Basic Statutes of Incorporation | Strategic Plan | WSV Structure | Executive Committee |
Committees and Chairs | Laureates and Presidents | Affiliated Organizations

Committee Structure and Chairs of the WSV

The Committees of the World Society of Victimology presently include the:

1. Awards Committee
2. Budget Committee
3. International Courses on Victimology and Victim Assistance Committee
4. Membership Committee
5. Public Relations and Communications Committee
   
6. Policy and Program Committee
7. Publications Committee
8. Research Committee
9. Symposium International Advisory Board
10. UN Liason Committee
11. Victim Services Committee
12. Website Committee

Please contact the chair of the committee you would like to work with. You find the name and the address of the chair under each committee's text.

I. Awards Committee

 

Objectives

• To promote awareness of the awards conferred by the Society;
• To encourage nominations from the membership of the Society;
• To recommend to the Executive Committee candidates to be honored by the Society.

Tasks

• To ensure that the membership understands and values the various awards which are available from the WSV;
• To give good notice of the dates by which nominations should be received and to promote the active involvement of the membership;
• On behalf of the President to assess the nominations and to obtain any additional information which may be required;
• To provide a report to the Executive Committee about all candidates who have been nominated and to make recommendations as follows:
• One candidate for the Hans von Hentig award, normally for each symposium;
• Candidates for the Certificate of Appreciation as often as deemed appropriate;
• Candidates for Approved Honorary Membership as often as deemed appropriate;
• To establish a sub-committee to manage and to adjudicate the triennial student paper competition.

Frequency

 

The Committee will meet each year at the meeting of the Executive Committee and will otherwise conduct its business by e-mail. Recommendations for the Executive Committee’s final decision will be made at the meeting of the Executive Committee which precedes the triennial Symposium.

Membership

The Committee will consist of four members of the Executive Committee, the Chair, The President, the Secretary General and one other member. Delegation: All work undertaken by the Committee shall be regarded as delegated by the Executive Committee or, where specific powers are conferred by the constitution, by the President.

Accountability

The full Executive Committee will make all final decisions on awards.

Chair
Prof. Dr. K. Chockalingam
Professor of  Victimology & Criminology
Tokiwa International Victimology Institute (TIVI) & Graduate School of Victimology
Tokiwa University
1-430-1, Miwa
Mito-shi, Ibaraki-ken
310-8585 Japan
Phone: + 81-29-232-2799
Fax: +81-29-232-2522
Email:  profkcindia@yahoo.com or profkc@tokiwa.ac.jp

 

 

II. Budget Committee

Objectives

• To establish a three-year budget plan that identifies a proposed budget for the work of the Society.

Tasks

• To develop a comprehensive budget for presentation and agreement to the Executive Committee in the year following each symposium;
• To monitor all income and expenditure and to recommend to the Executive Committee any necessary changes;
• To arrange and to oversee the triennial audit report and to present this to the Committee;
• To work with the hosts of the next symposium and to assist them in the development and monitoring of the symposium budget.

Frequency

The Committee will meet after its appointment at the Symposium by the new EC and again between the last meeting of the old Executive Committee and before the first meeting of the new Executive Committee at the next Symposium. The Committee will also meet by e-mail or by electronic conference each year to be given copies of the yearly Treasurer’s Report prior to each EC meeting between symposia, for the purpose of reviewing and, if necessary, revising the budget.

Membership

This Committee will be chaired by the Treasurer, and will include four other members, of whom at least one will be a member of the Executive Committee. The Chair and General secretary are ex-officio members of the Committee.

Levels of Delegation

The Treasurer will provide the Committee a copy of income and expenditures for the previous three years at each symposium to assist the committee in developing the budget. The Committee will, at its meeting at the Symposium, review the budget and Treasurer’s Report and prepare the initial budget for the new Executive Committee.

 

Accountability

The Treasurer will report to the EC at each EC meeting.

Chair
Prof. Dr. Paul C. Friday
Professor of Criminal Justice
Department of Criminal Justice
University of North Carolina - Charlotte -
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte NC 28223-001
USA
Phone: +1-704-687-4776
Fax: +1-704-687-3349
E-mail: pfriday@uncc.edu

 

 

III. International Courses on Victimology and Victim Assistance Committee

Objectives

• To develop and to maintain guidelines and standards which must be adhered to by any body providing a course which uses the name and logo of the WSV;
• To act as a resource, providing advice and information to other providers of courses on victimology or victim assistance.

