Melinda Quintero is associate faculty with the RRU School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, teaching courses on globalization and regenerative tourism. As project manager for the VCST, she works closely with local partners to build a community of support for survivors.
The Living Experience of Trauma Survivors in Our Community: Role-Playing Systemic Barriers to Build Coalitions
Co-facilitating with Álvaro Moreno
To someone living with the after-effects of complex trauma, such as torture or systemic violence, the seemingly simple task of accessing community services can be daunting. Through immersive role-play, workshop attendees experience barriers to accessing community services as a survivor of systemic trauma or torture. This empathy-building workshop demonstrates why intersectional, trauma-informed perspectives are essential for building strong, equitable communities. Guided by facilitators from the Victoria Coalition for Survivors of Torture (VCST), attendees will map community networks to identify systemic service gaps and explore VCST’s coalition-building strategies to strengthen cross-sector connections. Attendees learn how empathetic coalition-building expands community-based work and leave with strategies to apply within their own organizations and communities.