SURVIVOR’S RESOLUTION
Multicultural Forum on Violence Against Women, Puerto Rico, July 2001.

Be it resolved that as survivors of domestic and sexual violence we pledge to:

• Create leadership from community of victims and survivors to develop policy and legislation;
• Identify funding sources to support the educational, technological, economic, and artistic empowerment of survivor leadership;
• Discontinue the use of preconceived and assumed notions of what victims need, and to include perspective of survivors and service providers;
• Respect the cultural diversity of people impacted by violence;
• Dispel the stereotyping of battered women;
• Actively advocate to revise the model of self-help when addressing the needs of immigrant and refugee populations;
• Include, ensure and increase cultural sensitivity training of staff working with diverse communities;
• Increase awareness of same race, same culture discrimination by emphasizing compassion and justice in service provision;
• "Look outside the box": stop referring to a rigid model of feminism to address the myriad complex needs of women;
• Make women's shelters safe, accessible and comfortable for the lesbian/bisexual/transgender community by eliminating homophobia through education of staff and clients;
• Create a holistic approach for providing comprehensive services for the multiple and complex needs of battered women;
• Identify clients as equals by acknowledging and honoring their experience as expertise in all aspects of service provision;
• Provide the staff support to create programs that empower victims and survivors.

Hereby affirmed and ratified as our resolution on this day, the 25th of July, 2001, at the Multicultural Forum on Violence Against Women in San Juan, Puerto Rico.