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