In both Gaza and Northwest Syria over the last decade, violent regimes have bombed and destroyed hospitals, primary health centres and murdered health workers. Mental health workers work across many health settings, and in community mobile clinics, risking their lives. Mental health workers answer this destruction with care, support and connection with their communities. In what ways are local community-run health services and health work a form of resistance to violence and oppression? A range of scholars, health practitioners and activists will discuss the ways that mental health workers living through bombardments in Syria and Palestine keep going together in the face of violence.
اضغط على الرابط أعلاه للتسجيل في الندوة:
Session 1Keynote presentation4pm Sydney9am Syria, Türkiye and oPT |
"Agency and activism of Palestinian children affected by extreme violence and violation of fundamental human rights" Associate Professor Guido Veronese, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca. Guido is a Clinical Psychologist and individual, marital and family systemic psychotherapist. He got graduated in Clinical and Community Psychology at the University of Padua. He obtained his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Milan-Bicocca, where he currently holds the role of Associate professor and teaches Clinical and Community Psychology. He is widely considered as an expert in intervention on extreme and collective traumas, he works and researches in areas affected by political and military violence and severe human rights violations.
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Short break: 4.45pm Sydney / 9.45am Syria, Türkiye |
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Session 2Panel discussion5pm Sydney10am Syria, Türkiye and oPT |
"Running mental health services under siege in Palestine and Northwest Syria: Shared learnings across two contexts" Panel members:
Each panel member will speak for 5 minutes about what they think is the most important learning they have had about how to keep mental health services going under ongoing bombardment. There will then be a facilitated discussion of how solidarity can be offered to the people of Palestine. |
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Short break: 5.45pm Sydney / 10.45am Syria, Türkiye and OPT |
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Session 36pm Sydney / 11am Syria, Türkiye and oPT |
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Stream 1 - A Critical Analysis of Localisation in MHPSS in Humanitarian Settings
Michael McGrath (UNSW Sydney) "International implementation of localisation can have meaningful benefits for local organisations. He will review the evidence on the ways that localisation can shift the burden onto local organisations without giving them funding, decision-making power or resources in return.
Salah Lekkeh (Hope Revival Organisation, Gaziantep) "An analysis of how contextual factors affect implementation of MHPSS in NW Syria. What is needed for effective local control of MHPSS in NW Syria?"
Fayez Mahamid (An- Najah National University) "The Palestinian Experience Regarding Mental Health Under Occupation." |
Stream 2 - Supporting MHPSS workers through ongoing violence and crisis: the role of supportive supervision
Introduction – Supporting MHPSS workers through ongoing violence and crisis: the role of supportive supervision - Ruth Wells
Gülşah Kurt (UNSW Sydney) and Fatema Almeamari (Koç University, Istanbul) "The protective role of supportive clinical supervision in NW Syria. Presentation of qualitative and quantitative research findings showing improvements of MHPSS worker distress and compassion satisfaction during clinical supervision and maintenance of these effects following the 2023 earthquakes."
Mr Ahmed Khaldo (Syrian Psychologist), Dr Nahla al Haj Hassan (Syrian Psychiatrist); Marwan Diab (Palestinian Psychologist) "What does allyship look like in clinical supervision? Reflections from supervisors supporting MHPSS workers in NW Syria and Palestine"
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Learn More about our Presenters:
Dr. Mohamed Altawil, MA, PhD in Mental Health, and PhD in Clinical Psychology, Founder and Director of Palestine Trauma Centre in Gaza and Palestine Trauma Centre in UK .
Marwan holds a PhD in Psychology from Tampere University in Finland, a Master's Degree in Psychology from the Islamic University of Gaza, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Educational Psychology (community rehabilitation) from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has authored several research publications focusing on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support among war-affected children. He holds a PhD in Psychology from Tampere University in Finland, a Master's Degree in Psychology from the Islamic University of Gaza, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Educational Psychology (community rehabilitation) from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. With 17 years of experience in mental health, he specializes in trauma, addiction, and violence.
Dr Nermin M. Abu Libda is a Palestinian medical doctor, and a public health Master student, during her work as a Research assistant at Gaza Community Mental Health Program, she contributed significantly to various mental research projects and facilitating workshops. Nermin also has a rich field experience as community mobilizer and health educator conducting thousands of household visits and school sessions to educate communities. notably, she coordinated the successful "Sanad Campaign," demonstrating exceptional leadership in crowdfunding to support medical students.
Dr Abdelrahman Y. M. Almqayyad, a Palestinian medical doctor and a master’s student in Epidemiology – public health, he currently serves as the Digital Health Promotion Supervisor for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Gaza Strip. He is also a long time scientific online creator as he founded "Takhial-Imagine” a popular Pop-sciences YouTube channel, he engages over 120K followers, fostering discussions on various scientific topics including promoting mental health awareness. Abdelrahman Tragically lost his entire family during the recent war in Gaza, he is now dedicated to help the people of his community in their grief and healing journey.
Dr. Fayez Mahamid is an associate professor in clinical mental health counseling. He is currently lecturing at An- Najah National University in undergraduate and graduate mental health programs. Dr. Mahamid supervised several projects in the fields of mental health, group therapy, trauma intervention and psycho-social rehabilitation in Palestine, and he also served as a head of Psychology Department and vice dean of the Graduate School of Human Sciences at An-Najah University. His research focus on investigating throughout mixed-methods research designs domains and dimensions of well-being in war-affected populations, therapeutic intervention, trauma intervention, mental health, internet addiction, clinical supervisor, and school counselling.
More information
Sessions will be conducted online with live interpreting between Arabic and English provided through a multi-channel teams meeting. We invite all Arabic speakers to speak comfortably in Arabic if they want to.
The event will be hybrid, with in person guests invited at UNSW Sydney between 4pm and 7pm. Snacks will be provided.