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Luxembourg

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa launches Speak, Stand, Rise Up! association

Earlier this week, it was announced that Grand Duchess Maria Teresa had launched the Speak, Stand, Rise Up! association following the successful Speak, Stand, Rise Up! international forum she organised in Luxembourg last March. The association aims to fight against rape as a weapon of war and put an end to sexual violence in sensitive areas.

In a video released to officially launch the association, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa said: ” It is with great joy that I announce the creation of the Stand, Speak, Rise Up! association following the Luxembourg Forum which was very successful. Survivors of rape as a weapon of war were at the heart of this forum and it was the first time that we were giving them the chance to speak on such a stage. We want to continue working for them and defend their cause with this association, with a think tank and a do tank that will allow us to help them better in their reconstruction. I thank you all for joining us on this journey.”

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa has been very involved in the fight against the use of rape as a weapon of war and she worked closely with Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mugwebe and NGO We Are Not Weapons Of War to organise an international forum in Luxembourg that would mainly focus on the victims and their stories.

Following the forum, she visited follow-up projects in June, including an exhibition of photographs showing the important moments of the conference. During her visit, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa had also inaugurated a wall for signatures that was opened to the public until 19 September. In June, she also launched the white paper of the conference which highlighted the important moments of the conference as well as the Grand Duchess’s appeal to fight against the use of rape as a weapon of war.