The Research and Support Center for Victims of Maltreatment

and Social Exclusion

2 G.Papandreu str.

45444, Ioannina

Hellas

Tel: +302.651.078810

Fax: +302.651.072378

email:

http://www.cvme.gr

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What about us

The Research and Support Center for Victims of Maltreatment and Social Exclusion (CVME), is a civil, non profit association , whose Statute has been legally published in the Instant Court of Justice of Ioannina with ref. no. 504/94. CVME is an independent, humanitarian, non governmental association.

Its targets are, the defense of human rights and the support of victims of maltreatment and social exclusion.

Background

In November 1994, 27 members established the Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims of Ioannina (RCTVI). This Center was established due to radical political developments, that were realized some years earlier, allowing, on one hand the collapse of the despotic established order of Balkan, and on the other hand the massive entrance of immigrants from neighbor countries, in Greece.

RCTVI’s target at that time, was the defense of human rights and the prevention of torture as well as every cruel, inhuman and humiliating treatment or penalty. The initiative for the establishment of RCTVI was then taken from Dr. Nikos Bilanakis , meanwhile a lot of help was given then, by the International Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims (IRCT).

Our activities have been progressively broadened since then, by adding to our targets the protection of all victims of maltreatment and social exclusion. From 1999, we changed, typically, our Center’ s name to Research and Support Center for Victims of Maltreatment and Social Exclusion. (CVME), modifying its statutional targets.

Publications from our centers' collaborators

1. N. Bilanakis (1992): Translation in Greek of the book "Contemporary approaches to the psychotherapy of torture victims", written by Peter Vesti and Inge Kamp Genefke. Psychiatric Notebooks, No 38:32-49.

2. N. Bilanakis (1994): "Personality features of the greek detainees: correlations with demographic and psychopathological indicators." Psychiatry, Vol.5, No 3-4: 151-161.

3. N. Bilanakis (1995): "State of mental health of detainees in greek prisons." Engephalos, No32:283-294.

4. N. Bilanakis (1995): "Medical Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims: a report on a sixmonth clinical work." Torture, Vol 6, No 3.

5. N. Bilanakis (1995): "Torture and Psychopathology" Psychiatric notebooks, 52: 60-68.

6. N. Bilanakis, E, Pappas, V, Baldic,M. Jokic (1996): "The state of the mental health of refugees of war in a Serbian refugee camp".Psychiatry Today,No 28, 1-2.

7. N. Bilanakis, E, Pappas, V. Baldic, M.Jokic (1997): "Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in a refugee camp in Serbia". Torture, Vol 7, No 1.

8. N. Bilanakis, E. Pappas (1997): "War refugees in concentration camps: The consequences of war in the mental health." Psychiatry, Vol 8, No 2:109-118.

9. N. Bilanakis, E. Pappas, M. Dinou (1998): "The impact of political suppression and torture on the second generation". Torture, Vol 8, No 1.

10. N.Bilanakis, D. Lecic-Tosevski, Dimitra B. Alexiou (1998): "Children of War hosted by Greek families for six months: The Effect of the Program on Children and Hosting Mothers." The European Journal of Psychiatry, 1999 accepted for publication.

Objectives

The statutional targets of CVME are:

The supply of medical, psychological, social and legal support to victims of torture and organized violence, victims of maltreatment and social exclusion.

The sensitization of the general population in human rights issues and the transmission of knowledge for the existence of the phenomena of violence and social exclusion, and the possibilities of coping with them.

The supply of humanistic assistance to populations that have been subjected to organized violence, tortures, maltreatment, social exclusion, not only in Greece but in other countries as well.

The carrying out of scientific researches on violence and torture, maltreatment and the phenomenon of social exclusion.

The contribution to the prevention of torture, maltreatment and social exclusion, through all the pre-mentioned targets

It is addressed to

CVME offers its services to those people or groups of people that have been subjected to violence, torture, maltreatment or social exclusion. Such people, for example could be:

o  immigrants and refugees(legal or illegal)

o  torture victims (ex political convicts)

o  women and children victims of domestic violence

o  victims of rape

o  victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation

o  Roma people

o  Beggar children

o  Homeless people

CVME, is also addressed to the general population aiming at the sensitization or/and its training in human rights issues, moreover its active participation in social dialogue.

Useful links from all over the world

International Center for Victims of Torture

www.irct.org

World Organization Against Torture

www.omct.org

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture

www.cpt.coe.int

Greek Helsinki Committee

www.greekhelsinki.gr

The Greek Ombudsman

www.synigoros.gr

UNHCR

www.unhcr.ch

UNICEF

www.unicef.gr

Greek Council for Refugees

www.gcr.gr

International Organization for Migration

www.iom.int

Hellenic Committee of Bioethics

www.bioethics.gr

Physicians for Human Rights (USA)

www.phrusa.org

Physicians for Human Rights (UK) www.dundee.ac.uk/med&humanrights/ssm/phr/home.html

Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry

www.geneva-initiative.org

Amnesty International

www.amnesty.org

Hellenic Red Cross

www.redcross.gr

Marangopoulos Fountation for Human Rights

www.mfhr.gr

Research Center for Equality Issues

www.kethi.gr

Medicines du Monde - Greece

www.mdmgreece.gr

Hamogelo Paidiou

www.hamogelo.gr

Anti-Slavery

www.antislavery.org

CAST

www.trafficked-women.org

La Strada - Ukraine

www.brama.com/lastrada/about.html

Miramed Institute

www.miramedinstitute.org

OSCE

www.osce.org

United Nations University

www.unu.edu

Universiteit Utrecht

www.law.uu.nl

The Danish Center for Human Rights

www.humanrights.dk

Academy for European Law

www.iue.it/AEL/agenda2000.htm

National University of Galway - Ireland

www.nuigalway.ie/index.php