Mental health in Africa: time for action. Report of the annual conference of the Association of African Psychiatrists & Allied Health Professions, April 24-25 2006, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The number of psychiatrists in manyAfrican countries is strikingly low. Therefore, these few professionals are often overburdened and have an isolated and marginalized position. So, it was commendable to see the establishment of the Association of African Psychiatrists & Allied Health Professions (AAPAP) by a group of active African psychiatrists. This organization aims to unite psychiatrists working within the African continent, and to improve the African mental health care system.

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Internet resources on child soldiers & psychosocial issues

The Internet is an enormously rich source of information, but its very richness is also its main weakness. How can you find what you need? How do know if what you find is from a reliable source and can be trusted? In the contribution below we will summarize some Internet resources on psychosocial aspects of child soldiers that have been proved to be reliable and valuable.

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The Nonviolent Peaceforce in Sri Lanka: methods and impact (September 2003-January 2006)

Since 2003 the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) in Sri Lanka has aimed to increase the safety of civilians in Sri Lanka so that they can contribute to a lasting peace that includes a sense of justice.The NP has effectively assisted people to move to safer places, and supported people in interactions with authorities. The NP has also contributed to defusing ongoing violence and preventing further violence within specific situations.

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What happens when child soldiers grow up? The Mozambique case study

This article offers findings on the first longitudinal study of life outcomes for former child soldiers. Between 1988 and 2004, information was prospectively collected on 39 male former child soldiers in Mozambique. The data show that, after 16years, the vast majority of this group of former child soldiers have become productive, capable and caring adults. At the same time, none of them are truly free from their pasts.

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The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers: social and psychological transformation in Sierra Leone

This article gives an overview of the processes of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers in Sierra Leone. In contrast to many other situations, in Sierra Leone there has been an effective, integrated response involving a large number of civil society organizations and committees as well as the government.

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Reintegration of former child soldiers in northern Uganda: coming to terms with children’s agency and accountability

Reintegration processes of formerly abducted children have yielded limited success in northern Uganda. The article seeks answers to the question why reintegration processes in the area have failed. The approach of one Christian non-governmental organization towards reintegration is compared with the ideas and strategies of formerly abducted child soldiers and people in their communities on how best to deal with their violent past.

Keywords: cen, child soldiers, psychotrauma, reintegration, Uganda,WorldVision

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Cleansing the wounds of war: an examination of traditional healing, psychosocial health and reintegration in Sierra Leone

Traditional healing ceremonies have been lauded as an effective and integral aspect of psychosocial healing and reintegration for children associated with the fighting forces. This article describes the results of a qualitative study of the effects of traditional cleansing ceremonies for girl soldiers who are survivors of rape in Sierra Leone. The principal research question asked how these purification rituals contribute to psychosocial healing and reintegration. Two overarching themes emerged from the data.

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Sri Lanka’s post-Tsunami psychosocial playground: lessons for future psychosocial programming and interventions following disasters

This paper explores examples of unsolicited, culturally inappropriate and conflict insensitive interventions initiated by both local and international teams to Tsunami-affected populations in Sri Lanka. It also explores the apparently prevalent belief that psychosocial interventions can be delivered as ‘relief packages’ to those affected, and as part of project-based, rather than process-enabling, interventions.

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Working creatively with young children within a context of continuous trauma

This paper documents and shares one experience ofa therapeutic group facilitated for young children within the context of continuous trauma. It explores creative ways to work with children for whom, at an early age, experiences may have been overwhelming and their trust in the world around them has been threatened by external events.

Keywords:    children, group work,

partnership, trauma, community-based intervention

 

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The social world of dreams and nightmares in a post-conflict setting: the case of Gorongosa in central Mozambique

The paper describes socio-cultural theories of interpretations of dreams among the population in central Mozambique. In general, dreams are considered a means of communication, conveying important messages that are applied to organize the social world. The prolonged civil war has impacted upon these dreaming systems by adding another dimension to the interpretation. War-related dreams do not serve as communication channels, but are experienced as striking repetitions of past events.

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