The pilot project was especially launched by the European Commission to treat tortured people as a particularly vulnerable group.
In most European countries, torture survivors are part of everyday life, yet they are mostly invisible to society. Due to their different traumatic experiences, many torture survivors live in isolation, are emotionally stressed and unstable. The process of their recovery is long and difficult.
The aim of the project was to develop a holistic, client-centered, culture- and gender-sensitive, community-based program that enables survivors to process their traumatic experiences, leave their role as victims and become a full member of society. Moreover to treat torture survivors, exchange views on the methodology and establish good practices for the treatment.
Main target group are torture survivors and traumatized people who are socially isolated. Supporting them in coping with their lives and integrating into society could prove to be the most sustainable way to adequately meet the needs of torture survivors. This support system is based on the existing resources of the torture victims participating in the project.
The project was carried out by OMEGA as coordinator and four international centers from Germany, Romania, Croatia, and Slovenia as project partner; each project partner had specific experience with relevant topics, such as trauma, intervention, PTSD, cross-cultural treatment, psychosocial intervention and more.
This two-year project not only dealed with tortured people, it also raised public awareness that torture still happens and that it is a cruel and detestable means of oppression in many countries.