MHHRI psychological first aid and Ukrainian resources
We have here gathered some of the resources that we have used in our work together with AHALAR, in Ukraine over the last two years.
Here you can find the toolbox which is a collection of the tools that contains grounding exercises, metaphors, window of tolerance among other tools to provide psychological assistance in crises and emergencies. You can get it in the following languages: Ukrainian, English, Norwegian and Romanian.
In addition we have compiled in the following newsletter information about psychological first aid developed for helpers, volunteers and professionals engaged in emergency work to support to persons exposed to war trauma, separation, loss, including sexual violence.
The PS Centre has produced a video in Ukrainian introducing the principles of Psychological First Aid. This video explains what PFA is and how its principles can be applied to help someone in distress.
One of the main human rights violations in the context of war is sexual violence. With our manual “Mental health and gender-based violence Helping survivors of sexual violence in conflict – a training manual” you can provide psychological assistance to the survivors. The manual is also available in Ukrainian.
In addition, we have a three-day online webinar based on the “Mental health and gender-based violence Helping survivors of sexual violence in conflict – a training manual” The core topics are: Gender Based Violence (GBV) Likewise, the Power Point presentation for the three days training is available in English download it download it here.
Talking to survivors of trauma also affects the helper. For all helpers empathy is an essential aspect of good help. This is also a source for compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatisation or secondary traumatic stress (STS). In the following Power Point you can find practical information in English.
Psychological first aid (PFA) for helpers working with people within Ukraine and impacted countries
Here you can use practical help through this Power Point document is part of the webinar Wellbeing, risk and human rights – life as a human rights defender – in English
The organisation PRO.Школу has produced a number of videos – Free psychological support for teachers.
It is also possible to apply be able to join the facebook group Psy Crisis Team Ukraine with the aim to share access to proven methods of professional self-support, supervision, and sometimes even basic security . They coordinate and provide all possible support to psychologists who, due to circumstances, provide emergency psychological assistance related to the war in Ukraine.
Vicarious resilience: a new concept in work with those who survive trauma
This study explores the formulation of a new concept: vicarious resilience. It addresses the question of how psychotherapists who work with survivors of political violence or kidnapping are affected by their clients’stories of resilience. It focuses on the psychotherapists’ interpretations of their clients’ stories, and how they make sense of the impact that these stories have had on their lives. In semistructured interviews, 12 psychotherapists who work with victims of political violence and kidnapping were interviewed about their perceptions of their clients’ overcoming of adversity. A phenomenological analysis of the transcripts was used to describe the themes that speak about the effects of witnessing how clients cope constructively with adversity. These themes are discussed to advance the concept of vicarious resilience and how it can contribute to sustaining and empowering trauma therapists.
Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders
Facing gender-based violence in defense of land, natural resources and human rights. Natural resources and ecosystem services directly support millions of people’s livelihoods, providing food and water, being part of cultural and communal identities and supporting rights to life. However, increased global demand for minerals, timber, palm oil and land threaten the sustainability of these resources and the ability of people to continue surviving on, living with and conserving them. In some cases, powerful state and non-state actors exploit weak or corrupt governance structures to extract natural resources with impunity, even when doing so directly harms communities and usurps their rights to lands and resources.
https://www.iucn.nl/app/uploads/2021/03/iucn-srjs-briefs-wehrd-gbv-en_01.pdf
Webinar: Gender-based Violence and COVID-19
With Dr. Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Dr. Lori Heise, and Wengechi Wachira
In the eighth installment of PHR’s webinar series, PHR Director of Programs Karen Naimer moderated a discussion on COVID-19 and gender-based violence featuring Wangechi Wachira and Drs.Claudia Garcia-Moreno and Lori Heisi. They discussed how the pandemic has exacerbated the crisis of sexual and gender-based violence and intimate partner violence on a global scale, how existing response programs may be adapted to protect survivors amid restrictions on movement during the pandemic, and possible solutions and policies to protect survivors and prevent and/or reduce violence in the long-term.
To watch the webinar please click on the link below:
How to support survivors of gender-based violence when a GBV actor is not available in your area
A STEP-BY-STEP POCKET GUIDE FOR HUMANITARIAN PRACTITIONERS
The Pocket Guide and its supporting materials provide all humanitarian practitioners with information on:
- How to support a survivor of gender-based violence (GBV)
- Who discloses their experience of GBV with you
- In a context where there is no GBV actor (including a GBV referral pathway or a GBV focal point) available.
