Our Work

Peace-Building, Conflict Resolution, Empowerment, and Lifting One Another Up Meaningfulworld Humanitarian Mission in Armenia Dr. Ani Kalayjian & Marian Weisberg The Meaningfulworld Humanitarian Mission began on August 28, 2014, with the following goals: 1. Train participants in the 7-Step Integrative Healing Model; 2. Start a Suicide Hotline, as one of the first projects of Meaningfulworld Armenia; 3. Train psychologists to work at the Suicide Hotline; 4. Train psychology faculty and students in trauma healing; 5. Help transform Horizontal Violence; 6. Conduct research on the impact of trauma, forgiveness, and meaning-making; 7. Work with refugees from Syria; 8. Work with orphans in a children’s center; and 9. Start Peace & Forgiveness Gardens. On the first day Dr. Ani met with local collaborators Karen Gargaryan and Aramazt Kalayjian at the Independence Square in Yerevan, Armenia, for an open-air public gathering to conduct the mind-body-eco-spirit healing program. Many people gathered around a banner that said “Meaningfulworld Armenia: When one helps another, both become stronger.” The Armenian TV was also there to interview Dr. Ani on the goals of this Humanitarian Relief. Meaningfulworld’s previous mission in Armenia was in October of 2013. On August 31 close to 30 psychology professors and masters students gathered at the Yerevan State Apovian Pedagogical University for a workshop on peace-building, conflict transformation, and mindfulness. More than five universities were represented, making our outreach expand to close to 1,000 people. Participants were very enthusiastic, involved, and curious; they asked many questions and shared their feelings. Five of the participants had read V. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, and only two practiced yoga and meditation. But they were all eager to commit to an ongoing practice. Forgiveness was a particularly complex concept to grasp, as Armenian soldiers are killed daily at the borders with Azerbaijan, and the conflict rages on with regard to Karabakh. How do we remember while forgiving? was a challenging question for many. Why forgive if the aggressor would repeat the violence? was another challenging concept. Also, How to send love to Turkey and Azerbaijan while they continue oppressing Armenia through blockade and ongoing gunfire? On September 1 the Meaningfulworld team was invited to speak at the Arno Babajanyan State Philharmonic Hall, organized by Armenian Constitutional Rights Protective Centre (ACRPC). Participants were high-level interdisciplinary leaders of Armenia: Emanuel NGO For Child Rights and Protection, Khazer NGO for Ecology and Climate Change, Inst. for National Education, Inst. of Philosophy, Sociology, and Law, Inst. of Physics, ACRPC, the Armenian Radio, and Shoger NGO, working on Sustainable Development. Dr. Ani presented on “Rights or Privileges: UN MDGs to SDGs: Human Rights For All.” First, Dr. Ani was interviewed on Radio Armenia and the segment aired the same night. A very lively, in-depth, and heated discussion took place regarding where Armenia’s development is at this point. Basically there were many measurable improvements in all eight Millennium Development Goals except the first one, which addresses poverty, as Armenia is suffering from an economic crisis. As for the third goal, promote gender equality and empower women: Although Armenian women enjoy educational, social, and employment rights, they do lag behind in the political arena. Recommendations for future partnership were developed, addressing Goal #8. The program was very well received and the audience was represented by government, academia, and civil society. On September 2 the Team was joined by Marian Weisberg, a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City. The team traveled three hours to Yerevan State University’s Ijevan Branch. In attendence were 34 students of psychology (including three males) in the age range of 17-21 years. They gathered with open hearts and were attentive, curious, confident, and excited to participate in a long workshop on Peace-Building, Conflict Transformation, Mindfulness, and Self-Care on Mind-Body-Eco-Spirit levels. They clearly accepted the pledge for peace even as close to 50% of them were directly traumatized by the conflict with Azerbaijan, as reflected in the answers to the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). They live in close proximity (5-15 km) from the border of Azerbaijan. Strengths were: very interested to open up and release tension from their hearts, and being transformed with feelings of joy. Special essential oils were distributed and the participants chose citric/grapefruit essential oil for joy, rather than lavender for calming. In spite of the conflict they showed remarkable zest, attention, and concentration for knowledge on peace-building and transformation of conflict. Challenges were: being able to live within 5-15 km of Azerbaijan and handle the tension while keeping up an appearance of normalcy; integrating and participating in body work as a form of release of their trauma; notably, males in the group have to be ready to be drafted (mandatory) into military service and were uncomfortable with expressing feelings; a general discomfort for participants stemmed from physical touch and physical massage. Recommendations: writing down goals and evaluating them weekly; using diaphragmatic breathing instead of chest breathing; starting neighborhood associations; taking an oath for inner peace in spite of conflict at the border; and being open to exploring new healing modalities. Students expressed that they learned a lot; they were grateful for new modalities, and they felt much relief. On September 3 the Meaningfulworld team conducted a workshop at the State University of Yerevan’s sociology department. The theme of the workshop was Peace-Building, Conflict Transformation, Forgiveness, and Mind-Body-Eco-Spirit Health. Forty third-level students participated with curiosity and eagerness to learn new and integrative healing models. Dr. Ani presented an interactive PowerPoint lecture and discussed coping with difficult feelings such as anger, which interferes with peace-making. The students were asked to describe what angers them. Lying, injustice, and being misunderstood were high on their lists. When questioned about violence against women, the average amount of violence that they estimated to be perpetrated against women was 70%, while the three males in the class felt it was only 10-30%. Participants were encouraged to pledge to peace, and they enthusiastically participated. Also shared was the importance of developing Neighborhood Associations, Peace & Forgiveness Gardens, and Beautification Clubs starting with their

