Victim Support Hub

Self-Awareness as key for intercultural and interreligious understanding
2022-10-13 17:00 - 18:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Title: “Self-Awareness as key for intercultural and interreligious understanding”.
Self-awareness is the basis for an authentic inter-religious and inter-faith dialogue in the multi-faceted and complex context of today’s crises, conflicts, opportunities, ways & means.

ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84957722135?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 849 5772 2135Passcode: [REDACTED]

The Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World, Highlighting the Contributions of Older Women
2022-10-03 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | New York & online
The New York commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Older Persons 2022 will highlight “The Resilience and Contributions of Older Women” in successfully navigating today’s myriad of global challenges.
The past three years have brought profound upheaval in the worlds’ health, socioeconomic, and environmental sectors, with pandemic and climate related impacts experienced globally. These effects continue to be deeply significant, particularly for many older women who bear the burden of cumulative disadvantage. Recognition of the vital contributions of older women and inclusion of their voices, perspectives and needs is critical to creating policies responsive to local, national, and global challenges and catastrophes.
UNIDOP 2022 is a call to action and opportunity, with globally representative older women, parliamentarians, and UN representatives offering multi-stakeholder dialogue on the resilience of living through and responding to climate disaster, conflict, or pandemic, experiencing and managing the physical and emotional disruption to losses of family, income, and social connectedness. Panels will highlight relevant actions that include efforts toward inclusion of older persons, protection of their human rights, and contributions to sustainable development. The necessity of ongoing data collection inclusive of older persons and disaggregated by gender and age will be incorporated throughout.
Objectives:
➢ To highlight the resilience of older women in the face of environmental, social, economic and lifelong inequalities
➢ To raise awareness of the importance of improved world-wide data collection, disaggregated by age and gender
➢ To call on member states, UN entities, UN Women, and civil society to include older women in the center of all policies, ensuring gender equality as described in the Secretary-General’s report, Our Common Agenda

You can follow the event live on the UN Web TV.

Local level victim support services – a pillar of a holistic approach to urban security
2022-09-29 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
The right to access justice and to be protected against repeated victimisation may remain unattainable in practice, if victims of crime do not to receive professional advice and support. The criminal justice system may also seem daunting and confusing to those who are not familiar with it. In the opposite case-scenario, adequate services for victims can enhance citizens’ feeling of safety and increase their trust in urban authorities and social institutions.
With this in mind, the Municipality of Piraeus established a Victim Support Unit. Founded within the framework of the BSFS project (2019-2023; co-financed by the European Union’s Urban Innovative Actions), the Unit supports victims of any type of crime and provides psychosocial and legal services, as well as referrals to relevant institutional and social bodies. The session will explore the modalities of building one-stop-shop support services, and other relevant victim support practices and share the lessons learned of making such initiatives functional and sustainable.
In this session, the following topics will be discussed:

How to create a one-stop-shop system to support victims of crime and their affected relatives?
How does the Victim Support Unit in the case of the City of Piraeus, provide one-stop-shop support for victims?
How to involve and train an interdisciplinary team, including lawyers, psychologists, social workers, and volunteers to provide support to victims, in one place?
What other victim support practices are elaborated and implemented at the local level in different member states?
How to effectively communicate externally about such victim support services – How to inform the citizens?
What are other cities’ examples and recommendations with regards to the establishments and operationalisation of such victim support services?

#PetPower Night: celebrating the Human Animal Bond
2022-09-27 18:30 - 20:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Résidence Palace, Brussels, Belgium
Victim Support Europe received the opportunity to present the Facility Dogs Europe project at the upcoming Pet Power event, hosted by Pet alliance Europe. Yes, this is a pet-friendly networking event on 27 September – so mark your calendar!
Join us from 6:30-8:30PM and hear the keynote speaker from Dogs for Good -Chief Executive, Peter Gorbing on the importance of harmonised guidelines for training all kinds of assistance, therapy or emotional support animals and how they’re working with other associations to develop these.
They will also have some associations training guide dogs for the blind and pet therapy hospital volunteers there to share info on their vital work. It is an opportunity to meet and network with key players in the pet welfare sector.

