The Research and Documentation program of KRCT is a vital component of its work, aimed at uncovering truths, preserving history, and providing a solid evidence base for advocacy, justice, and healing. This program focuses on documenting human rights violations, particularly those related to torture and sexual violence, and conducting research to deepen understanding of their impacts.
OBJECTIVES
Preserving Historical Records: Documenting cases of wartime torture and sexual violence to ensure these atrocities are not forgotten and contribute to historical accountability.
Supporting Justice: Providing evidence to support legal processes, reparations, and advocacy for survivors’ rights.
Informing Policy and Practice: Generating research to influence policies and improve psychosocial support, legal frameworks, and community interventions.
Raising Awareness: Using data to educate the public, combat stigma, and foster a deeper understanding of the long-term impacts of war-related trauma.
CORE ACTIVITIES
Documentation of Human Rights Violations
Case Documentation: Collecting detailed accounts of torture and sexual violence from survivors, with their consent, using survivor-centered and trauma-informed approaches.
- Archiving Evidence: Safely storing documentation to ensure it is available for legal, historical, and advocacy purposes.
- Collaboration with Institutions: Sharing findings with local and international organizations, courts, and human rights bodies to support justice and accountability.
Research on Trauma and Its Impacts
- Intergenerational Trauma: Conducting pioneering studies on how war-related trauma affects survivors’ families, especially children, and how it is transmitted across generations.
- Psychosocial Impact Studies: Examining the mental health and social consequences of torture and sexual violence to improve therapeutic interventions.
- Social Perceptions and Stigma: Researching societal attitudes toward survivors to guide stigma-reduction strategies.
DEVELOPING SURVIVOR-CENTERED INTERVENTIONS
- Family Therapy Models: Insights from research on intergenerational trauma have informed innovative family therapy programs to address complex dynamics within affected families.
- Community Healing Approaches: Research findings guide the development of culturally sensitive community-based support systems.
ETHICAL AND TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES
- Confidentiality and Consent: Ensuring survivors’ stories are documented with utmost respect for their privacy and autonomy.
- Empowerment Through Participation: Engaging survivors in the research process to amplify their voices and perspectives.
ADVOCACY THROUGH DATA
- Policy Influence: Using research findings to advocate for survivor-centered policies, including reparations, healthcare access, and justice mechanisms.
- Publications and Reports: Producing reports, articles, and policy briefs to share findings with stakeholders and raise awareness.
IMPACT
- The Research and Documentation program has been instrumental in:
- Supporting the first successful legal case for a wartime sexual violence survivor in Kosovo.
- Shaping national and international reparations policies.
- Deepening understanding of the long-term impacts of war-related trauma, leading to more effective psychosocial and community interventions.
- Preserving the stories of survivors to ensure their experiences are recognized and remembered.
By combining rigorous research with survivor-centered documentation, KRCT’s program contributes to justice, healing, and systemic change for survivors and their communities.