Beyond Violence

Partners:

1.     Asociacija EduLActiva from Lithuania

2.     Solidarity Works from Bulgaria

3.     The Cooperative Lazzarelle from Italy

Main Aim: To empower women survivors of domestic violence and foster an informed, supportive community through education, awareness, and collaborative efforts, facilitating healing, empowerment, and societal reintegration for survivors.

Objectives:

1. Equip adult educators, counselors, and support staff with specialized knowledge and skills through comprehensive training programs, focusing on trauma-informed care, effective communication, and counseling techniques pertinent to domestic violence.

2. Conduct survivor training workshops to provide women who have experienced domestic violence with the knowledge, tools, and resources needed for healing and empowerment, emphasizing the development of interpersonal skills, boundary setting, and conflict management.

3. Implement community engagement initiatives, including social media campaigns, public events, and webinars, to raise awareness about domestic violence, change societal attitudes, and encourage community support for survivors.

4. Create and distribute a comprehensive Communication Toolkit and training syllabus to standardize the approach towards supporting survivors, enhancing the quality and consistency of care and support provided across different settings and by various professionals.

Activities:

1. KOM in Bulgaria

2. Development of a Communication Toolkit: Spearheaded by Maggie Nazer of the leading organization, versed in Gestalt therapy and facilitating Authentic Relating sessions. This toolkit is aimed at fostering healthy relationship dynamics and will be converted into a training syllabus for broader dissemination. It's designed to improve interpersonal skills, crucial for preventing revictimization among survivors by teaching them to establish boundaries, manage conflicts, etc.

3. Educator Training in Italy: Aimed at adult educators, these sessions will cover trauma-informed methods, communication skills, counseling, and insights into the effects and dynamics of domestic violence. The training will focus on recognizing unhealthy relations and assisting women to exit them. It intends to prepare educators to better support survivors and ensure a safe educational environment. The event will welcome 4 educators from each partner country for 4 days.

4. Survivor Training Workshops: Each partner country will host a series of lectures by specialists in domestic violence, trauma, empowerment, and support services. Aimed at enriching participants' understanding, raising awareness, and stimulating discussions on pertinent issues, the series will include 4 sessions, each lasting 2 days, following international training events. Internationally trained educators will share their knowledge and methods to provide full support to survivors. The target group of survivors is expected to be at least 10 per country. The created toolkit will also be disseminated and used during these local activities.

5. Final Meeting Online

6. Multiplier Events and Social Media Campaigns: Each partner will organize campaigns and community events to elevate public awareness, share survivor stories, circulate information on support resources, and involve the community in creating a more supportive and inclusive atmosphere. Each partner will implement one webinar for at least 30 people from target groups per country and will organize 3 different social media campaigns targeting 100 people from the target groups per country.

Expected Outcomes and Results:

1. Increased knowledge and application of trauma-informed approaches and effective communication strategies, demonstrated through improved support and care for survivors within educational and counseling settings. This will be measured by pre- and post-training assessments, feedback from participants, and observed changes in practice.

2. Enhanced self-efficacy, understanding of healthy relationships, and coping strategies, as indicated by participant feedback, self-reports of increased confidence and well-being, and reduced instances of revictimization. The success of workshops will be evaluated based on attendance, engagement levels, and follow-up assessments of participants' progress.

3. Increased public awareness and understanding of domestic violence, reflected in community survey responses, engagement metrics from social media campaigns, and participation rates in public events and webinars. Success will also be measured by the community’s increased involvement in support initiatives and reported changes in attitudes towards survivors.

4. Successful creation, implementation, and distribution of the Communication Toolkit and training syllabus, with evidence of usage across multiple settings and feedback from users indicating satisfaction, relevance, and utility in supporting survivors. The dissemination and impact will be tracked through distribution metrics, user testimonials, and requests for additional resources.

Results:

Handbook in EN

Handbook in LT