Tens of thousands of people lose their lives to war each year, but most are never properly identified or documented. Without accurate information about their loved one's fate, families are left desperate for answers. This project will provide local organisations working in 4 conflict zones with the specialised training and resources they need to document casualties effectively, safely and with dignity. This will help ensure every life lost is accounted for, and every family's grief is respected.
When victims of war are not identified, documented and acknowledged, they leave behind a gap which only grows with time. Grieving families are left searching for answers, sometimes for generations. Whole communities are erased from history and buried by silence. War criminals cannot be prosecuted effectively; societies cannot learn from the lessons of their past. Despite the vital importance of accurate casualty records, in most conflicts there are no official efforts to document the victims.
This project will provide training, resources, and expert support to civil society organisations in four conflict-affected countries, to help them document casualties effectively and safely. This will help ensure that there is a reliable and lasting record of the lives lost in these contexts. Support will focus on strengthening capacity in the key areas of methodology, safety, and data security. We will apply the same training model we have used successfully elsewhere, including in Ukraine.
The project will ensure that local organisations in four conflict-affected countries have the skills and capacity they need to document casualties safely and sustainably, for as long as is necessary. These records will provide a robust evidence base for thousands of families seeking answers. They may also assist future criminal prosecutions and memorialisation initiatives.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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