Welcome
Welcome to the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for
the Victims of Torture. We are very pleased that you have visited our website.
We want you to know that you are in a safe and supportive place, where you will
receive comprehensive care and specialized services to help you overcome the
harsh effects of torture. We understand the suffering you have been through and
strive to provide healing, recovery, and hope for everyone who comes to us. So
welcome to our center.
CEO's Message
Ac
As we begin the year 2023, I would like to
express our deep gratitude to all individuals and organizations who have
contributed over the years to the success and development of the Torture
Victims Treatment and Rehabilitation Center. The idea for the center was first
conceived in the mid-1980s, specifically in 1983, by the initiative of the
center's president and founder, Dr. Mahmoud Sehwail, in response to the urgent
cases and the absence of service providers at that time to examine and treat
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. These visits were purely voluntary and
continued until 1997, when the center was established as a culmination of
accumulated experience in dealing with the issues and needs of victims of
traumatic events and their families who share their suffering. The center
launched by providing services to a large segment of beneficiaries in keeping
up with developments and changes in Palestinian society, where the center is
the only one of its kind in the West Bank in terms of its areas of work and
services provided.
In this context, We would like to express our deep appreciation and
respect for the survivors themselves, who inspire us daily with their courage
and resilience. We also appreciate the dedicated efforts of our staff. We also
thank the volunteers, board members, and esteemed donors who generously
contribute their time, resources, and expertise to our cause. We would also
like to express our gratitude to our partners in non-governmental organizations
and institutions for their continuous support and cooperation, which has
enabled us to enhance our ability to provide comprehensive care and work
towards preventing torture and promoting human rights.
About TRC
The Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (TRC) is
a Palestinian non-profit, non-governmental human rights organization and mental
health service provider. TRC is an independent and impartial entity
advocating for the human rights of victims of torture, organized violence and
Gender Based Violence throughout the West Bank.
TRC is a registered Palestinian NGO under license number RA-235/SC
at the Palestinian Ministry of Interior (MoI), as well as with the Ministry of
Health (License R/6/212). TRC is a
member of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
which is the world’s largest membership-based civil society organisation
specialised in the field of torture. It is also the only Palestinian NGO
permitted by the government to provide psychotherapy in Palestinian correction
and rehabilitation centers.
TRC specializes in providing psychosocial
services to survivors of torture. Since its founding, the Center has gradually
expanded its work, and in addition to the individual, group and family therapy,
which the Center provides.
The Center was founded in 1997 by Dr.
Mahmud Sehwail, a Palestinian Psychiatrist and human rights activist. It
operated on a voluntary basis until it was instituted in 1999. The Center is
governed by a Board of Directors and supported by a Board of International
Advisors. Day-to-day management is run by the Executive Director, Dr. Khader
Rasras, who is a Senior Clinical Psychologist.
TRC intervention strategy inspired by
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular SDG 3.4
Promote mental health and The convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and
the Convention on the rights of person with disabilities (CRPD) and Convention
on the elimination of all forms of discrimination, and from the where all
children are free from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices.
TRC Mandate, Core Value, Strategic Goals
The mandate of the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center
for Victims of Torture (TRC) is to provide comprehensive care, support, and
rehabilitation to individuals who have experienced torture and deployment
of holistic interventions that do no harm. The TRC is guided by the following
core principles:
Healing and
Rehabilitation: TRC is dedicated to promoting the psychological, and social
healing of survivors of torture. Through a multidisciplinary approach,
including medical, psychological, and social services, the center aims to
address the complex needs of survivors and support their recovery and
well-being.
Empowerment and Dignity: TRC recognizes the
inherent dignity and worth of every survivor of torture. The center is
committed to fostering an environment that respects survivors' rights, choices,
and autonomy. By empowering survivors with knowledge, skills, and support.
Justice and Human Rights: Upholding the principles
of justice and human rights lies at the core of the TRC's mandate. The center
advocates for the prevention of torture, accountability for perpetrators, and
access to justice for survivors. It works towards raising awareness about the
impact of torture and the importance of safeguarding human rights, both locally
and globally.
Collaboration and Partnerships: TRC recognizes the
value of collaboration and partnerships in achieving its mandate. The center
actively seeks to engage with governmental and non-governmental organizations,
human rights institutions, healthcare providers, legal advisors, and other
stakeholders to enhance its capacity, expand its reach, and promote a
coordinated response to the needs of survivors.
Research and Advocacy: TRC actively contributes to
research, knowledge exchange, and advocacy efforts related to the prevention of
torture and the rehabilitation of survivors. By advocating for policy reforms,
the center aims to influence systemic changes and ensure the rights and
well-being of survivors are safeguarded.
TRC's mandate encompasses providing holistic care and
rehabilitation, empowering survivors, advocating for justice and human rights,
fostering collaborations, and engaging in research and advocacy to address the
needs of victims of torture and contribute to the prevention of torture, as per the
internationally adopted and ratified Convention against Torture, the Universal
Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR) and the 4th Geneva Convention.
TRC supports and
empowers the victims to reintegrate into Palestinian society, in addition to
providing them with the knowledge and skills to identify and address
psychological symptoms, through the provision of specialized psychological
support services such as: debriefing activities; Psychodrama, Art Therapy, Eye
Therapy, to strengthen their coping mechanisms Therefore, in order to support
the victims, and ensure that they have access to a comprehensive package of
intervention aimed at supporting their full recovery. This will go through
increasing awareness of positive parenting, psychological first aid, crisis
intervention, identification of symptoms of trauma and appropriate responses
and referral pathways, and stress management and debriefing for the affected women
and children.
Strategic
Goals
1- Providing Psychological and social
services treatment and rehabilitation for victims of torture and organized
violence and their families as much as possible since those responsible for
their rights deny it
2- Advocating victims of torturer and other
affected person, developing appropriate platforms for them, and putting
pressure on the responsible parties to bear responsibility and the consequences
of their actions.
3- Building a general societal culture based
on respect for IHR, and humanitarian values and principles of the international
humanitarian law, international law, international human rights treaties.
4- Contributing to the transfer of experience
and knowledge through the centre’s training to build the capacity of
institutions and workers in the field of human rights and mental health and
criminalize torture.
5- Ensuring continuity of service to the
victims by maintaining the suitability of the work in the institution by
building a strategy and administrative structure that provide that.