Reflecting on 2022 with Executive Director, Christy Fujio
As we near the end of a long and wonderfully successful year, we wanted to take some time to reflect on the past year, and look forward to the exciting opportunities we expect in 2023.
Below, our Executive Director, Christy Fujio, shares some of the impacts of our work that have been meaningful to her this year, what gives her hope that the situation will improve for Syrian women, and how Synergy for Justice is expanding its work in 2023.
What motivates you to continue Synergy’s work?
The partners and the participants that we work with are incredibly inspiring. Most of them are living in extremely difficult circumstances, and yet they still have the commitment and energy to serve others and push for justice and accountability. They are also intellectually curious and devoted to learning more, as I am. Every time we get together it is an exceptional two-way learning process. I feel like I am constantly learning and realising how much more there is to understand, as well as seeing new opportunities to grow.
What experiences or stories have been most meaningful to you this year?
Three stand out: (1) The opportunity to see our partner Amal Healing and Advocacy Center (AHAC) grow and thrive is a joy to watch. We always knew they could expand services and do more to support survivors and families, and now that we have been working together for more than a year with significant funding, we are amazed and inspired at how incredible they are. Their participants are so positive about their experiences with AHAC. We could not be prouder to be their partner. (2) Seeing the renewed energy and commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for arbitrary detention, torture, and sexual violence following the conviction of Anwar Raslan in early 2022, inspires us to do more and support our documenting partners however we can. (3) Following the training we provided on documentation of cases for child survivors of torture and sexual violence, many of the doctors who participated reported that what they learned has improved their documentation and general care of child patients. Also the learning on developmental stages in children and how to interact more productively with children positively impacted their relationships with their own kids. I know how much our colleagues worry about raising their children while displaced and amidst racism, so the fact they are finding our training to be helpful in their family lives as well means so much, especially for me as a mom.
Where have you seen Synergy having a memorable impact on women's lives?
Our transitional justice work, which focuses on elevating women’s voices, strengthening their capacity to be leaders, and supporting their engagement in transitional justice processes clearly shows me how powerful women’s voices are, and particularly, how important it is to ensure that they are included in all decision-making processes at any level. Women speak not only for themselves, but also for families, for communities, for children, and for other women. We cannot achieve reconciliation without including women’s voices and experiences. By doing so, we can be sure that the needs of women will be raised and addressed.
This impacts not only women’s lives, but everyone’s lives. In all of our programming, we strive to facilitate the participation of women. We provide babysitters so that they can focus on training and workshops, we pay for additional family members to travel with them if they need support, and we ensure that they know we will support them however necessary because we care about them and their ability to participate and engage in justice issues.
What gives you hope for the future for Syrian women?
I have seen so many women break out of their shells and do more than they ever thought they could. It is not easy to do so, especially if someone comes from a conservative segment of society, but the Syrian women I know have incredible strength, intelligence, and adaptability. They are driven by their desire to improve the lives of their families and communities, and they will never stop.
What are your hopes for Synergy’s partners for 2023?
We hope and expect to see our partners continue to grow and expand their capacity to serve more survivors of torture, sexual violence, and enforced disappearance. We know that they will, and we will continue to support them however is needed. We also hope to work with new locally-led partner organisations and to help them strengthen and expand as we have with our current partners. Our goal is always to reach a point where our locally-led partner organisations are sustainable and recognised by funders as a great investment for impact.
What exciting things are planned for Synergy for 2023?
We are laying the groundwork to pilot our stigma toolkit in Ukraine, and hopefully, one more location. We are proud of the work our multi-disciplinary team did on the stigma toolkit, and we are excited to test it out, obtain critical real world feedback, and refine it so that it can be used more broadly.
We are also looking forward to expanding our forensic medical documentation programme to Germany, where there is a large Syrian diaspora needing documentation and follow-up support and also where most of the universal jurisdiction actions to prosecute Syrian torture perpetrators are.
For people who want to make a year end donation to Synergy for Justice, what will their donation fund?
Donations made this holiday season will used to support:
- Community dialogues where women can present their needs and advocate for their rights.
- Legal and human rights awareness training for women.
- A women-led Syrian organisation to provide counselling to survivors of torture and sexual violence.
- Legal aid for survivors seeking asylum or refugee status outside of Syria.
- Mentoring sessions for Syrian women lawyers working to advance accountability for human rights violations.
- Mentoring for doctors who are documenting child cases of torture and sexual violence.
Your year-end donation is tax deductible, through our partner Chapel and York. Thank you in advance for your generosity as we work to elevate women, in Syria and other communities around the world.
Donate to Synergy for Justice-Chapel & York Foundation, Inc. (chapel-yorkusfoundation.org)