Exchange of good practices between organizations from Italy, Albania and Romania
As part of the Break the Circle project, which brings together the organizations Medici per la Pace from Italy, A.L.E.G. from Romania and VATRA from Albania, we had the pleasure of hosting an exchange of good practices on the topic of domestic violence between 2 and 4 of September, to which we also invited the social services of the Sibiu City Hall, respectively the DGASPC Sibiu. With those present, we had the opportunity to share experiences, challenges and working methods.
In addition to the leadership of the Medici per la Pace organization, the Italian delegation also included Maria Luisa Constantino, from the Municipality of Verona – the coordinator of the anti-violence intervention centers subordinated to the municipality. These are three centers specialized in assistance for victims, counseling for aggressors, and education for prevention. The P.E.T.R.A. Center offers specialized support and protection services for women victims of violence, including emergency accommodation. The center has several information and counseling points in the city, one located within the University of Verona, and two others in hospitals.
The Municipality of Verona also coordinates the N.A.V. Space – “Do not act through violence”, a service aimed at men who display violent behaviour in intimate and family relationships, with the aim of promoting the assumption of responsibility and changing their choice to use violence. NAV also runs group counselling in prisons: a group for men who commit domestic violence, another for sexual aggressors. “We also work with men who have committed femicide. At first, they all tell us that they are innocent and that they just met the wrong woman. We work with them to identify the moment from which they felt that the use of violence in a relationship was inevitable, then building from that moment, so that they see that alternatives are always present, that the use of violence is their own choice”. They work in a team: a psychologist and an educator, a woman and a man, and rebuilding respect for women is part of this process.
As part of prevention activities, the Municipality promotes thematic educational programs and information and awareness sessions in high schools, as well as in various social and professional contexts.
VATRA also shared with us how multi-institutional intervention in cases of violence works in practice in Albania. Through the inter-institutional protocol signed at the local level by the institutions with a role in combating violence, a technical group of specialists is designated who meet periodically and consult on the intervention in the most serious cases in the community, both domestic violence and human trafficking.
A.L.E.G. presented the approach and impact of the SiEuReusesc program, facilitating a meeting with members of the support group, but also with our colleagues who offer self-defense (ESD) empowerment workshops and education for healthy relationships in the Sibiu community.
More details about the project can be found here: https://aleg-romania.eu/en/break-the-circle-project/
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Activities carried out within the “Break the Circle” project, supported by Medici per la Pace, with funding from the Fondo di Beneficenza ed Opere di Carattere Sociale e Culturale di Intesa Sanpaolo.