Infovictims III – Final Seminar
2022-09-19 00:00 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) | Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
APAV and the Infovictims Partnership will promote the seminar “Innovate to humanise the justice system for victims”.
The beautiful Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in the very heart of Lisbon, was the venue elected to hold our event on September 19th 2022.
This event will gather key actors to success of the Infovictims Informative Model, celebrating the third edition of this project recognised as a best practice in information to victims of crime in Europe.
Confirm your presence by registering here.
For more information, please visit apav.pt/Infovictims
Hope to see you in Lisbon! Registration is free of charge and no travel and accommodation are foreseen.
Save your seat!

VOICES 21st Annual Remembrance Symposium
2022-09-09 00:00 - 2022-09-10 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) | New York & online
VOICES is proud to host its 21st Annual Remembrance Symposium, Pathways to Resilience on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10 at the Downtown Marriott Hotel in New York City.
This year’s program is presented in partnership with the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Alumni Association (LinCT-AA) and the International Network Supporting Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence (INVICTM). The two-day event brings together distinguished professionals working in national security, law enforcement, victims’ services, mental health, compensation, and investigations in the aftermath of 9/11, as well as other international acts of mass violence.
Please note: For attendance at the Symposium, VOICES will comply with all current COVID-19 mask mandates and health protocols as per the New York Marriott Downtown and New York City / CDC guidelines.
The September 9 program is available via live stream only, and the September 10 program is available in-person and via live stream. The programs are free and registration is required.

United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism 2022
2022-09-08 00:00 - 2022-09-09 23:59 (America/New_York) | Online
The Global Congress will provide a platform for victims of terrorism to directly share experiences, challenges, stories of their resilience, and contributions to wider society in a socially connected environment and to advocate for the strengthening and upholding of their rights and effective fulfilment of their needs. The Congress will allow the audience to learn about good practices undertaken by Member States and civil society organizations, while ensuring that victims’ voices are heard and that their experiences shape the way forward in their own countries and across borders.

How To Deliver Training With Pizzazz
2022-08-31 20:00 - 21:15 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Many victim service providers deliver trainings as part of their job. In this session, we’ll provide tips on how to develop effective trainings and deliver them with energy and style, as well as strategies on how to design and deliver trainings that focus on communities of colour. We’ll examine how you can create effective PowerPoint slides, engage participants, and increase your comfort when training others.

Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting Victims and Survivors and Protecting All Those at Risk
2022-08-09 09:30 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Online
This symposium provides a timely opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the government’s plan to partially ban conversion therapy, as well as examine ways in which other relevant organisations, bodies and institutions can help to clamp down on the practice, support victims and survivors and protect those who are vulnerable and at risk.
Programme

Discuss the government’s approach to banning conversion therapies
Analyse Conversion Therapy Protection Orders and discuss key gaps and opportunities
Highlight the case for extending the ban on conversion therapy to trans people
Assess how the pandemic has affected global attempts to clamp down on conversion therapies
Examine current support structures for victims and survivors of conversion therapy and assess what more is needed to ensure better support
Identify ways to better protect those at risk of and vulnerable to being imposed or self-referred to conversion therapies
Examine the drivers of conversion therapy, including religious reasons, and discuss how they can be addressed
Compare international responses to conversion therapies and whether they can be applied to the UK
Analyse the UK’s existing legislative framework and how it can be utilised to clamp down on practices that are used as part of conversion therapies
Discuss the role of the police and health authorities in protecting those at risk of being subjected to conversion therapies

Expert Q&A on Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Program
2022-07-27 20:00 - 21:15 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Environmental crimes often involve injury or harm to human, pet, and wildlife health and the environment. These criminal violations may result in direct and proximate harm in the form of adverse health impacts or, in the most extreme cases, death. Organizations and businesses may also suffer economic harm due to violations of federal environmental laws and other associated crimes. This session will provide an overview of the Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Program and address the unique victim identification and rights issues associated with environmental crimes.

