Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, spoke of the motivations and goals of the organisation, Stand Speak Rise Up!, an initiative she founded and serves as president of. The video was posted on the official Instagram of the Grand Ducal Family and the Instagram page of Stand Speak Rise Up! as the first video of their Interview-Focus series which features conversations with their board of directors.
The Grand Duchess speaks of the founding of the association, which formed after a conference she hosted with the same name. The conference covered the topic of sexual violence in fragile environments and featured 50 victims and survivors of rape as a weapon of war. Maria Teresa said that she was “profoundly moved by these women, their courage, and their testimony.” She was so impacted by the conference that she felt it could not end with just a conference. She wanted to “continue to accompany them” and “continue the advocacy on their behalf.”
The Grand Duchess also spoke about the make up of the board of directors saying that they “share the same values and the same vision” but that they are a diverse group of individuals. She feels the diversity of the board is core to the success she hopes the association can achieve. She said that “the diversity of personalities and professional backgrounds give an enormous value to the cause we defend”.
Finally, she looked ahead to the future and the goals of the association. After the first few meetings, Maria Teresa is hopeful about what the association can accomplish. She said that she is “motivated by all the ideas and concrete decisions we have taken to help these women.” She outlined the board’s vision which includes two sides, one that focuses on sharing the stories and raising awareness for the issue of rape as a weapon of war and one that focuses on advocating for changes and initiatives to protect people and prevent the use of rape as a weapon of war.
More information about the organisation and its board can be found on the Stand Speak Rise Up! website.