Tasks

• To collect data about existing courses and to prioritise the various types of courses which will require guidelines and standards;
• To develop a three-year workplan based on the information above;
• To establish a working definition for victimology and for victim assistance for use in establishing guidelines and standards for courses on victimology and victim assistance;
• To review and evaluate current curricula that are being used for training or educating victimologists and victim assistance professionals and to make them accessible to others, possibly through the WSV website;
• To work, in conjunction with the Victim Services Committee, to identify trainers and educators who are qualified to deliver courses on victimology and victim assistance.

Frequency

It is expected that this Committee will meet a minimum of twice each year, either through face-to-face, bu e-mail or telephone consultations. At least one meeting each year should take place in conjunction with the WVS’s annual meeting of the Executive Committee, and at least once every three years a face-to-face meeting should take place in conjunction with the triennial symposium.

Membership

This Committee will have up to 12 members, of whom the Chair and at least one other will be members of the Executive Committee. It is the intention that the membership will provide representation from all parts of the world. All members should have substantial experience of designing and presenting educational and training programmes in victimology or victim assistance.

Levels of Delegation

The Committee’s duties should be restricted to recommending guidelines and standards for sources or curricula to the Executive Committee for final endorsement. Once these guidelines and standards are endorsed, they will be disseminated to all appropriate organisations.

Accountability

This Committee will provide a formal report to the Executive Committee at each of its annual meetings.

Chair
Dussich, John P.J., Professor PhD.
Professor of Victimology
Department of Criminology
California State University Fresno
2576 East San Ramon Ave. M/S ST 104,
Fresno, California
USA, 93740-8039
Phone: (559) 278-6046
Fax: (559) 278-7265
jdussich@csufresno.edu
Director, Tokiwa International Victimology Institute (TIVI), Mito, Japan

 

 

IV. Membership Committee

Objectives

• To attract and retain the membership of the key academics, service providers and policy makers who are currently involved in Victimology.

Tasks

• To develop strategies and mechanisms both to recruit new members and to retain existing members;
• To work closely with the Public Relations Committee on all
• strategies which involve the publication of promotional materials;
• To recruit a panel of regional and cultural membership ambassadors who will advise on and promote recruitment within their own sectors;
• To maintain, publish and distribute the promotional brochure of the WSV and to consider and, where possible, implement any agreed priorities for translation.

Frequency

The Committee will meet at least once every three years at the triennial Symposium. Web or telephone conferences will be held at least once in each intervening year. E-mail consultations will take place in relation to specific dates or events requiring committee action.

Membership

The Chair will be one of the four Vice Presidents. S/he will have at least six years’ experience as a full member of the Society. Between 2-5 additional members will be appointed, of whom at least one will be a member of the Executive Committee, in addition to the President and the General Secretary who sit as ex-officio members of the Committee. The panel of membership ambassadors will be selected to represent the regions not already represented on the Committee. Panel members will be unlimited in number and will not be full members of the Committee.

Levels of Delegation

The strategies which are proposed for the recruitment and retention of members of the Society will be presented to the next available meeting of the Executive Committee for consultation.

All activities which may involve expenditure must be approved in advance by the Executive Committee or, in emergencies, by the officers of the Society.

Where no additional costs will accrue to the Society, the Committee will have the authority, following consultation with the Public Relations Committee, to place recruitment advertisements
in approved publications, web-sites and circulars.

Accountability

The chair will prepare a report on progress for each annual meeting of the Executive Committee.

Where any activities of the Committee involve approved expenditure, full accounts must be provided to the treasurer, together with related receipts, at the earliest opportunity.

Chair
Hilf, Prof. Dr. Marianne
Institut für Strafrecht, Strafprozessrecht und Kriminologie
Universitätsstrasse 15/B 3  A - 8010 Graz
Universität Graz
Phone: (0316) 380-6668 oder -3350
Fax: 0043 316 380-9448
E-mail: marianne.hilf@uni-graz.at

 

V. Public Relations & Communications Committee

Objectives

• To develop and implement a strategy for the promotion of the WSV;
• To ensure that all public statements about the World Society of Victimology reflect the stated objectives of the Society;
• To promote the WSV through international, regional and national media;
• To respond to all external requests for information about the WSV.

Tasks

• To conduct a thorough review of all WSV publications, to ensure that they convey a consistent corporate image;
• To prepare periodic press releases;
• To ensure timely and accurate responses to initiatives from government and non-governmental organizations;
• To distribute the WSV brochure to the widest number of persons in the world to increase the awareness of our Society;
• To establish and to maintain a sub-committee to manage the WSV website;
• To develop guidelines for other members of the WSV who plan to issue press releases or to be interviewed by the press or media.

Frequency

This Committee will meet at least once every three years at the Society’s Symposium and conduct a conference call at least once each year during non-symposium years. E-mail and/or mail correspondence will be conducted on an as needed basis.

Membership

The Chair and at least one other member will be a members of the Executive Committee. Two other members will be appointed by the Executive Committee and two further members may be co-opted. The selection of the co-opted members will be based on either a special skill or knowledge or because they reside in an region of the world where a special need exists to disseminate the WSV message. Every effort will be made to select members who have experience or skills in public relations work. The President and Secretary General will be ex-officio members of the Committee.

Levels of Delegation

The Committee may take action regarding public statements which are clearly within the policies of the Society. Any decisions in respect of new issues will, if time permits, be presented to the Executive Committee by e-mail and approved before being acted upon. If time does not permit, approval for statements on new issues must be obtained from the President and the Secretary General.

The Committee must be sensitive to the activities of the other committees of the WSV and consult the relevant chairs of committees as appropriate

Accountability

The Chair will report on activities and new issues arising to the Executive Committee at each annual meeting of the Committee.

Chair

Lima, María de la Luz, Prof. Dr. jur.
Professor of Criminal Law
University of México
Professor of  Victimology & Criminology
National Institute of Penal Science
Estocolmo 1912 No 65 Colonia Olímpica
Coyoacán, México DF, 04700m Mexico
Alternative address:
Minister of Political Affairs  
Mexican Embassy
16 Saint George Street. W1S IFD London UK
Phone:  +44-(0)2079079443  
Email: public.rcc@gmail.com

 

 

VI. Policy and Program Committee

Objectives

• Recommendations for and preparation of new policies and structures to facilitate the activities of the Society.

Tasks

• To recommend amendments to the Basic Statute of Incorporation; To maintain and update the Procedures Manual;
• To maintain Terms of Reference for the committees of the Society.

Frequency

E-mail consultation with members of the Committee or with the Executive Committee.

Membership

The Chair will be a Vice- President of the Society. The President and Secretary General, ex-officio, will be the other members of the Committee.

Levels of Delegation

All final decisions will be made by the full Executive Committee or, in the case of constitutional amendments, the General Membership.

Accountability

The Committee will have no powers to make final decisions

Chair
O'Connell, Michael
Commissioner for Victims' Rights
GPO Box 464, Adelaide, SA, 5001
South Australia
Phone: +61 +8 82071969
Facsimile: +61 +8 82071736
E-mail: oconnell.michael@agd.sa.gov.au

 

 

VII. Publications Committee

Objectives

• To make recommendations for the priorities and policy of the WSV concerning all relevant publications.

Tasks

• To evaluate the WSV newsletter “The Victimologist” , and to make recommendations on how to proceed with this publication in the future.
• The Membership Directory has not been published since 2001. The Committee will evaluate the need to re-introduce this publication and make recommendations for the future.
• Presently, the WSV does not have a journal. The Committee will make recommendations regarding the need for a scientific journal.

Frequency

Communication between members will take place by e-mail.

Membership

The Committee will be chaired by a member of the Executive Committee and will have up to 6 members. Members should have experience and/or affinity with publications and be able to communicate in English.

Level of Delegation

The Committee will make recommendations, which will be submitted to the Executive Committee for decisions to be made. Communication with the Executive Committee will be by e-mail whenever required between Executive Committee meetings.

Accountability

The Committee will submit an annual report to the Executive Committee prior to its annual meeting.

Chair
O'Connell, Michael
Commissioner for Victims' Rights
GPO Box 464, Adelaide, SA, 5001
South Australia
Phone: +61 +8 82071969
Facsimile: +61 +8 82071736
E-mail: oconnell.michael@agd.sa.gov.au

 

 

VIII. Research Committee

Objectives

• To advance victimological research throughout the world; To encourage interdisciplinary and comparative work in this field.

Tasks

• To identify a definition of victimology;
• To develop a research agenda for all issues related to victims;
• To develop or to evaluate new methods of victimological research;
• To encourage new research in this area;
• To identify and to promote funding for victimological research.
• To provide the means of exchanging relevant research findings;
• To disseminate the findings of relevant research.

Frequency

The Committee will aim to meet once each year. When this is not possible, meetings will be organized by telephone or electronic conference.

Membership

The Chair will be a member of the Executive Committee. A minimum of five additional members will be appointed who are full members in good standing of the WSV. The Committee may co-opt up to three additional members; The President and the General Secretary will sit ex-officio.

Levels of delegation

All findings and reports of the committee will be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval prior to publication.

Accountability

The Chair will report annually to the Executive Committee on all activities carried out, progress made and any future plans.

Chair
Prof. Dr. Frans Willem Winkel
INTERVICT
Tilburg University
PO Box  90153
5000 LE Tilburg
The Netherlands
E-Mail:F.W.Winkel@uvt.nl

 

 

IX. Symposium International Advisory Board - Terms of Reference

Objectives

• To support the work of the host Organising Committee; To assist in the planning of the Symposium programme; To promote attendance at the Symposium;
• To provide advice to the Organising Committee on the promotion, general arrangements, and social events of the Symposium
• between meetings of the Executive Committee;
• To provide continuity from one Symposium to the next.

Tasks

• To receive draft proposals from the Organising Committee on the general arrangements for the Symposium and to provide consultation and agreement on behalf of the Executive Committee between meetings of the Executive Committee;
• To work with the Organising Committee to consider the recruitment of local and international patrons to assist with the promotion of the symposium;
• To propose to the Executive Committee the main topics to be included, the structure of the programme and the plenary speakers; To confirm the members of the Scientific Committee who are proposed by the Organising Committee and to provide at least three members of the Advisory Board from countries other than the host;
• To develop criteria for the acceptance and rejection of papers to be applied by the Scientific Committee and to agree in advance the papers which will be rejected;
• To agree the publication of promotional materials, notices and advertisements for the Symposium on behalf of the Executive Committee;
• To ensure that lessons learned in previous Symposia are recorded and made available to future hosts;
• To take action to promote attendance at the Symposium particularly within members’ own geographical regions and amongst colleagues in their own area of expertise;
• To recommend to the Executive Committee the name/s of suitable people to edit the final publication of the Symposium proceedings.

Frequency

The Committee will normally be consulted be e-mail, post or telephone on any advice or decisions which are needed. The Chair of the Committee and other members who are available will meet with the Organising Committee at least once each year, normally in the context of a meeting of the Executive Committee which will be held at least once during the three-year cycle in the host country.

Membership

In addition to the President and the Secretary General (who sit as ex officio members), the committee will consist of six members of whom at least three, including the Chair and the representative of the Organising Committee will be members of the Executive Committee.

In addition there will be provision for up to three co-options.

Members will be appointed to represent the main geographical regions, professional groupings and areas of interest within the WSV.

In accordance with the Constitution of the WSV members will be “persons who have distinguished themselves by contributions in the field of Victimology”. All members should have access to effective communication systems within their own geographical region or area of expertise — e.g. websites or newsletters.

Delegation and Accountability

All decisions and advice particularly in relation to the publication of promotional materials will be made in accordance with the policies established by the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee will make all final decisions on the programme for the Symposium, including the plenary speakers.

The Advisory Board in cooperation with the Organising Committee will decide the workshop speakers, panel presentations and displays.

Members will report to the Chair on all actions they have taken to promote attendance at the Symposium.

Any issues which arise which are not covered by existing policies will be referred to the Executive Committee for e-mail consultation prior to any decision being made.

The Chair will report annually to the Executive Committee on all activities carried out by the committee, progress made and any future plans.

The Executive Committee will be circulated regularly with the information and materials they will need to contribute to the promotion of the Symposium.

Chair
Hidemichi Morosawa
Chair, Tokiwa School Foundation
Professor of  Victimology
Tokiwa Graduate School of Victimology
1 430 1 Miwa
Mito  shio
Ibaraki ken
Japan 3108585
E-mail:morosawa@tokiwa.ac.jp

 

 

X. The United Nations Liaison Committee

Objectives:

To spearhead the involvement of the WSV in UN activities, by:

1. Representing the WSV at the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and related inter-regional meetings by emphasizing the importance of victim related issues;
2. Planning involvement of the WSV at UN Congresses on Crime Prevention and Treatment of Offenders to make sure that the victims issues are adequately dealt with;
3. Monitoring and participating in activities of other UN bodies wherever possible,, such as the UN Human Rights Commission, UNICEF, UN Habitat;
4. Cooperating and working with other NGOs that focus on victim issues for both adults and children.

Tasks:

1. To share information on UN activities with the WSV membership through:
1. articles for the Victimologist, the WSV website and similar communication tools
2. iaising with the International Victimology Website to foster access to the UN publications relating to Victimology
3. fostering presentations and workshops at WSV Symposia and courses on UN activities
4. providing or promoting academic papers and publications.


2. To develop a priority list of issues to keep in the forefront of discussions and actions including, but not limited to:
• the implementation of the UN victims´ fund,
• promoting the availability of the UN Handbook and Guide in all official UN languages,
the use of the Handbook and Guide in courses,
• harnessing Victimological knowledge in UN policy making, and issues relating to the victimization of children and youth, (particularly in view of the UNICEF summit on a World Fit for Children)

Frequency

The Committee will communicate through e-mail or electronic meetings whenever materials and information are forthcoming from the UN and other NGOs on issues of direct interest to the World Society of Victimology and in the interests of Victims and/or Victim Services.

Membership

The Chair of the Committee will be a member of the Executive Committee who is a person of international reputation and with United Nations experience and contact. The President and SG will be ex-officio members of the Committee. Up to four other members in good standing of the WSV will be appointed as members of the Committee. Appointed members must be able to travel to Vienna or other venues without compensation from WSV.

Levels of Delegation

The Chair will conduct an e-mail consultation with all members of the Executive Committee whenever new policy issues are under consideration by the UN and these issues will be included in the agenda of the next available agenda of the EC. Following consultation, the committee is delegated to represent the views of the WSV to the UN. The Chair is responsible for disseminating information to the committee in a timely manner regarding future meetings and agenda. Since communication is often directed to the Secretary General, it is the responsibility of the SG to immediately communicate with the Chair of the International Liaison Committee all notices, requests for participation etc. The International Liaison Chair will delegate responsibilities as necessary.

Chair
Groenhuijsen, Marc S.
Prof. Dr. jur.
Director INTERVICT
Intervict, Tilburg University
P.O. Box 90153
5000 LE Tilburg
The Netherlands
Phone: +31.13.466.2254
E-mail: m.s.groenhuijsen@uvt.nl

 

 

XI. Victim Services Committee

Objectives

• To develop a knowledge base for training and technical assistance based on the International Declaration on the Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power endorsed by the United Nations in 1985.

Tasks

• To develop a database of victim services that can be used to refer victims for service in
• countries where victim service programs or providers do exist;
• To establish training and technical assistance that will help countries develop victim service programs where they are not currently available;
• To promote the use of the relevant UN handbooks on services to victims;
• To promote and encourage relevant institutions and agencies – e.g. Human Rights Commissions – to monitor the availability and standards of services for victims;
• To review new publications relating to victim services to be included in the international bibliography on victimology that is hosted by the Tokiwa International Victimology Institute in cooperation with the World Society of Victimology;
• To assist with the promotion of workshops relating to the practical implementation of victim services throughout the world at the International Symposium on Victimology;
• To establish a list-serve for existing services.

Frequency

The Committee will meet primarily through e-mail or electronic conference at least twice each year. A full meeting will be convened at each symposium.

Membership

The Committee will have up to nine members, including the Chair who will be a Vice-President of the WSV, and at least one other Executive Committee member. Six will be appointed by the Executive Committee and up to three will be co-opted. The selection of members will be based on geo-cultural considerations.

It is expected that all committee members will have a comprehensive understanding of victimology and victim assistance.

Levels of Delegation

The committee will be given full delegation for developing the data base for international victim services. In developing training and technical assistance curricula, intervention or consultation for countries requesting assistance, the committee will be expected to bring any proposed plans and materials to the Executive Committee for approval.

Accountability

The committee will be expected to report annually to the Executive Committee on all its activities, particularly those which have involved intervention, consultation or support for other countries. If funding is requested for a specific project, the Executive Committee will expect quarterly reports on the expenditure of such funding.

Chair
Ren, Xin, Prof. Ph.D.
Professor of Criminology
Criminal Justice Division
California State University Sacramento
6000 J Street
Sacramento, California
USA
Phone: +1-916-278-6381
Fax: +1-916-278-7692
E-mail: renx@csus.edu

 

Va. The Website Committee

Objectives

• To manage the website of the World Society of Victimology.
• Tasks: To determine the content, technical design and visual design of the website;
• To ensure that all agreed design changes are implemented;
• To manage all web-based activities and publications and to ensure that the content and quality are consistent with the policies and standards of the WSV.

Accountability

The Committee is accountable to the Executive Committee for all work undertaken.

Chair
Wemmers, JoAnne, Prof.Dr.
University of Montreal
School of Criminology
International Center for Comparative Criminology
P.O.Box 6128, Station Centre Ville
Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7
Canada
Phone: +1-514-343-6111 post 4864
Fax: +1-514-343-5650
E-mail: jo-anne.m.wemmers@umontreal.ca