Policy Reputation Calendar: Why You Need One, and How to Do It
2022-07-27 20:00 - 20:45 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Join Quorum on July 27th from 2:00 – 2:45 p.m. EST as they discuss why you need a policy reputation calendar, and how to build one. You’ll learn about:

The specific benefits of introducing your organization and issues to stakeholders
How to ensure key players remember you when your issue comes to the table
How to determine which stakeholders you want to share your message with
Which engagement techniques drive the most impact on your relationships with legislators, staff, advocates, or stakeholders

Protecting the Rights of Trafficked Persons: Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting III
2022-07-18 13:00 - 2022-07-19 17:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Hofburg, Vienna, Austria
The third Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting of 2022 will provide a forum to discuss how to better protect the rights of victims of human trafficking.
The first session will focus on the rights of child trafficking victims and the specific challenges faced by these most vulnerable of targets.
The second session will centre on means of countering human trafficking in the context of armed conflict.
Against the background of the rapid growth of the use of online platforms to recruit, groom and exploit victims, the third and final working session will discuss how to combat human trafficking in cyberspace.

Older women in crises: Invisible among the most vulnerable
2022-07-14 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
This event will seek to explore the multiple and intersecting forms of discriminations faced by older women in emergencies and put forward ideas on how to address such challenges and ensure that their needs are met.. Sponsored by the Stakeholder Group on Ageing (SGA) and co-sponsored by the UN Programme on Ageing (Un DESA), UN Women and the Special Procedures Office of the Independent Expert on the Rights of Older Persons, the event will consist of a moderator-driven, interactive panel discussion among high level speakers. Participants will have the opportunity to raise questions and share comments on the specific interventions made by panelists or to the theme of the event. See the flyer and concept note for more details.

Improving the Safety of Women & Girls: Delivering Structural Changes to Empower Women, Reduce Violence & Increase Prosecutions
2022-07-12 09:30 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Online
This symposium is an invaluable opportunity to discuss and evaluate strategies for widespread structural change. Delegates will discuss methods to prevent VAWG, support and protect victims and survivors, and increase the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in dealing with these cases.
Programme

Examine the current legislative framework for tackling violence against women and girls and discuss opportunities for further legislative reform
Evaluate the effectiveness of the government’s VAWG strategy, and the extent to which this is sufficient in targeting the issue
Discuss steps to improve safety on UK streets and public spaces
Understand why certain crimes such as rape have such low prosecution rates and how that can be improved
Explore how to improve trust in the criminal justice system to ensure that women are empowered to report VAWG
Identify and examine the fundamental causes of violence against women and girls, and raise awareness of the need to target institutionalised misogyny
Consider opportunities for education programs to target and discourage misogyny
Address intersectionalities and understand how to support the most vulnerable groups
Explore how to improve information sharing across agencies to improve police coordination in preventing and combating VAWG
Evaluate the suitability of proposed changes to standards, behaviours and practices within policing
Share best practices of successful campaigns raising awareness and preventing gender-based violence through education

Who Should Attend?

Domestic Violence Coordinators
Police Authorities
Mental Health Professionals
Families Services Officers
Health Service Professionals
Social Care Professionals
Victim Support Representatives
LGBT Rights Associations
Anti-Social Behaviour Coordinators
Community Support Officers
Social Workers and Social Services Officers
Criminal Justice Practitioners
Legal Professionals
Local Authority Officers & Councillors
Equality and Diversity Practitioners
Academics and Researchers
Employers’ Associations
Equal Opportunity Agencies
Women’s Lobbyist Groups
Women’s NGOs Networks
National Coordinators on Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities
Social Exclusion Officers
Human Rights Professionals
Disability Forums and Associations
Women Refugees and Advice Centres

Preventing exploitation and ensuring decent work for refugees from Ukraine
2022-06-24 09:30 - 12:45 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
In this webinar organised by ILO, ETUC and La Strada International, the organisers aim to gather the respective perspectives and experiences of relevant actors at the international, European, and selected national levels, NGOs, employers’ and workers’ organisations on the challenges persons fleeing Ukraine face in finding decent work. Questions they seek to answer are:

What are barriers to finding decent work, including obstacles related to the implementation of the EU Temporary Protection Directive and access to the labour market?
Which sectors do persons fleeing Ukraine find work in?
What measures have been taken to ensure that they have access to decent work?
What are success stories? What are elements that contributed to this success?
Are there indications of labour exploitation and how could abuse best be prevented?

