Dear Members and Friends,
We hope each and every one of you are having and continue to have a lovely summer. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read these Updates. The work you support is relentless and without respite.
1° Syria
Contexte :
Violence in the south of the country has claimed more than 200 lives, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (https://www.franceinfo.fr/monde/syrie/le-bilan-des-violences-dans-le-sud-de-la-syrie-s-alourdit-a-203-morts-selon-l-observatoire-syrien-des-droits-de-l-homme_7378999.html)
Amnesty International (30-7-25):
“Arbitrary assaults are being carried out against civilians belonging to minorities. In March, violence broke out against the Alawite community, causing there to be hundreds of victims, including many children. These people were targeted and cruelly killed by militias close to the government in northwestern Syria. Their families fled, traumatized. These bloody assaults are currently being repeated against minorities living in the south of the country. And new human rights violations are to be feared every day.”
In June, 45 children were accompanied by the team on site, including 14 newly admitted during the month. In July, 8 new babies were taken in, keeping the total at 45.
None of these families live in their own home due to lack of resources and/or because they have just emigrated into the area. More than half are hosted by their extended family.
The parents do not have real jobs; they take on any kind of work to earn an income. This infant is representative of the Syrian reality: she is the third child of a migrant family living in a rented house, with the father leaving every morning to search for work.
Once a week, the volunteer team is available to identify new cases of babies whose social conditions make them eligible for support. At every session without exception, there is a crowd of parents seeking to be registered on our waiting list.
2° Ukraine
n the East of the country: Below is a translation of the news received from our partner and friend, lawyer Gennady G., solid as a rock in pursuing our actions in Kharkiv despite the daily shelling carried out by the aggressor:
“We have completed the military criminal trial of the victim Svetlana K., who was raped by a Russian soldier, the young woman you met during your visit this year. The accused was found guilty by the court and sentenced to 12 years in prison. From now on, the Ukrainian judgment can be used as evidence to prosecute this crime before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
“Switzerland has chosen Kharkiv from amongst all the cities of Ukraine for reconstruction. A major problem in Kharkiv, as you know, is buildings with shattered windows caused by the bombings. Today, there are about 102,000 broken windows. With the help of Switzerland, 6,000 windows have already been repaired and the restoration work continues. The inhabitants of Kharkiv are very grateful to your country!”
In the West of Ukraine: translation of an excerpt of a report received from our long-standing partner in the Zhytomyr oblast, the association Avenir:
“Despite incessant bombings: prevention is a key element of the strategy to combat human trafficking. Its goal is to prevent people from falling into situations of exploitation by raising awareness, promoting safe behavior, and creating a protective environment.
Among effective preventive measures are:
- Conducting information and education campaigns with vulnerable groups of the population.
- Providing access to hotlines, consultations, information chatboxes, and using proven online resources.
- Implementing support programs aimed at employment, adaptation, psychological assistance, and social integration.
Conclusion: In wartime, preventing human trafficking is of particular importance as a tool for protecting human rights, preventing new cases of exploitation, and preserving human dignity and potential. It is important to continue developing preventive work in partnership with civil society, international organizations, and government agencies.
Preventive information activities “A person is not a commodity” to raise awareness among vulnerable segments of the population on combating human trafficking within the target audience; conferences, videoconferences, consultations – 423 people benefited from our actions in the first half of the year.”
3° Twenty-five years of work summed up in three minute !
Please watch the 3 minute video presented on the homepage of the site https://www.vivere.ch/.It It was nearly impossible to condense so many difficult projects, struggles, and moving human stories into a single clip. However, given the limitations of the format, we did our best to design a retrospective video which captures the public’s attention whilst showing the extent of the work for justice that still needs to be done.
4° Your reactions to these Updates ?
Whether critical, questioning, or positive, readers’ reactions to the monthly Updates are always important to us, and often enlightening. We take all comments on board. Below is a note we received from Georgette, a courageous Congolese woman who devoted her entire adult life to helping the most wounded over three continents.
We at Vivere strive to live up to Georgette’s praise.
From: Georgette
Sent: Tuesday 24 June 2025, 11:33
To: vivere contact@vivere.ch
Subject: Message of encouragement – VIVERE, an ode to resilience
Dear partners, colleagues and committed friends,
In a world frequently shaken by chaos in many forms — where discouragement threatens and resignation tempts — there are forces that do not bend. VIVERE is one of them.
Because as long as there remains a life, a breath, a will to rise again and move forward, VIVERE stands tall, neither retreating nor capitulating. At every step taken toward the light, Vivere inscribes a trace of eternity. This embodies that silent yet tenacious struggle, the struggle of life that defies disorder and dances, with courage, its own victory.
May each of you find in these words an echo of your own struggle, and the strength to continue building, hoping, and living to the full.
Courage to all those who move forward, despite everything.
With solidarity and respect,
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Sr Marjorie Georgette, Franciscan Missionary of Mary
Thank you for your support which has allowed this movement to work for twenty-five years in service of the most unjustly endangered human causes.
Sincerely,
The Vivere Committee
TO SUPPORT OUR ACTIONS
Vivere, 7 av. d’Yverdon, C.H.1004 Lausanne, contact@vivere.ch, www.vivere.ch
IBAN CH82 0076 7000 Z099 5652 9
Human Rights Prize of the French Republic, special mention, 2007
Member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and of Fedevaco
Non-profit association governed by articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code,
politically and confessionally independent,
recognized as being of pure public utility
Since its creation in 1999, Vivere has been driven solely by volunteers. With no costly fundraising or marketing mechanisms, no salaries or rents to cover, our administrative costs remain below 2%. This austere management of the movement is only possible thanks to your solidarity.