Network Groups

Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation

Members

Jörg Burmeister (Spain/Switzerland), bulmonte21@bluewin.ch
Agnes Dudler (Germany), agnes@dudler.org
Eva Fahlström-Borg (Sweden), eva.fahlstrom.borg@gmail.com
Arne Husjord (Norway), arne.husjord@hartvig-nissen.vgs.no
Marcia Karp (UK), MKarp11444@aol.com
Kostas Letsios (Greece), kostas.letsios@psychodrama.gr
Manuela Maciel (Portugal), maciel.manuela@gmail.com
Melinda Meyer (Norway), melinda.meyer@nkvts.unirand.no
Natasha Navarro (Spain), navarrona58@gmail.com
Gabriella Nicotra (Italy), gabriellanicotra@gmail.com
Leandra Perrotta, (Italy), psicodramma@gmail.com
Galabina Tarashoeva (Bulgaria), gabi.tarashoeva@gmail.com
Monica Westberg (Sweden), monicawestberg@psykodramaakademin.se
Nevzat Uctum Muhtar (Turkey), nevzatuctum@gmail.com
Monica Zuretti (Argentina), monica@zuretti.com.ar

Coordinators

Judith Teszáry (Sweden),  jteszary@gmail.com
Maurizio Gasseau (Italy), gasseau@tiscali.it

First coordinators of the group were Eva Fahlström-Borg, Melinda Ashley Meyer and Maurizio Gasseau.

1. Report for FEPTO Newsletter, October 2018

During the year passed we had two ZOOM-meetings and one group meeting during the IAGP Congress in Malmö. Those who were not present in Malmö joined us by ZOOM. The aim of the meetings was to plan a Conference for 2019.
We created a project plan with budget and program for the Conference to apply for economic support and sent the plan to the Council.
Here we present shortly the idea and in the next FEPTO.NEWS issue we will present the whole project and give more information about the Conference.

Identities in War Creating Spaces for Encounter

The purpose of the conference is:
A. To have a professional exchange of knowledge of Theories, Psychodramatic and Sociodramatic Practice about

  1. Crisis Intervention,
  2. Elaboration of Collective trauma after Wars
  3. Exclusion-Inclusion
  4. Forming and healing of identities
  5. Sexual abuse during wars
  1. To spread knowledge about the methodology of psychodrama and sociodrama in the context of trauma and crises for psychology students, teachers and other professionals.

Place: is yet to be decided
Dates: 2019
Forms of the presentations: Symposium / Lectures / Workshops

Maurizio Gasseau and Judith Teszáry
Co-Chairs of FEPTO Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation

2. The Emotional traces of our Wars. International conference in cooperation with Granada University, Granada, 11th to 14 of February 2016

What a success. This was an important experience for all of us who were there, approximately 80 people. Natacha Navarro and her team from Centro Moreno united academics from the University of Granada, (conference venue) with students of psychodrama, professionals of psychodrama, trauma, and transgenerational trauma.

There were three panels and 12 workshops. The rich panorama of events included action methods of trauma intervention, scholarly presentations from specialized teachers at the University, transgenerational reflections and action reworking of relationships affected by war devastation, and many other related topics. The last evening a local art gallery hosted a moving concert and an exhibition of the emotional traces of our wars.

This resounding success was done with no money! With Spain in an economic crisis, many Spaniards had the rare opportunity to attend their first psychodrama conference. Conference participants were from Spain, Italy, Sweden, UK, Israel, Turkey, Portugal, Switzerland, and other countries. Lecture and workshop contributions were both from University professors and professionals from around the world. This was a unique union of three: students, academics and clinicians.

The Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPAZ) and the FEPTO Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation want to re- peat this conference, under the same name. IPAZ has begun talks for next year. There was fine cooperation between many. FEPTO Task Force members were major contributors to this conference.
It was inspirational to have many experts on the reflections of the wars in former Yugoslavia; the 1936 Spanish Civil War, 80 years ago; WW11, the current wars in the Middle East; in   Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine and others, all together at a time when we are concerned about the future of our planet.

WAR WEARS THE SAME CLOTHING WHEREVER WAR EXISTS. The above modern painting is set in the Aegean Sea, with refugees fighting for life. It is a reworking of Picasso’s 1937 mural of “Guernica”. Picasso’s mural has become a symbol of destruction in the modern world. Guernica was a tiny Spanish village in which, in an act of terrorism, men, women and children were bombed for 3 and 1/2 hours. Roads out and in were blocked. The bombing, done by German planes, was a Nationalist party intimidation against the Republicans who were fighting Franco’s regime. Italians and Germans were on the side of Franco.