Draft agenda
9:30 Opening and Welcome

Ms Lieve Verboven, Director, ILO Office for the EU and the Benelux countries
Ms Suzanne Hoff, International Coordinator, La Strada International

9:40-11:00 Panel 1: Perspectives and experiences from the international and European level

Mr Igor Degnera, Acting Interim Head of the Ukrainian Labour Inspection (SLS – State Labour Service) (tbc)
Mr Pedro Assures Rodrigues, Head of the Enforcement and Analysis Unit, European Labour Authority
Mr Xavi Gomila, Global Public Affairs Manager, World Employment Federation
Ms Mercedes Miletti, Advisor of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)

Moderator: Ms Lieve Verboven, Director, ILO Office for the EU and the Benelux countries
11:15-12:45 Panel 2: Perspectives and experiences from the national contexts

Mr Bart Stalpaert, Director, Sociale Inlichtingen en Opsporingsdienst (SIOD) (tbc)
Mr Vasyl Andreyev, Vice Chair, Federation of Trade Unions in Ukraine, President of the Construction and Building Materials Workers Union of Ukraine (PROFBUD)
Mr Benjamin Cope, Researcher, Foundation Nasz Wybor
Mr Zsolt Dudas, Project Manager in Ukraine, International Labour Organization

Moderator: Suzanne Hoff, International Coordinator, La Strada International

Addressing Anti-Social Behaviour: Ensuring Effective Responses and Supporting Victims
2022-06-21 09:30 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Online
This symposium, taking place in the lead-up to Anti-social behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week (18-24 July), provides an invaluable opportunity to examine existing legislation and recent government initiatives designed to tackle ASB and support victims, and to assess the wider, underlying societal problems and policy failures that need to be addressed in order to make meaningful change in this area.
Programme

Evaluate the effectiveness of the current legislative framework for dealing with ASB (ASBCPA Act) and discuss opportunities for reform
Assess the use of the Community Trigger and identify methods to ensure it is accessible for victims and utilised in practice
Examine how local authorities and registered providers (RPs) can prevent ASB and protect victims in their areas
Explore opportunities to enhance the legal rights of victims of ASB, particularly through the proposed Victims’ Law
Debate the success of government initiatives such as the Beating Crime Plan, and assess what more it can do to tackle ASB
Analyse the role of the police and PCCs in dealing with ASB and how the response can be improved
Assess the effectiveness of local responses to reports of ASB, and develop strategies for a more co-ordinated multi-agency response
Raise awareness of the seriousness of ASB and its potentially devastating impacts upon victims, and identify methods to debunk the myth that it is a ‘low-level crime’
Explore successful educational programs raising awareness of ASB within housing areas
Assess the wider, underlying societal problems and policy failures that contribute to ASB
Evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on levels of ASB in communities and discuss opportunities for targeted responses to increased tensions and isolated victims
Reflect on the need to gather more data on instances of ASB and create a plan for the future

Determining and Evaluating the Best Interests and Rights of Children in Parental Separation and Care Proceedings: exploring perspectives and best practices across Europe
2022-06-21 09:30 - 12:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Join the Council of Europe for this CINGO Civil Society Committee on the Rights of the Child free webinar session with experts and thought leaders across Europe and the opportunity for live online discussion to take place on Tuesday 21 June (9:30-12:30 CET). The webinar will be in English.
The following questions will be addressed in six parallel workshops and two concluding panel discussions. Each workshop starts with an introduction of the theme by a speaker [about 20 minutes] followed by an exchange of views and experiences among participants.
1/ How are the recommendations from UN CRC CG 14 and 20 implemented in the activities of family professionals?
2/ The case of young children: What elements are considered to evaluate BIC of toddlers and infants (under 5-year-old)?
3/ How to promote the rights and wellbeing of older children and adolescents experiencing the care system?
4/ How to organise the defence of children and what are their possibility of recourse and support in cases of violence against their needs?
5/ How to implement the participation of children in expressing their views.
6/ What kind of education and support for parents who are separating or whose child is in care?
We expect to have a lot of interested participants, so we might not be able to give the floor to all. Therefore, in order to smooth the discussion, priority will be given to those who had sent a text before the webinar.
We recommend you express your interest by submitting your brief views and experience before the webinar (maximum 500 words/3 minutes), addressing one or both of the following questions:
1) What is happening in your professional context regarding the workshop question?
2) What needs to be done to improve the situation of children, especially the most vulnerable?
Send the text of intervention you would like to do as soon as possible and before 17 June to:
CivilSocietyCommittee.RC@gmail.com
Sending a text is not mandatory to attend the workshop, you can follow the lectures and discussions online.

