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The Coalition for Work
With Psychotrauma and Peace Previous Newsletters
15 July, 2004
While some physical reconstruction continues, there have been no new efforts toward work on health, psychological trauma, reconciliation or reintegration. The few local and international organizations in the region continue to fight for their daily existence. We continue to make progress with the eight groups and five patients we are assisting. We are being asked to do a great deal more. The first piece of land for the site has been recovered. A new paper on the theoretical aspects of the Institute has been written by Kat Sohn. On Sunday, 28 March, 2004, the Jewish Community of Osijek, together with the CWWPP, held a pre-Passover Celebration in Vukovar. On 26 June, 2004, in commemoration of the World Day for the Support of the Victims of Torture, the CWWPP held a one day seminar on the treatment of the victims of torture for local professionals. Inter-Varsity, a Protestant university group from the USA, visited the CWWPP from 10-12 July. The group included about 30 students and their leaders from all parts of the USA. The Dutch radio organization the VPRO broadcast a 40 minute program by the journalist Guido Spring on the CWWPP and Vukovar on 13 July. Another Dutch radio organisation Teleac Radio broadcast a 6 minute report in their program Hoe?Zo! on the CWWPP and the Institute in Vukovar on 15 July. A multi-ethnic group of painters, sculptors and other creative persons has formed in Vukovar and held their first exhibition on Sunday, 11 July. Elizabeth Fearon is currently spending eight weeks with the CWWPP working on a project examining the process of the Field Institute for Post-Conflict Studies/Vukovar Synagogue Center Project. Problems in funding have caused the loss of two CWWPP personnel. Two new persons have joined the team. The loss of two staff members on the grounds of inadequate funding to pay them and the constant month-to-month shoestring existence of the CWWPP and other organizations in this region has led us to make an urgent call for core funding.
FULL TEXT OF THE UPDATE THE SITUATION IN THE REGION [go to top] Unfortunately, the situation in the region remains bleak. While some physical reconstruction continues, there have been no new efforts toward work on health, psychological trauma, reconciliation or reintegration. The few local and international organizations in the region continue to fight for their daily existence. The CWWPP is in the same position (see below). To be clear the problems we are facing include: - virtually no psychotherapy or counseling available to any group – ex-soldiers, youth, women, elderly, civilian victims of war. The only therapy that exists is medicinal. - rising rates of suicide and domestic violence. -
virtually no efforts aimed at reconciliation. In this, despite programs that have been spoken of highly, the CWWPP and other organizations feel powerless because of lack of resources and lack of political support locally or internationally.
THE SITUATION WITH OUR GROUPS AND CLIENTS [go to top] We continue to make progress with the eight groups and five patients we are assisting. We are being asked to do a great deal more. The need is certainly present. However, with our current staffing levels it is impossible to expand further.
THE SITUATION WITH THE FIELD INSTITUTE FOR POST-CONFLICT STUDIES IN VUKOVAR/ VUKOVAR SYNAGOGUE CENTER PROJECT [go to top] A report on the current state of the Project is available elsewhere on this site. Highlights include: - Title to the first piece of land of the site has been obtained by the Jewish Community of Osijek. Papers for procedures to reclaim other pieces of land are in preparation. - A number of organizations have joined the Project. The full list now includes the Jewish Community of Osijek, the Coalition for Work With Psychotrauma and Peace, Europe House Vukovar, the Bench We Share Association of Osijek, the Center for Peace, Legal Assistance and Psychosocial Assistance, Vukovar, the Civil Organization for the Development of Dalj and IRCT-Zagreb, with other organizations taking actions to formalize their relations with the Project. - Architectural plans for the Project have been developed by Mr. Robert Bjerre of Portland, Oregon, USA who spent two months with us. - A paper on the theoretical aspects of the Institute has been produced by Ms. Kat Sohn. The paper is available elsewhere on this website. - Create a virtual Institute on this website if funding permits. - Begin courses under the Institute in the near future. - Bring the current CWWPP internships under the Institute. - core funding to allow development work to continue; - funding for land and building; -
funding for programs. PRE-PASSOVER CELEBRATION 2004 [go to top] On Sunday, 28 March, 2004, the Jewish Community of Osijek, together with the CWWPP, held a pre-Passover Celebration in Vukovar. This was the second year since the Second World War that such a celebration was held. Members of Jewish Communities from Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina attended. Activities included a meal with traditional elements, a visit to the Jewish Gravesite of Vukovar, a visit to the site of the former Synagogue and a performance of klezmer music by the group Jewsers from Zagreb. COMMEMORATION OF THE WORLD DAY FOR SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE [go to top] On 26 June, 2004, in commemoration of the World Day for the Support of the Victims of Torture, the CWWPP held a one day seminar on the treatment of the victims of torture for local professionals. This course was seen as an introduction. Further courses are planned for professionals and for members of the victim group to encourage self-help groups for victims of all ethnicities.
