Session 1 (day 1): Conflict, intolerance & social instability and their impact on victims of crime in unstable times

Two years of a global pandemic, and into the second month of a major Europe-based conflict with global security implications, have underlined the importance of resilient approaches, strategies, and training programmes. The first session of VSE’s Age of Resilience Conference will tackle the main traits of resilience-actor mapping and the identification of relevant stakeholders who can successfully engage with contemporary challenges.  Speakers will discuss how intergroup conflict can transform our social identity and affect victims of crime; they will identify the tools and methodologies needed to assess new risks, such as climate change, and develop greater resilience to better cope with our new reality. During this session, a new perspective on the use of regenerative frameworks in building resilience and creating effective, sustainable activities, in the context of victim support, will be offered.

  • Simon Green, Professor of Criminology & Victimology and Associate Dean for Research & Enterprise, University of Hull, UK
  • Dora Georgiou, PhD, University of Cyprus & the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement
  • Ash Pachauri, Director at the Center for Human Progress & Co-Founder and Senior Mentor at The Protect Our Planet Movement, United States
  • Peta Milan, CEO, Transcendent Media Capital & JET Group
  • Andrea Walraven-Thissen, Critical Incident Manager
  • Elie Kagan, Head of Crisis Management, Security and Crisis Centre by the European Jewish Congress
  • Elena Burmitskaya, Chairwoman, Green Light for the Civil Initiatives Foundation, Bulgaria
  • Markus Kärner, Deputy Secretary General for Criminal Policy, Ministry of Justice, Estonia

Session 2 (day 1): Individual, social and structural resilience in victim support context

This panel discussion will focus on sharing strategies and approaches, in the context of victim support, aimed at shaping and achieving individual, social, and structural resilience. The session looks at how victims of crime use trauma-coping mechanisms to improve their resilience as individuals.  Furthermore, it will shed light on the important components of community-level resilience building and the coordinated community response to the current Ukrainian crisis. EU perspectives and strategies for structural resilience building, as well as possible mechanisms for the long-term growth and sustainable development of victim support services, will be presented at the end of the session.

Session 3 (day 1): How victim support can build resilience in a time of crisis

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many victim support organisations have been forced to reshape their approaches and adapt practices to this new situation. How can we reach out, virtually, to victims and provide them with effective support whilst boosting overall resilience? What methods can be used to integrate crisis management structures and ensure the sustainability of victim support that offers a successful response and lessens the impact of a crisis? Experts from victim support offices and partner organisations will speak of their experiences on shifting to online support and how the quality of their services was impacted.  They will also provide insight on how to deal with organisational resilience and emergency management challenges whilst reducing the impact of a disaster and enhancing resilience.

  • Cristina Soeiro, Forensics Psychologist & Vice President of the Board, Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV)
  • Jérôme Moreau, President, “Association Nivernaise d’Aide aux Victimes d´Infractions” & Vice-President, France Victimes and Victim Support Europe
  • Rosa Jansen, President Board of Directors, Victim Support Netherlands
  • Julianne Grima, Victim Support Malta
  • Vittoria Doretti, Head of Department “Health Promotion and Health Ethics”, Azienda USL Toscana Sud Est & Regional Network Manager, Codice Rosa (Tuscany, Italy)
  • Insp. Sylvana Gafa’, Head of Victim Support Services, VSA/Malta Police Force

Session 1 (day 1): Impact on victim support in times of Covid-19

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected victim support organisations and the way they deliver their services. The 2022 VSE Annual Conference host will present how, and to what extent, Covid-19 impacted the work of victim assistance service providers. A member of the Italian Codice Rosa network will share their experience of how the organisation coordinated its response, and made its services accessible to those in need, during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Data on how lockdown and the reduction of mobility resulted in an increased incidence of gender-based and domestic violence cases will be presented in a report from the Maltese Police Force.

Session 2 (day 2): Empowerment of specific group of victims in times of COVID- 19

The last session of the Conference will focus on the importance of efforts and measures that respond to the needs, and thus empower, specific victim groups during the Covid-19 pandemic. The speakers will specifically address themes and challenges associated with victims of human trafficking, vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, and victims who suffered hate-motivated discrimination, abuse, and violence during the pandemic.

  • Suzanne Hoff, International Coordinator, La Strada International
  • Samantha Pace Gasan, Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability, Maltese Commission for the rights of persons with disability
  • Bianca Biwer, Federal Executive Director, Weisser Ring Germany