Safeguarding the Rights of Child Victims of Crime: The case law of the European Court of Human Rights as inspiration and call to action
2022-06-14 14:30 - 16:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
This high-level seminar offers a forum for introducing, exploring and discussing the case law of law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the rights of child victims of crime.
Defence for Children International – Italy and the Italian Ministry of Justice, together with the E-PROTECT consortium, are organising this high-level seminar as the third and final international event in the context of the EU co-funded project E-PROTECT II.

12th edition of the CEP Electronic Monitoring Conference
2022-05-23 15:00 - 2022-05-25 13:30 (Europe/Helsinki) | Scandic Marina Congress Centre, Helsinki, Finland
From the 23th until the 25th of May 2022, it is time for the 12th edition of the Electronic Monitoring Conference in Helsinki, Finland. This years theme is ‘Electronic monitoring and probation goals: a symbiotic relationship’.
Electronic monitoring remains a relatively isolated example of the widespread deployment of technologies in probation practice and community sanctions more broadly. Technologies are already part of our everyday lives but, in common with other public services, are likely to effect on probation practice. As technologies develop and begin to penetrate into probation practices to a greater extent, the challenges of using them in ways which complement probation work grows.
The focus of the 12th electronic monitoring conference will be on developing understanding of how electronic monitoring can support probation practices and how other technologies may assist with the use of EM to meet probation goals.
Key questions which will be addressed are:

what are the ethical challenges of integrating a range of technologies into probation practice;
what novel technologies are available to support probation goals and electronic monitoring and how are they currently deployed;
what are the possibilities of using Artificial Intelligence with electronic monitoring;
how to maximise engagement of staff and service users with the help of electronic monitoring and other technologies.

VSE 2022 Annual Conference – The Age of Resilience
2022-05-11 00:00 - 2022-05-12 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) | Urban Valley Resort & Spa Malta, Triq Wied Ghollieqa, Kappara, SGN4437, Malta
Victim Support Europe and Victim Support Malta are delighted to welcome you to the Victim Support Europe 2022 Annual Conference – The Age of Resilience.

We are meeting on the beautiful historic island of Malta, at the Urban Valley Resort in the city of Kappara. The Conference is organised as a two-day event on Wednesday May 11th and Thursday 12th 2022, which leaves the opportunity to extend your stay for a wonderful weekend at this stunning location!

This year’s conference “The Age of Resilience” is an opportunity to discuss the different routes we can take to reach recovery and resilience. The discussion aims at highlighting the ways to achieve resilience, individual, social, and structural, by sharing resilience strategies and approaches to contain systemic threats.

WEBINAR: WORKING WITH UKRAINIAN REFUGEES – PREVENTING VICARIOUS TRAUMA
2022-05-03 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Dear all,
As the war in Ukraine rages on and many Ukrainian citizens have been forced to flee their homes, people all over Europe are working around the clock to support Ukrainian refugees. From victim support workers to translators and volunteers – people with all kinds of backgrounds are impacted by the stories they hear. These stories can have a tremendous impact on their mental health, causing many to experience compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.
Our member EMDR Europe has offered to provide a training to people (at risk of) experiencing vicarious trauma in their work with Ukrainian refugees. The training will be held on the Victim Support Hub on 3 May 2022 at 14:00 CET, and is open for anybody who works with Ukrainian refugees directly or manages people that do. The training will cover traumatic reactions, promote resilience, and there is a possibility for follow-up group sessions if needed.
Please send an email to i.lokerse@victimsupporteurope.eu if you would be interested in attending this training.

