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In 1996
a group of expatriate Sri Lankan and British mental health
professionals came together to find a way of helping Sri Lanka
to respond to the continuing war related trauma in the country.
The Group agreed on the main objectives of:
- Raising
awareness in Sri Lanka about the psychological sequelae
of trauma.
- Helping
professionals, individuals and groups in Sri Lanka in their
efforts to minimise the psychological impact of trauma.
- To
channel expertise and other resources available in the UK
and the West to help in these efforts.
- To
maximise the impact of efforts by individuals to help by
co-ordination.
In collaboration
with individuals and organisations in Sri Lanka the Group
has embarked on a long-term programme of work, with the medical
profession in Sri Lanka as our first target. The activities
of the group so far include:
- One
day conference and two days of training workshops in May
1996 in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Medical
Association.
- Follow
up workshop for participants of the above events in June
1997 in Sri Lanka by Dr Anula Nikapotha.
- Organising
and funding Dr Stuart Turner, Past President of the European
Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and Chair of the UK
Trauma Interest Group to visit Sri Lanka and participate
in a programme of teaching and training. Conference targeted
at medical practitioners, policy makers and leaders in education
and two days of workshops for clinicians and teachers in
May 1998 in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka
Medical Association.
- Running
workshops for media personnel at Rupavahini Corporation
on the impact of reporting of traumatic incidents. Organising
Professor Bill Yule a world expert on childhood trauma to
visit Sri Lanka and conduct a series of lectures and training
workshops. Two
three day Workshops (2001 & 2002) for Master Teachers
on Classroom Detection and Management of Emotional and Behavioural
Problems held in Sri Lanka. 25 teacher advisers attended
from various regions of the country including Vavuniya,
Anuradhapura, Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.
- A workshop
held in London on the 21st October 2000 for UK based voluntary
groups Working with Refugees on Therapeutic Inputs for Traumatised
Children and Adults.
- A Seminar
for Media Personnel on Health & Media in Colombo on
the 27th August 2001 organised in conjunction with the Sri
Lanka Medical Association.
- Commissioning
the translation into Sinhala and Tamil of a manual on Cognitive
Behavioural Approaches for working with Traumatised Children.
- Supply
of books, papers and other material on traumatic stress
and psychological correlates to various groups in Sri Lanka.
In its
period of operation the Group has, established links with
the Presidential Task Force on Human Disaster Management,
Sri Lanka Medical Association, Department of Education, University
Academic Departments, voluntary sector organisations such
as the Family Rehabilitation Centre and numerous individuals
who are engaged in trauma and mental health work in Sri Lanka.
These links serve to inform the group of areas of need where
help can be channelled. Due to the instability in the region
the group has so far not been able to conduct any work in
the North and North East of the country although individual's
from the group have visited and worked in Jaffna and border
regions. Teachers and medical doctors from the Northern region
have attended training events organised by the group. With
the peace process gaining momentum it is hoped that the Group
will be able to carry out a programme of work in this region
in the near future. In 1999 the group was successful in gaining
registration as a Charity in the United Kingdom. The membership
of the group is open to mental health professionals or other
professionals, who have expertise or an interest in the area
of psychological aspects of trauma in relation to Sri Lanka.
The activities of the group will be expected to be in line
with the ethical frameworks and codes of conduct of individual
member's professions (eg. BMA, BPS,UKCC, etc.), and the membership
of the group will be on the basis of non racial, non sectarian,
non political objectives of working to ameliorate the psychological
impact of trauma in Sri Lanka. The executive committee wishes
to encourage membership of the Group by individuals with origins
from all the major communities in Sri Lanka as well as British
professionals.
Click
to read the TRANSCRIPT
of the opening address of the first Chairperson
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