Each year, CVT joins the United Nations and countless other organizations and community members in commemorating the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

CVT’s Amhara team in Ethiopia planned events with the aim of enhancing the understanding of their partners and strengthening refugees. 

For CVT Amhara, success in those two areas looks like creating the environment for transparent and responsive engagement among survivors and efficiently building on the community’s building support mechanisms.

The team did so by splitting the event into two parts:

• A panel discussion on June 24
• A community event on June 26

A Panel and Lively Discussion

At the CVT Amhara Healing and Training Center, CVT organized a panel discussion featuring around twenty-eight participants. This included representatives of INGO partner agencies, local governments, UN agencies, refugee representatives and officials from the Refugee and Returnee Services (RRS). 

The panelists covered topics such as torture – including global practices, definitions, perpetrator goals and techniques — as well as the effects torture has on mental and physical health.

Following key topics discussed by the panelists, participants joined in, resulting in an engaging conversation.

Uplifting Culture and Positivity 

On the commemorative UN Day, the event was opened with CVT Amhara sharing a message from Dr. Simon Adams, CVT’s president and CEO, regarding the importance of the day and Frezgi Gebrekristos, a CVT psychotherapist trainer, thanking the participants for their dedication to torture survivors.

Banners were displayed throughout the event location, sharing encouraging messages such as:

We stand strong together against torture.”

Let’s create a safe haven for torture survivors.”

Hope brings strength and moves us forward.” 

CVT Amhara uplifted the various cultures and languages of the region by featuring various cultural dances and arts presented by the nine Eritrean nationalities. Selected refugees performed a powerful poem with and staged an educational drama, with some receiving prizes at the end. 

Giving Back to Survivors, Their Allies and Their Communities

As a token of appreciation, event attendees received t-shirts with key phrases translated into the local languages.

CVT Amhara also uses this time each year to donate various resources to mental health and refugee-focused organizations. This year, CVT donated to the Endahwat Mental Health Association and the Refugee Central Committee. 

A UNHCR Closing

Over a total of thousand people, including survivors, refugees and their loved ones, came out to these events at the end of June. Lynn Karanja, the UNHCR Associate MHPSS Officer, delivered a closing speech, further highlighting the stake the CVT Amhara team has in their community.

Karanja expressed not only her gratitude to the CVT Amhara team for their commitment to commemorating the UN Day in Support of Victims of Torture, but for specialized the continued MHPSS services the team provides to the refugee community.