and inclusive spaces where survivors can share their experiences, take ownership of their rehabilitation and exercise their rights, including to participate in the fight for justice. The IRCT network will continue to serve as a platform to represent the experiences of survivors and work to amplify their voices in our advocacy.

Shyhrete Tahiri-Sylejmani is a survivor of sexual torture from the Kosovo War. She received rehabilitation at the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT), which specialises in documenting and treating wartime sexual violence. Shyhrete is an advocate for justice and now helps other survivors share their experiences.

“Sharing the story is like lifting a burden from your soul. And I encourage other survivors that healing is when you share your pain, when you share your story. That’s where the healing begins.”

Shyhrete Tahiri-Sylejmani, Survivor of Torture, Kosovo

In Focus:
Survivors Speak Out

From Argentina to Zimbabwe, the IRCT has gathered more than 50 survivor stories, working closely with member organisations to ensure survivors can speak in their own voices. Sharing these experiences is an important part of many survivors’ healing journeys and a powerful way to restore agency and dignity.

Too often, people who have endured torture are reduced to statistics; their stories remind us of their individuality, strength, and resilience. While many accounts are difficult to hear, they are ultimately stories of courage and hope, highlighting the importance of listening to survivors and recognising their leadership in the fight against torture.

IRCT has on its Youtube channel collected the testimonies which you can watch here.

Arach Santa Mulare from Uganda is one of many survivors who shares her story of torture and ultimately hope and RESILIENCE.

Highlight:
Charter of Rights of Victims and Survivors of Torture

The Charter of Rights of Victims and Survivors of Torture, launched on March 3, 2026 at the UN Human Rights Council, is a survivor‑led global framework for justice, accountability, and healing. Developed by UN Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards, it sets out the rights of survivors and their families and guides States on how to support recovery and ensure access to justice.

The Charter stresses that survivors must be believed, supported, and included in decisions affecting their cases. It is designed as a practical blueprint to strengthen national laws, reparations systems, and institutional responses worldwide.

“This document is a reminder that survivors are not merely witnesses to atrocity,” Edwards said. “They are rights-holders, advocates and architects of positive change. Their voices must shape the systems intended to protect them.”

Its creation was driven by testimony from survivors who described a “second struggle” after torture—fighting to be heard, taken seriously, and treated with dignity. The Charter responds directly to those experiences, offering a unified standard for States and institutions to follow.

The UN Survivors’ Charter is built directly on the findings of three Regional Hearings for Healing held in Bogotá, Nairobi, and Kathmandu. Presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026 by Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards, the Charter reflects a three‑year, survivor‑led process. Forty‑two survivors from 36 countries participated in the hearings, supported by more than 120 written submissions worldwide. Each hearing produced a regional declaration outlining survivors’ priorities for truth, accountability, reparation, and meaningful participation. These declarations form the foundation of the Charter and guide global efforts to strengthen rights and justice for survivors.

IRCT created a film for the Charter launch, featuring torture survivors from member centres worldwide reading the Charter in their own voices.

“70% of the survivors that come to TASSC, were advocates, whistleblowers, journalists, activists, human rights defenders. They were told that they would never speak against their governments or against their torturers.”

Léonce Byimana, Director of Clinical Programs, CVT

Insights:
Survivor Engagement

Watch the full length Insights film on how IRCT Member centre TASSC teaches survivors how to advocate for themselves with policymakers and provide opportunities to tell their stories at community events, as well as their learnings.

Watch the full length Insights film on how IRCT Member centre FFT integrates survivors directly into its organisational structure through a “survivor-led” model that includes them as key decision-makers, staff members, and campaign leaders.