The feeling of the Granada conference, “The Emotional Traces of Our Wars” was both tense and hopeful. Academics gave their best. Students were enthusiastic and eager to help. Professionals came inspired to do or say something that would contribute to both the conference and the cessation of collective violence in this world of our making.

Let’s keep going.
Marcia Karp

3. December 2015 / Granada international seminar

The FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Transformation meets twice a year, once at the FEPTO Annual Meeting and another time during a specific seminar. The seminars have been held in Oslo 2007, Stockholm 2008, Turin 2009, Uppsala 2010, Sofia 2011, Iseo 2013, Istanbul 2014 and the next will be in Granada in 2016.
The Task Force in the last six months was quite active. Judith Teszáry organized a panel at the 5th Sociodrama Conference in Kos on Psychological effects of war and oppression on individuals and groups with Maurizio Gasseau, Judith Teszáry, Leandra Perrotta and Nevzat Uçtum Muhtar.
Judith Teszáry and Maurizio Gasseau lead with other Task Force members a Sociodrama at the 5th Sociodrama Conference in Kos on “Where is Eros in the Wars and Crises of 2015?” with 45 participants.

Task force members offered workshops, outside the Conference scientific program, for the people of Kos, concerning the immigration situation, with the help of Georgios Chaniotis, and local authorities.
An open workshop for the municipality employees and the people of Kos was lead by Jorg Burmeister, Melinda Meyer and Georgios Chaniotis, one workshop for the volunteers dealing with immigrants was conducted by Judith Teszáry and Nevzat Uctum Muhtar and one workshop for the school-teachers of Kos was conducted by Manuela Maciel and Margarida Belchior.
Maurizio Gasseau presented a conference at the Congress of International Association for Analytical Psychology IAAP – Analysis and Activism: social and political contributions of Jungian psychology – in Rome 4th-7th December 2015 on “Rituals and dreams in the work of FEPTO Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation”.

FEPTO Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation is organizing an International Seminar at the Granada University: The Emotional traces of our Wars. 11-12 February 2016.

See the program!

Maurizio Gasseau and Judith Teszáry
Co-Chairs of FEPTO Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation

4. Istanbul report of the Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation

FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution met first time in Vienna FEPTO Annual Meeting in 2005. Last year in Óbidos the Task Force members changed the name in Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation.
Usually we have two meeting every year, one in the FEPTO Annual Meeting and another in a specific seminar that was done in Oslo 2007, Stockholm 2008, Turin 2009, Uppsala 2010, Sofia 2011, Iseo 2013, and Istanbul 2014.
In Óbidos the members of the Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation decided that in 2015 Natacha Navarro will organize the meeting of the Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation in Granada.
Individual members of the Task Force are working in different projects and in the Task Force found a safe place where to share their experience and improve their Skills.

In Istanbul, our colleague Nevzat Uctum Muhtar, with the support of the two co-coordinators Judith Teszáry, and Maurizio Gasseau organized a seminar on “Trauma and conflict transformation”, in the University Yeni Yuzyil of Istanbul. Around 60 participants attended at the seminar.

Saturday October 11thmorning we started with a warm up leaded by Leandra Perrotta, Maurizio Gasseau, Judith Teszáry, Nevzat Uctum Muhtar. Than we had a panel: Prof. Oget Oktem Tanor gave a very clear speech about “Neurobiology of Trauma”, Julide Aral gave a speech on “The Meeting of the Children and Grandchildren of the Muslimized Armenians”, about children of Armenians family that had been forced to abjure the Armenian religion and become Muslims; Prof. Sevil Atauz gave a speech on “Transgenerational Transmission” studying and working with Curds Children.

Saturday October 11thafternoon we had four concurrently workshops of four hours:

  • Marcia Karp: “Why do brilliant people kill themselves?”
  • Sofia Symeonidou: “Collective Trauma” Dealing with it and learning to be without it in the group embrace
  • Judith Teszáry: “Trauma that we are carrying in our Body. Mentalizing the Body Memory”
  • Maurizio Gasseau & Leandra Perrotta: “Trauma and Recovery through Psychodrama”

Sunday October 12th Maurizio Gasseau leaded the Social Dreaming Matrix in plenary, than four groups concurrently worked playing drams with social meaning leaded by Marcia Karp, Sofia Symeonidou, Judith Teszáry, Maurizio Gasseau & Leandra Perrotta.

