PRESENTATION OF UK-SRI LANKA TRAUMA GROUP ACTIVITIES
AT HELSINKI CONFERENCE

Dr Shanthy Parameswaran, Professor Rachel Tribe and Dr Harriet Calvert, were invited to present their work in Sri Lanka at the ‘Kriisityon Paivat’ Conference on Crisis Intervention, in Helsinki on 14 December 2007 titled ‘Collective Trauma in Sri Lanka with specific reference to Children and Families’. Unfortunately Professor Tribe was unable to attend for health reasons.

The presentation centred on the work that the UK-Sri Lanka Trauma Group has carried out in Sri Lanka. Dr Parameswaran gave an introductory talk on the political history and the current situation and the collective trauma which this has given rise to.

The focus of the presentation was however on the training carried out for psychosocial workers working with children and families, and the underlying three principles which have underpinned our work, that is to provide theoretical understanding of trauma and child development, supervision of workers and more importantly to provide personal support to the workers.

In addition Dr Parameswaran and Dr Calvert held a day of training with the workers at Vantaan Kriisikeskus, a crisis intervention team, who in addition to their normal work had been involved with the Jokela school shooting in November 2007 when a student shot some members of his school staff, other pupils and later himself.

Finally as a result of the presentation Dr Calvert and Dr Parameswaran were invited to a meeting to discuss future collaborative work and training with representatives from the Finnish Church Foreign Aid organisation.

	Presentation by Dr Harriet Calvert		Presentation by Dr Harriet Calvert and Dr Shanthy Parameswaran
	At reception with the host, Paula Risikko, Minister for Health and Social Services		Training day with the Vantaan Kriisikeskus crisis intervention team

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