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Self-Help Action
Supporting Survivors of Torture and Trauma on Bougainville
A Plan
of Small Generalisable Actions
Short Version
Posted Nov 1998. Last Updated April
2014.
Feedback &
Email
Other Links
Long Version
of this Plan
Self Help
Action Rebuilding Wellbeing - A Micro-Project
The Wider Plan
Laceweb Home
Page
CONTEXT
This document is expressed in very
tentative terms because nothing contained in this document could happen
unless the local Bougainville people want it.
SHORT SUMMARY
This document is about
possibilities for small local self-help action supporting survivors of
torture and trauma in Bougainville. It is based on a model that indigenous,
small minority and intercultural people in an informal network in the SE Asia
Oceania Australasia Region have successfully evolved and used in increasing
their own wellbeing for over thirty years.
This plan is part of a
wider plan for the Region. See link above.
The Intercultural
Wellbeing Foundation and the Bougainville Development Foundation are
functional matrices - part of that informal network engaged in self-help
well-being action within the above Region. This Network known by some as the
'Laceweb', has been evolving in remote and rural areas in the Region since
the early 1960's
People from the Laceweb
who have supported themselves and other locals in mutual-help and self-help
on many occasions, may be available to support both the above Foundations and
survivors of torture and trauma in Bougainville. Neither the Foundations nor
the Laceweb is connected with any political group, faction or religion. They
respect spiritual and cultural diversity and humane caring ways of shared
living and governance. Laceweb healing ways may form a basis for supporting
culturally appropriate healing and redevelopment action among
Bougainvillians.
The Laceweb has
demonstrated that traumatised people can provide a healing support to each
other as part of a healing community. It is self help. This is not discussing
a 'service'. People may heal themselves and pass on what works to others.
This help and support may be passed on within an expanding Bougainvillian
network, and thus support may grow exponentially.
Extensive historical
and research material
on the Laceweb and linked functional energies is available. This material has
been prepared in part by a Laceweb Enabler and the Bougainville Development
Foundation's Chairperson for their respective Ph.D. research into the Laceweb
and the participatory self help model(s).
An evolving voluntary
mutual-help and self-help network among Bougainvillians holds forth the
possibility of passing on healing and nurturing ways among the natural
nurturers in the local communities where these nurturers may spread them
widely to others in their communities as locals go about their daily lives.
In this way, anyone who
has been traumatized may potentially become a nurturing healing resource
person for themselves and other locals.
Following many years of
discussions among Bougainville people, members of both Foundations, resonant
networks and Laceweb enablers, an extensive range of themes, processes and
healing micro-experiences may be shared and explored. Micro-experiences may
be easily passed on using experiential
processes.
The Plan may provide
healing support for Children, Adolescents, Women, Men, Families, Communities
and Combatants.
Broad themes:
o
Establishing
rapport
o
Gaining
acceptance of the healing support role
o
Identifying
specific issues to be resolved, including 'being safe' and 'exploitation of
sexual identity'
o
Resolving
anger and violent behaviour
o
Resolving
the effects of psycho-social, physical and sexual abuse - feeling safe again
o
Identifying
and using existing psycho-social resources
o
Healing
grief, shame and loss
o
Letting
go 'war zone' mentality - feeling safe again
o
Using
individual, family and community healing processes
o
Healing
play, games, fantasy and fun
o
Enabling
well-being resources
o
Empowering
well-being
o
Enabling
the building of community; developing resources
o
Forming
support coalitions and fostering support networks and friendship
The Laceweb has tight
'Funding and Evaluation Protocols' - see the Long Version for
details.
The above organic process
is resonant with our local ways within Bougainville and with both the
Foundations and the Laceweb enablers' desire firstly, to use 'self help'
processes and secondly, to stay clear of a kind of pseudo-help that
disempowers and leaves control of process and content to outside 'experts'.
This Plan and the
Micro-proposal may well form a model for wider support of participatory self
help on Bougainville by government and both non government and community
based organisations.
We understanding that the
self help healing network is already evolving in Bougainville. Uncompromising
funding support can see it blossom.
The possibility is that
the further evolving of these healing networks will not only help bring
healing to a war ravaged people, it may well be the major process for
consolidating the peace process.
Anybody funding this plan
and the micro-proposal is funding something that may have Global relevance.
Providing support
Perhaps you may want to support this
Micro-Action and be part of an extra-ordinary healing Odyssey.
Feedback & Email
Other
links:
Long Version
of this Project
Laceweb Home
Page
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