The seminar close with a Psychodrama in Plenary leaded by Marcia Karp, were it was a strong feeling of some participants that the war is coming in Turkey, and we worked about how to answer to child that ask “ Why the war exists? And how to protect children from the violence of wars? ”. We ended with a ritual in a large circle, with very good feeling of having created together a safe space with warm tele and with the goal to bring the peace that we find in the encounters in the seminar in the outer world. The seminar was a complete success.

In Istanbul  during the Seminar of the Task Force of Peace Building we suggest to go on with the idea of Monica Zuretti and the Argentinians psychodramatists to have a Global Sociodrama.
We suggest to carry out Global sociodrama on 20th December 2014. We are already 6 countries that will accomplish and the title of this global sociodrama for peace building was elaborate in London with Jonathan Moreno and is “Encounter Through Diversity : how can we work through our differences in me? In the couple? In the family? In the country? In the world? In the Universe?“

We expected that in many countries you will support this Global Sociodrama: 20th December 2014.

Maurizio Gasseau and Judith Teszáry
Co-chairs of Task Force for Peace Building and Conflict Transformation

5. Lisbon report of the Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution

FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution was founded in Wien in 2005. The Task Force for Peace had a productive meeting in Santander, during the FEPTO Annual Meeting with 18 participants : Cinza Orlando, Susanne Kunz, Galabina Tarashoeva, Jasna Veljkovic, Sofia Symeonidou, Arsalys Kayir, Yaacov Naor, Agnes Dudler, Luciano Moura, Gabriella Nicotra, Natacha Navarro, Marcia Karp, Eva Fahlström-Borg, Jorge Burmeister, Maurizio Gasseau, Gyrit Hagman, Judith Teszary, Chiara de Marino.

The Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution organized a Pre Conference Seminar “Ongoing conflicts in the Mediterraneans countries”  in the 4th Sociodrama Conference, in, Iseo, September 4th. 70 colleagues attended in this Seminar. Four colleagues were invited to have a speech.

Ben Rivers who works in Jenin, Palestine,  gave us a lecture about The   Freedom Theatre in Jenin and the Playback Theatre in many Palestine villages.
Nevzat Uctum Muhtar gave us a lecture about the situation of the Women living in shelters and about the present situation in Turkey.
Mona Rakhawy, President of Egyptian Association of Group Psychotherapy gave us a lecture of Group psychotherapy in Egypt in these difficult crisis.
Iafi Shpirer, who works in Israel near the border with Gaza strip, gave us a lecture on the work with children in groups in this very conflictual area.

Monica Zuretti from Buenos Aires , Argentina, was invited to be the discussant.

The Task Forces Members Judith Teszary, Maurizio Gasseau, Galabina Tarashoeva, Marcia Karp, Eva Fahlstrom, Leandra Perrotta, lead a sociodrama  workshop in the conference titled  “Imagine giving peace a hand” with 27 participants. The sociodrama workshop was very intense and deep and there were colleagues who work in Israel and in Palestine.

The next Task Force Meeting will be in Lisbon Monday 24th March 2014 from 14.00 to 16.00 during the FEPTO Annual meeting in Obidos Center. You will find the announcement of the room near the reception.  Schedule:

  1. Annual report. Goals and plans we have agreed upon at our earlier meetings.
  2. Plans for Istanbul seminar from 10th October (from 3.00pm) to 12 October (to 1.00 pm) 2014.
  3. Nevzat Uctum Muhtar offered to host as at her university.
  4. Changing  the name of FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution (FTF) to FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Transformation
  5. Proposed guidelines for network groups
  6. Decision about role of coordinators and choice of the coordinators.
  7. Applying for financial support for our meetings, especially when it is not connected to the FEPTO annual meeting.

We invite all of you in Istanbul 10/11/12 October 2013 for our next Seminar on Trauma and Conflict Transformation.

Maurizio Gasseau and Judith Teszary,
co-chairs FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution

6. FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution meeting in Santander

The FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution was founded in Vienna in 2005. Melinda Meyer, Maurizio Gasseau and Eva Fahlström-Borg were the first coordinators. We believed that Moreno’s tools are a wonderful discipline to work for peace and conflict transformation.
The Task Force for Peace had a productive meeting in Santander, during the FEPTO Annual Meeting with 18 participants: Cinza Orlando, Susanne Kunz, Galabina Tarashoeva, Jasna Veljkovic, Sofia Symeonidou, Arsaluys Kayir, Yaacov Naor, Agnes Dudler, Luciano Moura, Gabriella Nicotra, Natacha Navarro, Marcia Karp, Eva Fahlström-Borg, Jorge Burmeister, Maurizio Gasseau, Gyrit Hagman, Judith Teszary, Chiara de Marino.
Maurizio Gasseau and Judith Teszary had a short presentation of the history of the group and the topic of the earlier seminars, the purpose of the group and the goals.

The Task Force was divided  into small discussion group about topics the participants were most interested in.
The topics discussed were  cooperation with peace institutes, cooperation with universities; What skills do we have and what do we need to develop; Re-traumatisation  – given an account of the latest research about trauma and how to handle trauma;  Activating the members of FEPTO who are skilled; Group intervention; Training in conflict transformation; Support and collaboration with IAGP Training Project in Palestine and Egypt; Developing  prevention skills; Preparation of the workshop of sociodrama ”Imagine giving peace a hand” in Iseo in the 4th Sociodrama Conference.

The Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution organized a Pre-Conference Seminar “Ongoing  conflicts in the Mediterraneans countries”  in the 4th Sociodrama Conference, in Iseo, on September 4th from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm at the Instituto Antonetti.

In the Seminar  Maurizio Gasseau and Judith Teszary, Co-chairs of the Task Force, presented the FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution to 70 colleagues who attended the Seminar. Three colleagues were invited to give a speech. Ben Rivers, who works in Jenin, Palestine, gave us a lecture about The Freedom Theatre in Jenin and the Playback Theatre in many Palestine villages. Nevzat Uctum Muhtar, gave us a lecture about the situation of the Women living in shelters and about the present situation in Turkey.  Mona Rakhawy, President of  the Egyptian Association of Group Psychotherapy  gave us a lecture of Group psychotherapy in Egypt in these difficult crisis. Iafi Shpirer, who works in Israel near the border with the Gaza strip, gave us a lecture on her  work with children in groups in this very conflictual area.

The lectures were very interesting and Monica Zuretti from Buenos Aires, Argentina, invited to be the discussant, shared how groups and cooperation were important in Argentina’s social and economic crisis. Many questions to the speakers arose from the participants.

The Task Force Members Judith Teszary, Maurizio Gasseau, Galabina Tarashoeva, Marcia Karp, Eva Fahlstrom and Leandra Perrotta lead a sociodrama  workshop in the conference on Friday 6th September titled  “Imagine giving peace a hand” with 27 participants.
The sociodrama workshop was very intense and deep and there were colleagues who work in Israel and in Palestine.

The next Task Force Meetings and Seminars will be held in Lisbon on Sunday 23th March 2014 during the FEPTO Annual meeting and in the University of Istanbul in October 2014.

In Lisbon, in the Task Force meeting the members will vote for the transformation of the denomination from FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution to FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Transformation.

Maurizio Gasseau
Co-chair FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution
m.gasseau@univda.it

The psychodrama group in the IAGP training in
The Treatment and Rehabilitation Center
for Victim of Torture in Ramallah

7. How to make peace as exciting as war? Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution in March 2013

We met in Budapest for the first time at the FEPTO annual meeting. Usually we have two meetings a year. One, during the AM and another one, a specific seminar on different topics in different countries.
Those were held in Oslo, 2007; Stockholm 2008, Turin, 2009, Uppsala, 2010; Sofia, 2011.
FEPTO TFPC presented a workshop the 3rd IAGP Mediterranean Congress in Barcelona and a course in 17th IAGP Congress in Rome. Natasha Navarro had a beautiful manifestation by teaching people how to make paper doves and many participants were doing this in their breaks.

Oslo 2007, the meeting was organised by Melina Meyer – NIKUT.
The main question for the newborn group was: What draws us together? What is our vision? Who are we? Planning of the workshop in Barcelona. The focus of the workshop in Barcelona; how to create the third place in conflict resolution and what is it? Melinda Meyer and Arne Husjord warmed the group up to the topic. Monica Westberg presented her work with refugees Melinda presented on the topic and future research program on “Testimony and Trauma”. Jorge and Natacha presented from their work with “Peace construction groups”.

Torino 2009, the meeting was organized by Leandra Perrotta and Maurizio Gasseau. It was decided that goals of Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution are: Train the Trainers, Help the Helpers, Research, teaching and supervision and intervision on Peace work and conflict transformation.
In Torino we did seminars of intervision and sharing of experiences and techniques. Melinda Meyer spoke of the history of the Task Force and mapping. Norbert Apter spoke of his experience in Sarajevo and in Congo and presented us with “Four spaces of choice” (Ann Hale’s model). Eva Fahlström Borg spoke of restorative justice – inclusion vs. exclusion.
Judith Teszary spoke of working on peace projects and training ourselves in skills. She presented a paper on meeting of the Swedish Section of FTPCR. Monica Westberg presented models of peace and conflict resolution of Johan Galtung’s model. We agreed that Galabina Tarashoeva will build a structured computerized pool of competencies of the Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution to make us visible. (What we can do; With whom; In which language; Treatment or Training). Collect our experiences and skills – Pool of providers – Different models – Target groups.
We need to be a learning and a reflective group.

Uppsala 2010 the seminar was organised by Eva Fahlström-Borg and Judith Teszáry. Göran Högberg, one of the founders of FEPTO, had a very interesting lecture: ”Current Trends in Psychotraumatology”. Per Allan Olsson had a short lecture about his experiences from the West Bank and the Gaza as the chief representative of Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/IFRC. Both were a fine, informative and inspirational contribution to further our task force work together. We agreed that Nevzat Uctum Muhtar would put up a Google group for discussion. This group will only be open to Members of FEPTO TFPC. Eva presented the Time Map structure as a possible instrument to use in the process of whatever work we do as conflict management.

Sofia 2011 the seminar was organised by Galabina Tarashoeva. The aim of the seminar was to present models, theories and practical applications of different peace intervention models. There is a need to knit together the goal of the TF and the needs of the world. Manuela presents a model of Sphinx and Sociatry. We explored ourselves in the four roles: emotional, physical, energetic and mental. Understand the truth of this group. Gabriella Nicotra presented the project: ”The adolescent, his group and his relationship with significant other people.” Judith presented “The non-violent philosophy and strategies of Mahatma Gandhi”. Marcia presented what worked in the use of psychodrama during the Falkland war between Argentina and England. Mutual hearing of the pain of both sides. We had a Skype meeting with Iafi and her presentation of her work with children near Gaza.

We should present ourselves at the GA as available to be used within FEPTO, within and between the training organisations if it is wished. Possible cooperation with the Ethics committee in function of mediators and with the training committee in order to implement peace and conflict resolution training as continuing further education in the training curriculum. Specific training of trauma. We wish to provide a collection of didactic material (theory, method and practice) and a bibliography on these matters.

Further plans: We wish to cooperate with IAGP Educational Committee, Trauma disaster Committee and with the Psychodrama Section of IAGP.
The freedom and the boundaries of TFPC are under continuous discussion.
Preparation of a Sociodrama workshop at 4th International Sociodrama conference on Iseo, Italy.

We open the group for FEPTO members who actively wish to be a part of this work. Welcome to our next meeting in Santander Sunday 2.30 PM – 6.30 PM.

Judith Teszáry and Maurizio Gasseau

8. Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution report in March 2011

FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution met for the first time in Budapest FEPTO Annual Meeting. Usually we have two meetings each year, once in the FEPTO Annual Meeting and another in a specific seminar, which was done in Oslo 2007, Stockholm 2008, Torino 2009 and Uppsala 2010.

FEPTO Task Force for Peace and conflict resolution presented a workshop in the 3rd IAGP Mediterranean Congress of Barcelona and a course in the 17th IAGP Congress of Rome. In the Seminar in Turin the Task Force members decided to be a closed group for two year. Only representatives of member institutes of FEPTO or founding members in good standing can be members of the TF for Peace and must be colleagues who have earlier participated in TF meetings. At present the coordinator of the TF for Peace are three: Eva Fahlström Borg, Maurizio Gasseau, Melinda Meyer and they will be in charge until FEPTO Annual meeting of Jerusalem.
Members of the Task Force are: Agnes Dudler, Gabriella Nicotra, Galabina Tarashoeva, Judith Teszary, Leandra Perrotta, Marcia Karp, Monica Westberg, Norbert Apter, Jörg Burmeister, Natasha Navarro, Kostas Letsios, Manuela Maciel, Monica Zuretti, Kerstin Jurdell, Arne Husjord.
It is now time for the group to create a more formal structure and that will be discussed in Neve Shalom