ATOP MEANINGFULWORLD MIDDLE EAST TRAUMA RELIEF MISSION TARGETS REFUGEES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS Workshops, trainings, healing, empowering and educating for continued psychosocial,physical, ecological and spiritual recovery in Palestine, Jordan and with Syrian Refugees Susan Smith and Dr. Ani Kalayjian     Imagine you are forced to leave your home in the middle of the night with nothing but your pajamas, witnessing people being shot to death in front of you, while hearing loud bombing and shelling at your neighbor’s home, not knowing where to go? How to save your life and protect your children and family? Imagine not having anything to eat or drink, and not being able to shut the hunger cries of your child? This is only a small picture of what is happening in Syria. ATOP Meaningfulworld, continuing its humanitarian outreach in the Middle East embarked in a Humanitarian Mission in May 2014, to transform and help heal some of these emotional wounds. Although our direct outreach was to 500 individuals, our indirect outreach estimated at 30,000. The focus of this “Empowerment for Peace Building” mission was to observe, learn, educate, conduct research, share, transform and heal the wounds of direct, collective, vicarious and intergenerational trauma. ATOP Meaningfulworld’s Team comprised of Dr. Ani Kalayjian, Susan Smith, and her daughter Dareen Qaddoumi. In Jordan we were joined by Kathy Hansen and her son, Kier Hansen. We first began working in Palestine, as the continued trauma has had a severe scars and The Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) reactions in the community, especially with the youth. We delivered workshops and trainings to Palestinian refugees and mental health, education, and community-based service providers in the West Bank’s Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, Al-Faraa Refugee Camp in Nablus, the Palestine Union of Social Workers and Psychologists in Al-Khalil (Hebron), and as well as to professionals at Bayt Sahour YMCA. Participants ubiquitously spoke of ongoing suffering, hardship, loss and trauma as a result of the 65-year Israeli brutal military occupation, and the hardships and difficulties of being land-locked and strangled by a 450 mile concrete barrier erected by Israel and condemned by United Nations General Assembly resolutions and the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Denied the ability to travel to the land of their birth, visit relatives, seek medical assistance or visit holy sites in Jerusalem. Palestinians have suffered and endured inhumane military domination in wholesale violation of the International Declaration of Human Rights for four generations. Workshop and training participants resounded with a clarion call to end the Israel occupation and the resultant collective, horizontal and individual chronic trauma they face daily. ATOP Meaningfulworld started with a full-day of training programs in Bethlehem, Palestine at Aida Refugee Camp’s Lajee Center. Aida Camp was established in 1950 predominantly by refugees from Jerusalem, and currently has a population 9,700. Dr. Kalayjian conducted two workshops, one with youth and the other with women who have experienced trauma of unjust imprisonment of their family members in Israeli prisons. She assessed mild to moderately severe trauma and PTSD symptoms. Adolescents expressed concerns about grades, economic hardship and the dearth of opportunities and daily stress of living with the Israeli-erected wall, and having to spend hours daily at checkpoints. That day, Dr. Kalayjian worked single handedly as two members of the team had been detained for eight hours without cause by Israeli security forces at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. The two Americans were interrogated repeatedly regarding the purpose of their trip and pried for the list of individuals and organizations they would be meeting. Israeli security went into their cell phone directories, email and Facebook accounts before releasing them. That evening our team regrouped and proceeded to Ramallah via the road and checkpoints for those without Israeli citizenship or in the company of an Israeli citizen. The trip from Bethlehem, which takes 30 minutes via the road reserved for Israelis, took more than two hours. Upon entering Ramallah city limits, an Israeli government sign warned Israeli citizens that it is against the law to enter the city, which it described as “dangerous to your lives.” After a restful sleep in the hilly and breezy city of Ramallah, we continued to Al-Faraa Refugee Camp, population 8,000, established in Nablus in 1950 by an influx of refugees originating primarily from the Haifa region of what is now Israel. There the team has the unique opportunity to introduce the 7-Step Integrative Healing Model to 20 male students ages 14-27. At first, the males were reluctant to discuss their emotional issues and when asked to fill out the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, many gave the knee-jerk response, “I have no problem, no trauma.” However, when encouraged over the course of the workshop participants began to open up and disclose pervasive challenges emerged regarding anger and resentment at the Israeli occupation, the wall, and the checkpoints. This unresolved trauma can and has manifested into Horizontal Violence, which occurs when oppression for many years results in a power imbalance whereby the negative response is directed at one’s community, family and self. Dr. Kalayjian faced some resistance in discussing forgiveness as an intrinsic part of the healing process and said, “The vicious cycle of violence continues unless replaced with positive thoughts, behaviors and emotions. War will not regain Palestine; killing will not secure peace, which is a short term reaction, and not a solution. We must come up with positive ways to deal with the frustration. Buddha said, ‘while killing a monster, don’t become that monster.’ In thwarting the cycle of violence in which the oppressed becomes the oppressor, whether through war, internecine violence, domestic violence, Horizontal Violence, familial dysfunction or self-destruction behaviors, she urged workshop attendees to transform themselves and limit the transmission of intergenerational trauma. She encouraged young people to use alternative, proactive and positive means to express themselves such as galvanize and gain global support and personal relief through Social Media. She encouraged every group to take an “Oath for Peace,” and every group without exception

ATOP Meaningfulworld Humanitarian Mission to Haiti: Follow up Community Healing and Meaning-Making for a Healthy Haiti Emily Bales, