Common Threads Project
Vesna Golic serves as the Executive Director and previously as Deputy Director at Common Threads Project since November 2022, after holding the position of Senior Advisor for Strategy from September 2021 to July 2022. As an Independent Consultant since September 2015, Vesna has worked on capacity development for local partner organizations with UNHCR Malaysia and contributed to resource mobilization for Common Threads Project, focusing on psychological recovery for women affected by SGBV. From February 2008 to December 2013, Vesna was the Community Development Team Leader at Companion House, engaging with diverse communities in Africa and Asia. Earlier experience includes serving as Director of Grupa 484 from April 2000 to October 2006, leading this Belgrade-based organization founded by refugees through significant structural changes. Vesna holds a Master's degree in Social Studies, specializing in International Development, from RMIT University.
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Common Threads Project
Common Threads offers a psychosocial recovery program for women who have survived gender-based violence, war, and displacement. In many cultures when women have faced unspeakable atrocities, they've come together to share their experiences, to support one another, and to sew their stories onto cloth as a means to find their way out of despair. Common Threads gathers women to sew story cloths and recover from trauma together, integrating contemporary evidence-based trauma treatment with traditional practices that have enabled communities to promote healing and resilience. Common Threads -builds community capacity to provide psychosocial support for survivors of violence -develops culturally responsive interventions in collaboration with local partners -integrates traditional practices with contemporary trauma treatments -promotes survivors’ strengths rather than treating their “pathology" -empowers participants as they make their way from victims to survivors to agents of change In 2012, Common Threads’ pilot project was established in Lago Agrio, Ecuador, in collaboration with UNHCR and local partners Taller de Communicacion de Mujer and The Women’s Federation of Sucumbios. In 2014 we partnered with TPO Nepal and UNHCR to establish Common Threads Nepal, serving Bhutanese and Pakistani refugee women in Damak and Kathmandu. An additional project was launched in Bosnia in 2016, in urban and rural settings in and around Zenica, Tuzla, and Bihać. Our most recent expansion is in Democratic Republic of the Congo, in partnership with the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation and Panzi Hospital.