Towards peace of mind

For many years now the armed conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis has taken its toll. Children and adults are affected daily by violent and tragic events, and the end does not seem in sight. Children are deprived of a 'normal' youth and basic education. There is not a child, nor adult, that is not affected by the tragic events taken place as result of the political situation. This is true for both Palestinians and Israelis.

The Hope Flowers School (HFS) was founded in 1984 in Bethlehem in the Palestinian Territories. For the past few years, the WTF has supported the programmes in the HFS where teachers and school counsellors are taught to support the traumatised schoolchildren. Most of the teachers working at primary schools in the region are not sufficiently equipped to take care of children that have suffered psychological trauma by violent events. Therefore, the aim of this project is to train school counsellors, who in turn can train local teachers, to recognise, understand and support traumatised children, and, if necessary, refer them for more intensive treatment.

To further support work in this area, the WTF has translated the manual ‘Training of Teachers', a special edition of 'Intervention, International Journal of Mental Health, Psychosocial Work and Counselling in Areas of Armed Conflict' into Arabic.

For further information about this journal and all published manuals, please see the sections ‘Intervention’ and ‘Published’ in the main menu.

You can also visit the website of Intervention journal: www.interventionjournal.com

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