Survivor Connections is an initiative established by survivors of modern slavery in Australia in February 2023 in response to a critical need for peer connection and independent survivor advocacy.
Survivor Connections remains survivor-led and independent, ensuring that the voices and needs of survivors remain at the heart of our work.
In its formative phase,it became evident that effective advocacy could not be achieved while many of its members’ fundamental needs remained unmet by system responses to modern slavery. As a result, Survivor Connections shifted its focus towards providing peer support to address barriers, helping each other navigate complex service systems in long-term recovery journeys.
Building on a comprehensive evidence base from literature, lived experience insights, and reflective practice during its first two years of operation, Survivor Connections moved towards formalising its practices in order to ensure the safe, sustainable, ethical and effective delivery of peer support within antislavery responses. This formalisation has culminated in development of the “Relational Remedy: A Framework for Peer Support Framework for the Australian Antislavery Sector”
Survivor Connections has now entered a capacity building phase: Working towards registration as an Incorporated Association, the initiative is also further developing its operational procedures, and obtaining the professional development needed to formally deliver this Framework as a part of broader antislavery efforts in Australia.