NSAW Webinar Masterclass
2022-04-28 10:00 - 13:15 (Europe/London) | Online
Action Against Stalking is organising the National Stalking Awareness Week (NSAW) “Stalking IS NOT a joke”, which will run between 25 and 29 April 2022.
The theme of this week will be focusing on tackling the negative impacts created by the language people use, the social norms and myths surrounding online and offline stalking – especially in younger generations.
Throughout the whole month of April, they will be focusing on this theme, and during the NSAW they plan to have livestreams and interviews planned, as well as a Webinar Masterclass.
More information about the programme and registration will soon be available at: https://www.actionagainststalking.org/event-details/nsaw-webinar-masterclass

Preventing Forced Marriage: Improving Outcomes and Strengthening Legislative Protection
2022-04-26 09:30 - 13:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
In 2020, the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) received 759 cases, 750 of which related solely to forced marriage, three to both forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), and six solely related to FGM. Despite representing a 44% decrease on the average annual number of cases, the severity of the problem is thought to have remained somewhat stable, the decline being attributed to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, as restrictions were placed on weddings and overseas travel. Whilst men are still victims of forced marriage, the cases received by the FMU overwhelmingly involve female victims, a total of 603 cases in 2020, representing 79% of cases. In 2020, of the cases in which the FMU provided advice or support, 9% of cases involved victims with mental capacity concerns and 26% involved victims below 18 years of age. The latter has prompted concerns that existing forced marriage law does not provide sufficient protection for children, placing the onus on the child to secure their own protection by speaking out against both their family and community. Additionally, in the case of 16- and 17-year olds, where children are able to marry with parental consent, there is evidence that a legal loophole is being exploited in order to coerce young people into child marriages.
Forced marriage is illegal in England and Wales, including instances where a victim is taken overseas in order to force them to marry and instances where the victim lacks the mental capacity to consent to the marriage. The criminal law in this area is set out in section 121 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and a conviction can entail a sentence of up to seven years in prison. Courts also have the power to grant forced marriage protection orders, designed to protect victims according to their individual circumstances. The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill is currently progressing through the House of Commons, and aims to tackle existing gaps in legislation that have enabled child marriage to persist. The bill would raise the minimum age for civil partnerships and marriage from 16 to 18 in England and Wales, whilst simultaneously making it an offence to carry out any conduct with the purpose of causing a child to enter into marriage.
Whilst the bill has been welcomed by many as a ‘huge step forward’ in addressing these issues, concerns have been raised regarding the potential effects of criminalisation. Some organisations have sought to emphasise the risk of driving problems underground in the aftermath of criminalisation, making child marriages harder to detect and reducing the likelihood that individuals and victims will speak up. The Traveller Movement have similarly warned that such a legislative step could increase numbers of children in care, questioning the extent to which specific communities were consulted in the drafting stages of the bill. From a broader perspective, there are also concerns about public knowledge and understanding of forced marriage legislation. According to Near Neighbours, a significant proportion of women are, in fact, unaware that forced marriage is illegal. As displayed by a freedom of information request made in 2020, this has been compounded by a failure of local authorities to maintain proper records of those at risk of forced marriage.
This symposium will provide policymakers, charities, social workers, police officers, teachers, and other safeguarding professionals with the opportunity to evaluate proposed legislative reform, identify key issues in current policy, and develop strategies to improve outcomes for victims of forced marriage.

Participation of Hate Crime Victims in Criminal Proceedings
2022-04-04 11:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Hate crime victims who chose to participate in criminal or civil proceedings must feel safe and supported each step of the way. They should have the opportunity to present the harm they have suffered, receive compensation and have the confidence that their procedural rights will be safeguarded. Regardless if the prosecution leads to conviction, it is imperative that hate crime victims have meaningful access to justice and can participate in the criminal proceedings.
The webinar is organized as part of the Enhancing Stakeholder Awareness and Resources for Hate Crime Victim Support (EStAR) project. It will promote hate crime victims’ active participation and adequate support provision during the criminal proceedings. Leading experts and practitioners in the field will provide insights into victims’ participation rights in different types of jurisdictions, provision of legal aid in criminal proceedings and international litigation. It will look at how hate crime victims should be supported during these proceedings, as well as offer professional perspectives and experiences on navigating the criminal justice system.
Speakers
Ms. Suzan van der Aa, Professor of Criminal law and Criminal Procedure, Department Criminal Law and Criminology of Maastricht University
Mr. Krešimir Kamber, Lawyer at European Court of Human Rights, Directorate of Jurisconsult, Registry of the European Court of Human Rights
Mr. Michal Zálešák, Legal Consultant, European Roma Rights Centre, Attorney-in-law at the Slovak Bar of Attorneys
Mr. Lars-Arne Raffel, Social worker, ZEBRA – Centre for Victims of Right-Wing Attacks
Participation
If you are a criminal justice professional working to enhance your national hate crime victim support structures, a civil society representative working on hate crime victim support or have interest in criminal justice, please join the webinar (passcode: [REDACTED]