Last year in Torino, Leandra Perrotta and Maurizio Gasseau organized the seminar. It was decided that goals of Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution are: Train the Trainers, Help the Helpers, Research, and teaching and supervision and intervision on Peace work and conflict transformation.
In Torino we did seminars of intervision and sharing of experiences and techniques. Melinda Meyer spoke of the history of the Task Force and mapping. Norbert Apter spoke of his experience in Sarajevo and in Congo and presented us with “Four spaces of choice” (Ann Hale’s model).

Eva Fahlström Borg spoke of restorative justice – inclusion vs. exclusion; making amends. Judith Teszary spoke of working on peace projects and training ourselves in skills, presented a paper on meeting of the Swedish Section of FTPCR. Monica Westberg presented models of peace and conflict resolution and Mahatma Gandhi – non violence conflict resolution, and Johan Galtung model.

Norbert Apter suggested that Galabina Tarashoeva would build a structured computerized pool of competencies of the Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution to make our visibility. Galabina Tarashoeva will collect from the group and build a structured computerized pool of competencies (What we can do – With whom – In which language -Treatment or Training, Collect our experiences and skills – Pool of providers – Different models -Target groups)
We need to be a learning and a reflective group.

We decided to ask FEPTO for some money for the organization of meetings. The application for a budget of 500 € for the organization of the Seminar of Uppsala was asked to the FEPTO Board. Maurizio Gasseau after a meeting with Ursula Hauser, main trainer and coordinator of a long term Training Project in Gaza, supported by the NGO ‘medico international Switzerland’, received a mail were Ursula Hauser wrote:

I hope that colleagues from the FEPTO and the Psychodrama Section of the IAGP could travel to Gaza and help growing the Psychodrama movement in Gaza!…The group of 15 members who started the training at the GCMHP (Gaza Community Mental Health Program) and the UPMRS (Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Society) are founding their association called: Psychodrama Association Without Borders…Most important is their work with traumatized children and adolescents, but also with women at the WEP (Women’s Empowerment Program), where one of our group colleagues is the actual Director…this commitment is not only a support for the group in Gaza, but it will also mean an important issue in the field of conflict resolution, and of course for our working towards peace and justice in the Middle East

This request was strongly discussed among the Task Force members and we received also as Task Force a letter from the FEPTO Council that stressed on the statute article 2nd. The Council wrote “When we look at the tasks your network group is focusing on “…with the task of carrying out research on Action Methods useful in the work for conflict resolution, sharing this method among the FEPTO trainers and the FEPTO Trainer Organizations and presenting the results of this sharing of professional experience with groups in International Congresses and Symposia, Conferences and Events presented under the name of FEPTO TASK FORCE for Peace and Conflict Resolution…”
Your work is completely in accordance with the purposes of FEPTO. In no point it is mentioned and intended that this network group is interfering in any conflict outside the group.” Task Force members decided to discuss in next meeting in Neve Shalom procedures for Action, role of FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Boundaries. Our last seminar was in December in Uppsala and Eva Fahlstrom organized very well the Seminar and invited two guests.

Göran Högberg, one of the main founders of FEPTO, had a very interested lecture: ”Current Trends in Psychotraumatology”. Per Allan Olsson had a lecture about his experiences from the West Bank and the Gaza as the chief representative of Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/IFRC.
Both were a fine, informative and inspirational contribution to further our task force work together.

We decided that Nevzat Uctum Muhtar would put up a Google group for discussion. This group will only be open to Members of FEPTO Task Force.
The offer to the Task Force of Hilde Gött and Yaacov Naor to go to Auschwitz for a workshop “Traces of the Holocaust” was discussed. Many members were interested but there was a discussion whether participation should be as a group or as individuals. Also dates were discussed.

We decided that Sunday March 27, 2012, in Neve Shalom-Educational Arab-Jewish Peace Village next to Jerusalem, will be the FEPTO Task Force and Conflict resolution Annual Meeting from 10am-4pm at the place of the FEPTO meeting.

