Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - Services - Community Relations Groups

Contact: Andrée Murphy

39 Glen Road

Tel: 028 9062 7171

E-Mail: info@relativesforjustice.com

Status of organisation:

Number of staff:

Aims and Objectives

To provide a safe space for the bereaved and injured of the conflict to meet together to address their experiences and to support the recovery of health and wellbeing;
To provide appropriate and development based individual, family and group support for the bereaved and injured. Where appropriate Relatives for Justice will deliver this in partnership with other organisations;
To support the bereaved and injured to tell their story and document their experiences;
To build awareness and foster an understanding of the specific experiences of the bereaved and injured of the conflict. In doing so to contribute to a culture of human rights;
To support families engaging with relevant legal professionals and government bodies. Support families with cases relating to their bereavement and/or injury giong through domestic and international courts;
Liaise with international human rights, NGOs, Government bodies and other international organisations bringing to their attention many of the circumstances surrounding incidents in which people have been injured or killed.

Projects and Activities

Family Support - befriending, counselling and therapy for individuals and families to support them come to terms with traumatic experiences and to restore their health and wellbeing.
Developing appropriate models of therapeutic interventions and ways of working to support the individual and community to recover wellbeing in the aftermath of armed conflict, including examining and adopting appropriate international models of recovery.
Design and publish information to promote education, greater awareness, and understanding of the experiences and issues of the bereaved and injured of the conflict.
Establish an archive of historical material that documents the experiences of the bereaved and injured of the conflict and the work of Relatives for Justice.
To highlight state injustice and to work toward repealing legislation that prohibits the truth from emerging and ending anonymity to perpetrators of violence and impunity.
Liaise with international human rights NGOs to highlight the circumstances surrounding incidents in which people have been injured or killed by state actions where truth, justice and accountability have not been secured.
Provide advice and guidance: accessing services; sign posting agencies and support during legal and other cases.
Working for retrospective justice for the bereaved and injured of state and state sponsored actions.
Develop the regional structures of Relatives for Justice in order to further strengthen the growth and development of locally based groups by building capacity, confidence and skills.
Provide high quality support and training to staff members and volunteers.