Foreword
2015 © International Rehabilitation Council
for Torture Victims (IRCT)
All rights reserved
Over four years, the IRCT’s Great Lakes Project
supported a unique and exciting collaboration
between six rehabilitation centres in Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, directly
benefitting torture victims.
groups run solely on the initiative of beneficiaries
of the project, medical professionals who can now
produce high quality medico-legal documentation
and victims being supported through legal
proceedings and challenging impunity.
In a region marked by unrest, violence and horrific
cruelty, these centres worked together to empower
victims of torture to become pro-active, engaged
and responsible actors in the social, economic and
political development of their communities. The
conceptual basis of this work is the IRCT’s mission
to promote full implementation of the right to
rehabilitation of torture victims, as defined by the
United Nations Committee against Torture in General
Comment 3 to Article 14 of the UN Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and
Degrading Treatment. To further the effective
entitlement of torture victims to their right to
rehabilitation, the IRCT membership believes that, in
order to be adequate, rehabilitation has to be holistic
and be decided by the right holders.1
The IRCT and our partners hope this report provides
an insight into the work of the centres and the
achievements of the Great Lakes Project, which we
believe is an invaluable stepping stone to ensuring
as many torture victims as possible receive holistic
rehabilitation services and can play an active role in
their community once more.
This report highlights the stories of torture victims
who are bravely rebuilding their lives with the
support and care provided by the centres through
four key approaches:
Printed in Denmark
1. A medical referral system
ISBN (print): 978-87-93113-13-8
2. Restoring dignity through livelihoods
ISBN (online): 978-87-93113-14-5
3. Supporting victims in the fight against impunity
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture
Victims (IRCT) is an independent, international
health-based human rights organisation, which
promotes and supports the right to rehabilitation
of torture victims, acts as a global knowledge
hub on health-based rehabilitation, and leads
the global consensus-making process on right to
rehabilitation standards. The vision of the IRCT is a
world without torture.
Vesterbrogade 149, building 4, 3rd floor, 1620
Copenhagen V, Denmark
Phone: +45 44 40 18 30
Fax: +45 44 40 18 54
Email: irct@irct.org
For more information please visit www.irct.org
4. Changing lives through community-based
social counselling
A key element of the Great Lakes Project was to
empower both the victim and secondary victims,
who are often overlooked, but affected by the
traumatic experiences of those close to them. In
addition, it focused on rural areas, reaching out to
victims in need who would likely never have received
rehabilitation services otherwise.
The project brought communities together, healing
wounds and creating platforms for dialogue and
reconciliation in countries that have seen civil
wars, genocide and refugee crises. Its legacy
continues through new partnerships between
service providers, increased access to services,
new businesses set up by victims, social counselling
Victor Madrigal
IRCT Secretary-General