Maurizio Gasseau

9. Minutes of FEPTO Task Force Uppsala Sweden, December 10th-12th, 2010

Two invited guests. Göran Högberg had a lecture:  ”Current Trends in Psychotraumatology”; Per Allan Olsson had a short lecture about his experiences from the West Bank and the Gaza as the chief representative of Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/IFRC. Both were a fine, informative and inspirational contribution to further our task force work together.

  1. Marcia Karp was appointed to take the minutes, Judith Teszáry editor of the minutes.
  2. Who are we? Who is a member of FEPTO Task Force? Through the letter of the Chairs of FEPTO it was clear that only ”representatives of member institutes of FEPTO or founding members in good standing can be member of committees and network groups of FEPTO”. In Torino we decided that the TF should be closed for two years counting the time from the Belgrade meeting 2010. As members of the TF group are those colleges who have earlier participated in TF meetings and who actively wish to be part of the TF.
  3. Coordinators: Eva Fahlström, Maurizio Gasseau and Melinda Meyer were appointed coordinators in Ghent for the Task Force. In today’s meeting the group decided that the time of this mandate will expire at the next FEPTO meeting. We appreciate their work but feel it is now time for the group to create a more formal structure in a democratic and transparent way. We wish to clarify roles. All this his can be discussed over internet and election for those roles will be held in Jerusalem.
  4. Nevzat Uctum Muhtar will put up a Google group for discussion. This group will only be open to Members of FEPTO TF.
  5. Sunday March 27, 2012, Jerusalem, will be the FEPTO Task Force. From 10am-4pm at the place of the FEPTO meeting. Agenda to be approved.
  6. Marcia proposed that Eva and Maurizio answer the Chairs of FEPTO and send the letter to the Task Force for editing before the letter is sent. Motion is passed.
  7. Eva and Maurizio will formulate a letter to Ursula to answer her letter. It will contain an appreciation and confirmation of receipt of the letter. Also that the Task Force is processing her letter and deciding our role with regard to her request. This discussion can continue both on internet and in Jerusalem, with more Task Force members, when we meet at that time.
  8. The offer to the Task Force of Hilde Gött and Yaacov Naor to go to Auschwitz for a workshop “Traces of the Holocaust” was discussed. The dates proposed by them are either  August 11-15 or August 18-22 or November 10-14.
  9. An answer to Peter Kellermann’s letter was discussed. Judith and Maurizo had already independently answered him. Maurizio read to us his letter to Peter Felix Kellerman. In Maurizio´s letter it was clarified that psychodrama can be used by many.
  10. Marcia and Judith will send a short report for the FEPTO News to Horatiu.
  11. The FEPTO Task Force for Peace and Conflict Resolution title was discussed.

Marcia Karp and Judith Teszáry

10. Summary Peace Task Force meeting in Rome, August 2009

We all agreed to meet in Torino in January 2010. Our main discussion was on what our group viewed as the focus of our work and what actions we would like to carry out in the future.
Four areas emerge from the groups’ knowledge and experience:

  1. Helping the helpers who work with conflict and crises situations: war, refugee camps, social change programs…
    Since the event of PTSD as a specific criteria-defined diagnosis in the diagnostic and statistical manual III of the American psychiatric association in 1984 there has been an explosion of research on the epidemiology, biology and treatment of PTSD. The diagnoses emerge because of the medical symptoms many Vietnam vets were suffering from without receiving social security. A diagnosis was necessary if justice was going to be given to these traumatised soldiers. Later we have learned that the helpers of traumatised people become co-owners of the traumatic event(s). Over time they may develop emotional fatigue, secondary traumatisation or vicarious traumatisation. The same symptoms the clients are suffering from emerge in the helpers such as sleeplessness, helplessness, no hope, lack of imagination…
    Spontaneity training, future projection and scenario play are all psychodrama methods that enhance resilience. Taking the health workers out of the conflict situations on a regular basis to a “third place” would be a palliative intervention that could be institutionalised; Health workers in Gaza, in the West Bank, Rwanda…could participate together in workshops organized by us.
  2. Training peace negotiators in psychodramatic methods and theory.
  3. Early intervention with applying different models that have been developed and demonstrated in our group.  Testimony, scenario, Eva Fahlström work that was demonstrated in Rome and other methods shared at the workshop in Rome.
  4. Doing research through NGOs, UN, WHO, UNHCR on what is needed and where.

Ideas for our meeting:

What worked in Rome?
Can we make a small project that we can evaluate and write about?
Who is motivated to do what and where?

Melinda  Meyer