MHHRI Seeks to improve mental health and psychosocial interventions for individuals affected by organised violence, war, and severe human rights violations.
Central to our efforts is our resource database for helpers and healthcare professionals assisting individuals affected by human rights violations, war, and conflict in their daily work. We also support helpers by creating training materials, offering courses, and providing expert guidance. In particular we focus on sexual gender-based violence (GBV) in war and conflict, by developing manuals to empower them as helpers, to better support individuals affected by GBV.
As previous years our aim is to equip helpers with mental health and psychosocial tools in order to empower them as helpers to better support individuals.
Financial support
As in previous years, MHHRI continued to receive operational support from the Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group, on behalf of Bonheur ASA. This year, we also secured additional funding from Stiftelsen Ship-Ring and Pecunia AS, which was used to support our work on the children’s manual. Additionally, these funds covered the salary of an information officer to disseminate information about our efforts, including our work on GBV.
The funding from the Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group has been fundamental to our organisation, and the significance of this support highly valuable. The flexibility provided by core funding has allowed us to think strategically beyond our daily activities. Without this crucial support, securing funds from other institutions such as Norad, Foundation Dam, and smaller organisations like HimalPartner, Forut and the ICAR Foundation would not have been possible.
What we have achieved
By refurbishing our webpage we aimed to reach a wider audience by being more intuitive and focusing on our cured content. Our content curation process involves several key steps including identify relevant material based on our target audience.
This includes publications, videos, and other resources related to our content. Next, we assess the quality, accuracy, and relevance of content. Only high-quality material that aligns with our objectives is considered for inclusion.
Improving MHHRI’s data platform and GBV page
In our work with the database we organise and categorise the content into relevant topics for the thematic pages, ensuring that users can easily find information related to their specific interests. Regular updates are crucial; our team continuously reviews and refreshes the curated content.
New resources are added, outdated material is removed, and any necessary revisions are made. Additionally, we actively seek feedback from users to improve our content, allowing their preferences and needs to guide our curation decisions. By following this process, we maintain a curated collection that provides valuable information to our website users.
Our GBV section has been updated to reflect the progress in creating GBV manuals to support helpers in their efforts to assist survivors of sexual. Currently MHHRI offer three distinct manuals: Women, Boys and Men, and Children.
They are available in multiple languages, ensuring a wider reach. In addition to the manuals, we have included a variety of resources developed over the years, such as video tutorials, animations, practical exercises, and more. These improvements provide our users with a comprehensive toolkit to better support survivors of gender-based violence.
Social media and digital platforms
Increasingly, social media and digital platforms have become vital components of MHHRI’s work. We consider them essential tools for building meaningful connections with users who may not have other channels to recive reliable information on our topics.
These platforms enable us to connect users with curated information from our database in a more accessible and user-friendly manner, adapted to the challenges of a world where conflicts and crises are persistent. This is done in both English and Spanish. Social networks help us maintain continuous traffic to our website and create awareness about the importance of mental health in various contexts.
Our manuals on sexualised gender-based violence
Since the introduction of our GBV manual for women in 2014, which has now been translated into nine languages, we have consistently promoted its use through a wide range of channels. These include trainings, conferences and webinars, in addition to partnerships with other organisations, newsletters, and social media platforms.
We aim to empower helpers working with survivors of gender-based violence. In 2023, we strategically allocated our efforts across our three manuals: designed for helpers working with women, boys and men, and children who have faced sexual violence in war, conflict and low resources areas.
This targeted approach enables us to cater to the specific needs of diverse demographics and contribute to a more informed and supportive community.
Boys and men manual
In 2022 we launched the Norwegian manual “Sexual violence against boys and men in war, conflict, and migration. A mental health manual for helpers”. In collaboration with the Norwegian Mental Health Council, the Dam Foundation, and with NORAD support. In 2023 we also translated it for an English and Spanish-speaking audience.
The launch was crucial to expand our outreach and engagement to a broader audience. It created a platform to share resources and encourage active participation from individuals and organisations, increasing awareness about our GBV manuals. It also showcased our commitment to addressing gender-based violence and highlighted the importance of collective action in raising awareness and combating sexual violence against boys and men.