Establishing Victim Services Vicarious Trauma Response Collaboratives
2022-03-29 19:00 - 20:15 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
On March 29, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. ET, the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) will present an online Expert Q&A discussion with Pamela Champlain and Janet Fine on “Establishing Victim Services Vicarious Trauma Response Collaboratives.”
While vicarious trauma is both a normal and inevitable response to working with victims of crime, there is growing recognition of the need to build trauma-informed organizations and supportive partnerships to mitigate the negative impacts of secondary trauma and expand opportunities to enhance resiliency. This session will provide an overview of OVC TTAC’s engagement with communities across the United States in developing and sustaining vicarious trauma peer-to-peer collaboratives.

United European Citizens for Ukraine
2022-03-29 12:30 - 14:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Brussels
We are currently in the middle of an unprecedented crisis in Europe. The invasion of Ukraine has redefined the parameters of what we imagined to be possible.
In this light, we are hosting this event to bring together citizens, civil society organisations, as well as Ukrainian representatives, to facilitate information sharing and horizontal discussion on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the future of Europe within that context. Especially as we are a group of civil society organisations, we want to showcase some actions by the Ukrainian civil society, what the state of it is now, and what we can do to support them.

The Resilience of Older Women and Climate Change
2022-03-24 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
Expert panellists will discuss the role of behaviour in climate change and increased environmental risk, resulting in degradation of all human rights. Speakers will discuss current lifespan initiatives and best practices across the globe, highlighting regions and activities where older women are taking the lead in mitigating negative outcomes.
SPEAKERS:

Amal Abou Rafeh, Chief of Programme on Ageing, UN DESA
Toni C. Antonucci, PhD, IAGG Secretary General, University of Michigan Collegiate Professor, Moderator and Discussant
Martha Bial, PhD, Fordham University and IAGG UN Representative
Nancy A. Pachana, PhD, clinical geropsychologist and co-director of the University of Queensland Ageing Mind Initiative
Michael Smyer, PhD, founder/CEO of Growing-Greener.org, Climate Action for a Warming World

Parallel Event with the NGO Commission on the Status of Women66Forum Parallel Event March 24, 202210:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST
Registration Required

LEAP Annual Conference - (Re)imagining justice: A new era for fair trials?
2022-03-14 16:00 - 2022-03-18 18:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
The 2022 LEAP annual conference will focus on the future of fair trials in Europe, examining the fundamental flaws in our current systems and what we can do to rectify them.

Whistleblower Protection in Europe
2022-03-10 00:00 - 2022-03-11 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
The Academy of European Law will organise a hybrid conference with high-level speakers from different sectors which will bring legal practitioners up-to-date on the latest regulatory developments, legislative initiatives, and case law on whistleblowing.
Whistleblower Protection in Europe
Focus on Directive (EU) 2019/1937
Brussels/Online (hybrid), 10-11 March 2022
Key topics
• EU Whistleblowers’ Directive implementation
• Trade secrets
• Data protection
• Support and protection measures
• Public disclosures
• Reporting channels
• Relevant ECtHR and CJEU case law
• Best practice
Further information: http://www.era.int/?131171&en
VSE’s members and friends are offered a 25% discount on the standard fee. To benefit from the 25% discount please enter the voucher code discount “422D127whprot” if you register online.

CJPE Webinar: Victim’s Rights in Prison & Probation – What is our Role?
2022-03-03 11:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Brussels)
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the EU Victims’ Rights Directive and of the evaluation process promoted by the European Commission concerning its implementation in Europe, this webinar organised by the Criminal Justice Platform Europe aims to explore the role of prison and probation services in ensuring victim’s rights. What are the important elements of the Victims’ Rights Directive in this regard and what are the lessons learned? In particular, how do prison and probation services address the victims’ right to information? Starting with practice examples from prison and probation services the webinar will discuss the broader situation of victims’ rights in different legal systems and specifically in prison and probation. The webinar will also focus on the need of an interagency systemic approach and on how these fields could better coordinate their work with victim support services and other (e.g. restorative justice) services coming into contact with victims.
