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[Ramallah/Gaza/Jerusalem 27 October 2008] – The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme will hold on 27-28 October an international conference on the state of mental health in the Gaza Strip, particularly in light of the blockade imposed since June 2007.
The event will take place simultaneously through video conferencing in Ramallah (at the Cultural Palace) and in Gaza City (Rashad Al Shawa Cultural Center), starting at 9am.
The conference will serve as a forum for professional discussion and an open exchange of ideas between Palestinian specialists and foreign experts about the impact of the conflict in Gaza on children, families, and communities and to support the development of appropriate mental health and psycho-social services
Over 80 mental health workers and academics from Europe, Africa and North America , and over 500 mental health and human rights workers from the occupied Palestinian territory will discuss and explore the current dire state of affairs in Gaza and look to find short and long-term solutions to the problems.
Media availability: Mental health experts will be available before and during the conference to talk about the unique problems of Gaza from a health perspective.
Members of the press are invited to attend the conference, interview participants and see a different angle to the worsening situation in Gaza.
Alongside the conference, local and international artists will present artworks which focus on the consequences of the blockade on mental health and human rights.
Health Facts on Gaza[1]:
· 95 percent of people were negatively affected by the blockade on Gaza
· 93 percent of people have given up on some daily living requirement
· 96 percent of residents are sad or depressed and studies show that tensions and despair in Gaza are rising
· 47 percent of patients lack medications
· Nearly half of all children have lower energy, suffer physical pain and were unable to complete school assignments.
Mental health experts working in the oPt have expressed concerns about the implications of the current situation in Gaza for the mental health and welfare of the population – particularly for over half a million children who are living in conditions of conflict, isolation and deprivation.
The aim of the conference is to improve the understanding of these issues and to guide the development of appropriate services.
Dr Eyad Sarraj, President of GCMHP, said: "Peace and security of all can only be achieved through lifting the siege, ending the occupation, respect of basic justice and human rights"
The conference is supported by the World Health Organization, through funding from the European Union, and is sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture - Denmark (RCT) and the Palestine Solidarity Association- Sweden (PSA).
*** The Israeli Authorities, in a disappointing decision, have not allowed the international academics and professionals to enter Gaza to attend the conference there and conduct field visits to assess the situation on the ground.
Please see below for a list of participants and conference papers.
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NOTE 1 Study on the effects of the Siege on the quality of life of citizens in Gaza, Dr. Samir Qouta-Head of Psychology Department-Islamic Uni verity of Gaza
To arrange interviews with Palestinian and international experts, to learn more and receive the full itinerary of this conference or to attend, please contact:
Shabtai Gold, Conference Media Liaison: +972-54-4860630
[email protected]
Skype: velvetart
Papers to be presented at the conference include:
"The Siege of Gaza in History: Mental Health and Behavioural Implications"- Prof Frederico Allodi – Near Eastern Cultural and Educational Foundation, Canada"
"Study on the relationship between the siege, quality of life and psychological conditions in Gaza" - Dr Samir Qouta and Ms Aida Kassab, The Islamic University and Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza
"Learning from the past to build for the future – reflections on psychosocial support programs in war-torn countries" – Dr Eleanor Roffman, Lesley University, USA
"Listening to children under siege"- Prof Elsa First, New York University, USA
"Mental Health Workers in Gaza. How can they do their job? How can they survive mentally?"- Prof Wilhelmus Wolters, State University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Other participants: Mark Van Ommeren (WHO), Henry Siegman (Council on Foreign Relations), Dr Michel Okitapoy On'okoko (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda), Prof Uri Hadar (Tel Aviv University) and many more internationals and Gazans.