Manual for helpers working with children
Equally significant at the event was the launch of the manual titled “Children Exposed to Sexual Violence in War, Conflict, Humanitarian Crises, and Low-Resource Communities: A Mental Health Manual for Helpers.” This manual is specifically designed to support caregivers and helpers of children who have experienced sexual violence.
Helen Christie, responsible for the project, introduced the manual, highlighting the challenging conditions these children often endure and their limited access to traditional healthcare systems due to trauma and circumstances. To meet the global need for specialised support, the manual has been translated into both Nepalese and Ukrainian for use by local caregivers.
Ukraine resources from first aid to long term support
Our Ukraine office has been instrumental in providing essential services, made possible by generous donations. Through these contributions, we have conducted webinars and training sessions for individuals in various organisations across Ukraine.
We have observed a shift in needs, from initially focusing on providing first aid and psychosocial support to helpers who meet people in need, to now addressing the exhaustion experienced by these helpers in their work.
Additionally, there is an increasing demand for resources among parents and teachers for effectively supporting children. Unfortunately, there has been a pressing need for a manual to aid helpers working with children exposed to sexual violence, highlighting the unfortunate reality of such incidents occurring even within the context of this conflict.
Despite the growing presence of other conflicts in the news, we recognise the ongoing importance of highlighting the situation in Ukraine. Our efforts include posting updates on social media, supporting theatre productions, and organising panels and film screenings focused on mental health in relation to the Ukrainian war.
We remain dedicated to supporting our colleagues in various organisations, including AHALAR, MART, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and others associated with these entities. We are committed to raising awareness and gathering support for Ukraine within the Norwegian population.
Network
Throughout the years, we have collaborated with various organisations, institutions, and individuals. Through personal encounters and shared values, we have built strong networks. At the core of our work lies a commitment to engaging with helpers, healthcare professionals, and experts navigating the complex interplay of mental health, human rights violations, and conflict. Establishing robust networks is important to achieving our goals.
Organisations working with exposed boys and men
This is a network with a flat structure where we meet approximately four times a year to share knowledge on various topics and our work. Some of the organisations work directly with clients, others focus on political advocacy, and some provide information on the subject. MHHRI initiated this network in collaboration with NOK Oslo and DIXI. Based on our collaboration we were invited to introduce our manual at Arendalsuka at an event called “The vunerable men”.
1325 women peace and security
Collaboration of organisations working with women in conflict areas. Through the network we are invited to give input to national strategic action plans and to talk about our manuals.
Global mental health network Norway
The network consists of representatives from various civil society organisations, researchers, professionals, and individuals who are engaged in mental health on a global level, in humanitarian settings, and in developmental work. Part of the result from our participation was introducing the manuals for organisations working with mental health globally, and participating in the arrangement committee for the network ́s event at Arendalsuka.
HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival
HIDFF is Oslo’s largest documentary film festival and a significant forum in the Norwegian capital’s cultural, academic and organisational life, which engages and encourages debates about human rights and other social issues of current interest. MHHRI participate every year with a film and a panel. This year we screened the film “A house made of splinters” with a talk, in order to keep up the focus on the children in Ukraine, after one year of the full scale invation started.
Other organizations we have collaborated with
Colombia Forum, Human Rights House Foundation, Nepal Network Norway, Useful help, Sudan network, Children and War Foundation, International child development program, FORUT, ICAR Foundation, RVTS, Breathing Space City, AHALAR Ukraine, Department of Psychology – University of Oslo
Helping the helpers training
During tha last years there has been an increasing number of organisations asking for support regarding the consequences of the stress and hardships that local staff members working in stressing conditions in war and conflicts situations are exposed to. This has become visible in our work with organisations in Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan and Nepal. Much of the challenge for the helpers lies in the day-to-day stressors or difficulties that they are facing daily. Exposure to such chronic stressors may often impact negatively on their mental health. The helpers are often left to cater for their own needs related to psychological reactions to what they experience at work.