Background note and FAQs can be accessed here.
User guide can be accessed here.
https://gbvguidelines.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GBV_PocketGuide021718.pdf
Identifying & Mitigating Gender-based Violence Risks within the COVID-19 Response
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present an array of challenges, forcing nearly all types of basic service delivery – including, but not limited to, humanitarian response – to drastically adapt. Given how quickly the outbreak continues to evolve; the variation across contexts in the impact of the disease and the measures being implemented to control its spread; and the lack of documented good practice for delivering aid and services under such conditions, to a large extent the entire international system is learning as we go. As such, this document presents an initial summary of potential GBV risk mitigation actions, based on established good practice, that are starting points to address GBV risks in this unprecedented situation. The GBV risk mitigation actions summarized below are presented in the spirit of collective and iterative problem-solving.
Listen and Speak out against Sexual Abuse of Girls and Boys
Global Submission by the International Save the Children Alliance UN Study on Violence against Children
The present study evaluates Save the Children’s experiences with work against child sexual abuse and exploitation around the world. We focus on the essence of our programme experiences, our insights and the ‘main jewels’ of our learning in the form of 10 essential learning points. We have investigated if and how our work has been in the best interest of children and whether it contributed to their development. How do we perceive the challenges and strategies that have been successful? The examination led to the formulation of the learning points, which may serve as a guide for establishing good practice and policies.
Thirteen country programmes within Save the Children – Canada, Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Syria, Nepal, Bangladesh, Romania and Spain – have been involved in the present examination, drawing on their own and partners’ experiences as well as the experiences of governments and civil society in general in combating child sexual abuse within a number of cultural, socio-economic, political and religious contexts. Good practice from other Save the Children members, academic and other sources has also been included. We have emphasised that the learning reflects what boys and girls of different ages themselves feel, think, reflect and experience around sexual abuse.Turid
https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/2673/pdf/2673.pdf
Bangladesh Brazil Canada Colombia Global Mozambique Nepal Nicaragua Romania Rwanda South Africa Spain Syria Uganda
GENDER IMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 OUTBREAKS IN DEVELOPMENT AND HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS
Until recently, the transmission of COVID-19 to developing countries or those experiencing ongoing
humanitarian emergencies had been limited,3 but such transmission is now occurring. Development and
humanitarian settings pose particular challenges for infectious disease prevention and control.4 Access
constraints and poor health and sanitation infrastructure are obstacles to disease prevention and treatment under the best of circumstances; when coupled with gender inequality and, in some cases, insecurity, public health responses become immeasurably more complex.
CARE’s analysis shows that COVID-19 outbreaks in development or humanitarian contexts could disproportionately affect women and girls in a number of ways, including adverse effects on their education, food security and nutrition, health, livelihoods, and protection. Even after the outbreak has been contained, women and girls may continue to suffer from ill-effects for years to come.
The publication includes a list of recommendations tailored to different actors.
The COVID-19 Outbreak and Gender: Key Advocacy Points from Asia and the Pacific
In this briefing note you can find information about emerging gender impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as well as recommendations as to how to respond in a gender sensitive way. The first six recommendations are (please open the link to see the full list of recommendations):
- Disaggregate data related to the outbreak by sex, age, and disability
- Country strategic plans for preparedness and response must be grounded in strong gender analysis, taking into account gendered roles, responsibilities, and dynamics
- Strengthen the leadership and meaningful participation of women and girls in all decision-making
processes in addressing the COVID-19 outbreak - Ensure that women are able to get information about how to prevent and respond to the epidemic in ways they can understand
- Ensure human rights are central to the response
- First responders must be trained on how to handle disclosures of GBV
Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies: Guide to Developing a Field-Level Road Map
The toolkit is designed for field-based colleagues interested in developing a Call to Action Road Map for their setting. Initially, the primary users will likely be Call to Action Advisors engaged to support the project and field-based colleagues from the global Call to Action partnership. As the project takes hold, the toolkit will be a useful guide for national and local Call to Action stakeholders. Call to Action global focal points can also use it as a resource to increase their support for field-based efforts and strengthen action and accountability under the Call to Action.
The toolkit is a step-by-step guide that walks the reader through the process of developing a fieldlevel Road Map. It includes resources for the drafting process and for implementation. We hope colleagues in other settings will also take up this effort. Partners should consider this toolkit a living document that can be updated to capture good practices as we continue to learn from one another.