Posted: April 21st, 2015

Nature and Dynamics of Psychosocial Trauma and Its Impact on People and Society

Course topics:

Class1 : Nature and Dynamics of Psychosocial Trauma and Its Impact on People and Society

         – Understanding the Injured Party/Victim – Wrongdoer/Perpetrator/Offender framework

         – Levelling off: definitions/descriptions/images of traumatization, conflict, and healing

         – Categories/Kinds of Trauma

         – Levels of Victimization and Traumatization

   – Flower Collage and the Community in Pain

   – Warviews: Interdisciplinary dimensions of trauma (trauma reactions/symptoms)

   – Dynamic interplay between trauma and conflict

   – Trauma narratives and its impact: terror and disconnection, child abuse, domestic

     violence

• Exploring trauma and conflict-related theories in light of phenomenological realities:

** cycle of violence and victimization

** basic human needs theory

** relative deprivation theory

** frustration-aggression theory

** collective violence theory

** social and group identity theory

** nested theory of conflict

• Developing emerging/community-based principles and statements of Trauma/Healing

Class2 : Exploring the Nature and Dynamics of Community-based and Psychosocial Healing

• Trauma metaphor activity
• Resiliency: Individual and societal (the case of Karen refugees)
• Breaking the Cycle of Violence and Victimization
• Storytelling as a tool for healing and transformation (Storytelling framework)
• Revisiting the Flower Collage: Principles of Healing and Transformation
• Healing as intervention: Skills development (What does healing require?)
• Exploring contextualized healing and transformative mechanisms: spirituality, healing rituals, communal/religious ceremonies, revitalization movements, communal/social celebrations, symbolic movements/gestures
• Remembering and mourning
• Finding Meaning and the Will to Live

Class 3: Continuation of Week-end 2 topics/issues

• Forgiveness and Healing (Is there forgiveness in politics?
• Dynamic interplay between forgiveness and reconciliation (Is reconciliation possible without forgiveness? Can we be reconciled and live separate lives?)
• Lessons learned from TRC in South Africa, Gacaca in Rwanda, Cambodia, International Diplomacy of Japan, Germany/Israel, Fambul Tok in Sierra Leone.
• Exploring contextualized healing and transformative mechanisms: spirituality, healing rituals, communal/religious ceremonies, revitalization movements, communal/social celebrations, symbolic movements/gestures
• Wounded healer
• The Healing Spectrum                 

Class4 : Re-entry: Where to from here? What’s next?

• Considerations in designing and implementing trauma healing workshops/curriculum: Content, Methodology, Participant, Facilitator(s)

Summary/Synthesis (new ideas/insights and skills learned