Our Survivor-Centred Practice
Survivor Advisory Group
Korea Future is in the process of formalising its Survivor Advisory Group. This initiative was created to ensure that North Korean survivors play a pivotal role in shaping our decisions concerning documentation, justice, and accountability interventions. The Survivor Advisory Group acknowledges survivors not merely as 'victims,' but as individuals with expertise and a right to decide on their involvement in the justice movement.
This approach aims to challenge conventional power dynamics, fostering a sense of empowerment that can shape effective interventions and be supportive of their rehabilitation. By offering survivors meaningful agency, we build on Korea Future’s commitment to survivor-centred and trauma-informed practices, positioning survivors at the core of our efforts.
Survivor-Centred Approach
Responsiveness
A survivor-centred practice to justice and accountability interventions requires consulting with survivors and being responsive to their needs and priorities. To do this effectively, we work to understand the survivor’s expectations and recognise any existing or potential trauma.Accountability and Feedback
A survivor-centred practice provides survivors with information about how their data will be used and incorporates their feedback into future practices to ensure our work remains sustainable and responsive to evolving survivor needs.Safety and Confidentiality
A survivor-centred practice respects confidentiality and informed consent. Obtaining clear, informed consent from survivors before collecting, utilising, or sharing their testimony or data, and allowing them to withdraw consent at any point is paramount, ensuring their safety and well-being.Survivor Participation
A survivor-centred practice aims to foster active participation in justice interventions, making these processes reparative and empowering for survivors when conducted meaningfully, appropriately, and promptly.Trauma-Informed Approach
A survivor-centred practice requires investigators to work compassionately and with cultural sensitivity, adhering to the principle of "do no harm." This necessitates training and expertise, including an understanding of the impact of trauma and how it may manifest.