"Human rights perspectives of traumatisation,
humiliation, shame, loss and grief"
20 and 21 March 2004
Organisers
The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, The Turkish Medical Association,
The Swedish Red Cross and The Norwegian Medical Association
Overriding objective
To give the participants a broader understanding of the ethical
and human rights perspectives of traumatisation, humiliation,
shame, loss and grief. Historical and clinical perspectives will
also be discussed.
Target group
Physicians and other health personnel working with traumatised
patients and organised violence.
Format
The conference will combine plenary lectures and workshops.
PROGRAMME
Saturday
Plenary
Three consecutive presentations, 30 minutes each - 5 minutes for
questions - 40 minutes general discussion after the three presentations
| 09:30-10:05 |
Traumatisation, humiliation, shame, loss and grief - a
historical perspective by Sverre Varvin
|
| 10:05-10:40 |
Traumatisation, humiliation, shame, loss and grief - an
ethical and human rights perspective by Turgut Tarhanli
|
| 10:40-11:00 |
Refreshments |
| 11:00-11:35 |
Traumatisation, humiliation, shame, loss and grief - a
clinical perspective by Sahika Yuksel
|
| 11:35-12:15 |
Discussion
|
Workshops |
|
| 12.15-12:30 |
Introduction to the workshops
Each workshop starts with a 15 - 20 minutes introduction
to the topic. The introduction should:
- "State of the art" - what do we know about
this issue
- The health professionals' role in relation to loss
and grief processes
- Suggest what is needed on a social/cultural level to
use collective processes to heal loss and grief
- The human rights perspective of loss and grief processes
The workshop appoints moderator and rapporteur.
The workshops are gathered till 17:00 with a break for
lunch between 13:30 and 15:00. At 17:00 we convene in the
plenary room for a discussion structured according to the
four topics above.
|
| 12:30-17:00 |
Workshops |
| 13:30-15:00 |
Lunch |
Workshop 1 Rape as human rights violations
Introduction by Birgit Lie, Norway
Moderator:
Rapporteur:
Rape as part of organised violence and human rights violations
is a problem in most societies and conflicts throughout the world.
Many women are reluctant to report rape. The most common reasons
given by victims for not reporting these crimes are the belief
that it is a private or personal matter and that they fear reprisal
from the assailant. Many do not trust the police or the judicial
system.
Workshop 2 Loss and grief in therapeutic work
Introduction by Kerstin Eiserman
Moderator:
Rapporteur:
Many traumatised and bereaved persons hold on to their lost objects
in their internal world. The object can neither become alive nor
be accepted as lost and thus mourned. They run the risk of becoming
"perennial mourners". How should one approach this in
therapeutic work?
Workshop 3 Loss, grief and group dynamics
Introduction by
Moderator:
Rapporteur:
Groups may organise themselves around what has been lost (homeland,
culture, position) and the members may share mental representations
of the losses and at the same time share an illusionary hope that
they may be recovered. This may include need for revenge and retaliation
and lead to regressive and destructive group processes. How can
we understand such processes and how can they be prevented?
Workshop 4 Imprisonment and loss with special focus on isolation
Introduction by
Moderator:
Rapporteur:
During the last years Turkey has changed their prison system.
In the traditional prisons, with large dormitories, the prisoners
had the opportunity for contact and social interaction. These
prisons have been replaced with the so-called the F-type prisons.
F-type prisons may lead to regimes of isolation, which could increase
the risk of torture and ill-treatment. This workshop will discuss
the psychological consequences of isolation with special focus
on loss. International rules that regulate the use of isolation
and the doctor's role in declaring prisoners fit for isolation
will be discussed.
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