This article aims to explore the practices relief workers employed in their efforts to rehabilitate refugees in postwar Europe. It argues that the objectives and methods UNRRA's officers adopted to manage the phenomenon of mass displacement drew on a longer tradition of humanitarianism. Furthermore, these methods took shape as a result of the different ways staff in the field interpreted the organization's mandate. The article looks at UNRRA's aspirations to transform international relief into a modern profession, and analyses the obstacles that stood in the way of this endeavour.

Health systems face enormous challenges in fragile and post-conflict states. This paper will review recent literature to better understand how, within a context of economic volatility, political instability, infrastructural collapse and human resource scarcity, population health deteriorates and requires significant attention and resources to rebuild.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains a significant problem in returning military and warrants swift and effective treatment. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine whether a complementary medicine intervention (Healing Touch with Guided Imagery [HT+GI]) reduced PTSD symptoms as compared to treatment as usual (TAU) returning combat-exposed active duty military with significant PTSD symptoms. Active duty military (n = 123) were randomized to 6 sessions (within 3 weeks) of HT+GI vs. TAU.

This edition pays tribute to Haitian Red Cross volunteers for their efforts to rescue and assist the victims of the earthquake. Also in this issue: restoring family links in the aftermath of natural disasters, tuberculosis in the prisons of Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Movement takes up the challenge of urban violence. (Publisher)

Ruim honderdduizend Nederlanders, beschuldigd van samenwerking met de Duitsers, zaten direct na de oorlog in het kader van de Bijzondere Rechtspleging opgesloten in interneringskampen in afwachting van hun proces. De omstandigheden in die kampen waren vaak erbarmelijk.

Group psychotherapy with complex traumatized clients can be highly challenging for therapists. Traditional psychodynamic group therapy can be especially overwhelming for patients with dissociative comorbidity. These patients tend to react with avoidance, withdrawal, and dissociation to emotions mobilized during the group process.

Group psychotherapy has been shown to be a valuable element in the treatment of trauma survivors. Most concepts address childhood trauma, while some also deal with survivors of war trauma. A variety of psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group concepts are presented. While transference-oriented psychodynamic group psychotherapy aims at working through enactments of traumatic experiences in the transference relationship, other psycho-dynamic approaches focus on processing traumatic affects without using transference work.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess 12 month outcomes of Australian combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who participated in a 6 week group-based CBT programme at the Toowong Private Hospital. The study population included 496 consecutive admissions to the programme between 1999 and 2008. Method: Self-report measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, anger, alcohol use, relationship satisfaction and quality of life parameters were collected at intake and 3, 6 and 12 months post intake.

Legitiem geweld en onrechtmatig geweld zijn juridische categorieën die niet noodzakelijkerwijs overeenkomen met de opvattingen van militairen. Hoe kunnen militairen de wil ontwikkelen om hun opponent - iemand die ze totaal niet kennen - te doden? En hoe kunnen zij gelijkertijd in staat zijn de mensenrechten van een (krijgs-) gevangene te respecteren? Dit artikel probeert op basis van veldwerk deze vragen te beantwoorden. Daarbij komt de vorming van een militaire groepsidentiteit aan de orde, evenals de creatie van een 'wij', opvattingen over een 'zij' en over buitenstaanders.

Na de bevrijding zaten in Auschwitz 20.000 à 30.000 Sileziërs vast in het kamp. Zij moesten de fabriek van IG Farben helpen demonteren. Voor de Russen die honderdduizenden tonnen materiaal opeisten als herstelbetaling.