DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture

DIGNITY is a Danish human rights and development organization fighting for a world without torture. For more than 40 years, DIGNITY has been a driving civil society force in the global fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

In addition to our work in Denmark, DIGNITY works in more than 20 countries worldwide in close partnerships with human rights defenders, civil society organisations and, where possible, local authorities. In our international programmes, we pursue three core objectives: to prevent torture and other forms of violence, to strengthen access to timely and quality rehabilitation to survivors, and to pursue justice for survivors of torture and accountability for perpetrators

DIGNITY’s modus operandi is the human rights-based approach to development work. We work in close partnership with civil society organisations to strengthen local capacities to document torture and ill-treatment, conduct advocacy, and deliver trauma-informed Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services and other relevant support to survivors.

DIGNITY has had partnership engagements in Ukraine since 2019. Since February 2022, DIGNITYs primary focus has been on extending its network to human rights organizations engaged in documenting international crimes in the context of the war and monitoring places of detention and strengthening access to trauma-informed MHPSS to survivors.

Currently activities of our partners are focused on provision of mental health and psychosocial support, provision of legal assistance, development of referral network, conducting training on mental health issues for CSOs and public authorities, establishment of victim support centers in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy and Mykolaiv, provision of legal and psychological aid to victims of war crimes, development of trauma-informed approach in the work with victims; strengthening of partners’ capacities in terms of documentation of war crimes direct and indirect monitoring of places of detention. DIGNITY works with numerous civil society organisations and human rights organisations, with activities primarily focused on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy – regions.