Our vision

INOVAS strives for a world in which victims and survivors of serious human rights abuses can attain substantive justice so that their dignity is recognised and their agency validated in the struggle to end cycles of violence, human rights abuses and impunity. 

Guatemala, National Day for Victims, February 2020.

The word “victim” is often used to connote passivity or weakness, however INOVAS’ members see victims and survivors as empowered actors with first-hand experience, knowledge and expertise to achieve justice and accountability, and to end impunity for perpetrators of violence and human rights abuses.

Led by victims and survivors, INOVAS links organisations, groups and individuals from across the world—regardless of their colour, race, religion or belief, culture, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or ethnic origin—and aims to provide victims and survivors with a platform to allow their voices as claim-making agents to be heard, facilitating exchanges and reinforces solidarity between victims and survivors worldwide. The network advocates for their rights, and helps to strengthen their participation in national, regional and international processes related to justice, human rights, social change and peace.

Nowadays, it is often said that victims must be at the centre of accountability and transitional justice efforts to ensure their long-term success. And yet, survivors’ experiences demonstrate their participation in justice processes remains very limited. This is also backed up by recent evidence: six case studies from recent transitional justice experiences (in Burundi, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya and Tunisia) tell us the same story. Even though victim participation is becoming something of a mantra in the mainstream conversation around transitional justice, this has not always translated into concrete action—let alone results. 

With that in mind, INOVAS was founded. Members share the belief that it should be rooted in local contexts: to move away from top-down, expert-led transitional justice processes and instead directly involve survivors seeking horizontal power structures.

Starting in 2019, INOVAS members collaboratively agreed upon a founding charter for the network that outlines its mission, vision, pledges and objectives.

Banner Photo Credit: Impunity Watch