INTER-VARSITY VISITS VUKOVAR [go to top] Inter-Varsity, a Protestant university group from the USA, visited the CWWPP from 10-12 July. The group included about 30 students and their leaders from all parts of the USA. The seminar program included an introduction to the region, a tour of Vukovar and discussions with local church leaders and leaders of non-governmental organizations on the role of religion in post-conflict areas, the problems of health, ex-soldiers, women and youth and the role of politics in such regions. VPRO RADIO PROGRAM ON THE CWWPP [go to top] The Dutch radio organization the VPRO broadcast a 40 minute program by the journalist Guido Spring on the CWWPP and Vukovar on 13 July. Those of our readers who speak Dutch may listen to the program on the Internet at the address http://www.vpro.nl/programma/ochtenden/afleveringen/.
TELEAC RADIO HOE?ZO! ON THE CWWPP AND INSTITUTE [go to top] Another Dutch radio organisation Teleac Radio broadcast a 6 minute report in their program Hoe?Zo! on the CWWPP and the Institute in Vukovar on 15 July. Again, those of our readers who speak Dutch may listen to the program on the Internet at the address http://www.teleac.nl/radio/index.jsp?nr=radio_vervolg . The report on the Institute begins about 36 minutes into the program. GROUP OF CREATIVE PERSONS FORMS IN VUKOVAR WITH CWWPP ENCOURAGEMENT [go to top] A multi-ethnic group of painters, sculptors and other creative persons has formed in Vukovar and held their first exhibition on Sunday, 11 July. The group formed with the encouragement of the CWWPP, which provided initial meeting space and facilitation of meetings. The group is seen as a great asset to Vukovar. They plan to hold open days to encourage the public to use various artistic media in the fall. In addition to the cultural aspects, creative work is seen as highly therapeutic in this troubled region. INTERN FROM BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDIES WITH THE CWWPP [go to top] Elizabeth Fearon is currently spending eight weeks with the CWWPP working on a project examining the process of the Field Institute for Post-Conflict Studies/Vukovar Synagogue Center Project. Her study, which is preliminary work for her BA thesis and for further study in the area, is including interviews with the major implementers of the project. Ms. Fearon is also examining the external process barriers to the project. All or part of the study will be published on the CWWPP website. CWWPP PERSONNEL CHANGES [go to top] Problems in funding have caused the loss of two CWWPP personnel. Ms. Biljana Cejic, our administrator, has left because she found more lucrative work elsewhere. We also lost Mr. Dejan Stojsavljevic, our logistician, because we could not afford to pay even his minimal expenses. We have been extremely fortunate that Mr. Robert Strk continues to volunteer as administrator and logistician and that Mr. Sinisa Stanivuk and Mr. Sasa Bjelanovic have volunteered to work on fundraising and the establishment of academic contacts for the Field Institute for Post-Conflict Studies/ Vukovar Synagogue Center Project. FINANCIAL REPORTS NOW ON WEBSITE [go to top] The financial reports of the CWWPP from 1999 to 2003 have been revised and are now available on this website. Please click this link to see them.
FUNDING SITUATION AT THE CWWPP: A CALL FOR CORE FUNDING [go to top] The recent loss of two valued staff members because of inadequate funds with which to pay them on a long-term basis points up the problem faced by the CWWPP and other international and local organizations working in this region. Our staff needs a salary worthy of the name. Even our Head of Mission, Dr. Charles David Tauber, has been making considerable contributions from his salary to keep the organization going. We live on a shoestring. We live from month to month. We are one of the very few organizations working on post-war trauma and reconciliation in this region. Because we cannot pay our staff adequately, we are in constant danger of losing them. We must also wonder whether we will be able to pay the petrol for every trip we take, whether we can afford repairs on our car or whether we can pay for essential office supplies to name just a few of our funding problems. Sometimes, we are required to spend large amounts of time fundraising in order to survive rather than doing our real work. This situation has reached a level unacceptable to us. A budget is available elsewhere on this site. Although one-time contributions are welcome, we ask you to think about pledging an amount, even if small, for a period of two years or longer. If you are willing to do that, please contact us at cwwppvuk@zamir.net . Without your help we cannot do the job we are dedicated to doing and that we have been doing since 1995 in this region.
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