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The Coalition for Work
With Psychotrauma and Peace Previous Newsletters
15 October, 2004 IN THIS UPDATE: Rates of suicides and domestic violence are high and still rising, unemployment is far above 50% and virtually no work is being done on reconciliation. NGOs live from month to month. We believe the situation will deteriorate if no action is taken. · Three New Briefing Papers By the CWWPP on Ex-Soldiers, Domestic Violence and Children and Youth are now available on the CWWPP website. The CWWPP joined the Jewish Community of Osijek in celebrating Jewish Heritage Day on 5 September in Osijek and Vukovar. The theme of World Mental Health Day, held on Sunday, 11 October, 2004 was the relationship between mental and physical health. In a press release, the CWWPP noted that there is a vicious circle between psychological stress and physical disorders. Furthermore, the press release highlighted the problems of mentally ill persons and their families in Croatia. The CWWPP is working together with the Osijek group Marimo (We Care) on these issues. · David Strossmayer, architect from Israel and Osijek Visits the Region Mr. Strossmayer is working on the plans for the Vukovar Field Institute for Post-Conflict Studies/Synagogue Center. Ms. Mason is writing her Ph.D. thesis on how men and women are treated differently with regard to psychological assistance in post-war situations. Mr. Diaram, a worker with asylum seekers in the UK, investigated grassroots processes in the recovery after war. · Dutch Radio Broadcast Organization VPRO repeats 40 Minute Documentary on the CWWPP. The program by radio journalist Guido Spring originally broadcast on 13 July was repeated in slightly edited format on 16 September is available in Dutch via the VPRO site. · CWWPP Initiates a Consultancy Service CWWPP staff is now prepared to carry out assessments, evaluation and training on a consultancy basis in all parts of the world. To go directly to the website, click here. · The Funding Situation at the CWWPP Is Still Critical The CWWPP continues to live from month to month. A budget is available on the website. Please see the Support Section of the website to see how to contribute. The situation in the region in which we are working (primarily eastern Croatia) continues to be poor. The number of suicides and the amount of domestic violence continue to increase. There is virtually no work being done on reconciliation. The very small number of non-governmental organizations working on these issues, including ourselves, continue to live from month to month. There is little if any national or international support. Furthermore, unemployment remains astronomical, estimates varying between 45% and 85%. Unfortunately, the international community considers Croatia to be “cured” and the situation is considered to be good. Thus, the UNHCR office in Osijek has closed and the OSCE is downsizing. We, and several other organizations, consider this region to continue to be a powder keg if appropriate action toward work on psychological issues, reconciliation and economics is not taken. Go to Top THREE NEW BRIEFING PAPERS BY THE CWWPP ON EX-SOLDIERS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN AND YOUTH Briefing papers detailing the problems of three highly vulnerable groups – ex-soldiers, the victims of domestic violence and children and youth are now in the Briefing Papers section of the Documents section of the CWWPP website. The CWWPP is already working with these groups and is seeking further funding to expand our activities. Go to Top JEWISH HERITAGE DAY IN OSIJEK AND VUKOVAR The CWWPP joined the Jewish Community of Osijek in celebrating Jewish Heritage Day on Sunday, 5 September in Osijek in Vukovar. In Osijek, the celebration included the dramatization of a portion of the novel “Scum” by Isaac Bashevis Singer, a group of children dancing Israeli dances and the showing of a film, “Dark and Light”, by Jasminka Domas, member of the Jewish Community of Zagreb, on the Jews of Varazdin during the Holocaust. In Vukovar, persons remembering Jews and the synagogue of Vukovar were invited to share their memories at Europe House, located directly across the road from the former synagogue. CWWPP ISSUES PRESS RELEASE FOR WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY The theme of World Mental Health Day, held on Sunday, 11 October, 2004 was the relationship between mental and physical health. In a press release, the CWWPP noted that there is a vicious circle between psychological stress and physical disorders. The situation in this region clearly reflects this relationship. Virtually all medical practitioners say that they are seeing increased levels of circulatory illness, gastrointestinal illness, endocrine illness and cancer. Paradoxically, there has been no epidemiological study in this region since the end of the 1991-1995 war, despite the efforts of the CWWPP and other groups to obtain one. The CWWPP also used the occasion of World Mental Health Day to highlight the problems of mentally ill people and their families in Croatia. Facilities are inadequate, there are no arrangements in acute situations and there is no relief for families, who must deal with their relatives 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Further, there are no half-way houses or sheltered working facilities. The CWWPP is working together with the group Marimo (We Care) in Osijek on these problems. On Monday, 11 October, Marimo held a forum of health-related non-governmental organizations. Furthermore, Marimo held open house on 11 and 13 October and organized two stress-reduction seminars in Osijek. DAVID STROSSMAYER, ARCHITECT FROM ISRAEL AND OSIJEK, VISITS THE REGION David Strossmayer, originally from Osijek, who has lived in Tel Aviv for more than 20 years, visited the region during the month of September. Mr. Strossmayer is in the process of preparing plans for the Field Institute for Post-Conflict Studies/Vukovar Synagogue Center Project. JOANNE MASON, PH.D. STUDENT AND DAVID DIARAM, WORKER FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS AT THE ALL NATIONS CHRISTIAN CENTER IN WOLVERHAMPTON VISIT VUKOVAR Joanne Mason, who is writing her Ph.D. thesis on how men and women are treated differently with regard to psychological assistance in post-war situations, came to Vukovar to carry out field interviews in early September. Ms. Mason was accompanied by David Diaram, worker with asylum seekers at the All Nations Christian Center in Wolverhampton, U.K. Mr. Diaram’s interests are in grassroots processes in the assistance to the victims of war. The CWWPP was pleased to host Ms. Mason and Mr. Diaram and assist them in their research. Please note that the CWWPP considers assistance to all serious researchers as a part of our mandate. DUTCH RADIO BROADCAST ORGANIZATION VPRO REPEATS 40 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY ON THE CWWPP. In June, the radio journalist Guido Spring came to Vukovar to record a program for the Dutch broadcast organization, the VPRO about the region and about the CWWPP. The program was first aired on 13 July, 2004 and was repeated on 16 September, 2004. An Internet broadcast may be heard in Dutch. CWWPP INITIATES A CONSULTANCY SERVICE The CWWPP staff, in particular Dr. Charles David Tauber, is now prepared to carry out assessments, evaluation and training on a consultancy basis in all parts of the world. Our areas of expertise include post-war trauma, non-violent conflict transformation and civil society. Please contact Dr. Tauber, cwwppvuk@zamir.net for details. FUNDING SITUATION FOR THE CWWPP STILL CRITICAL Here, we repeat the statement given in our previous Update. Unfortunately, the situation has not significantly changed in the intervening period: The CWWPP continues to suffer from critical funding shortages and to 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 on our website. 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. We thank you for your support. |
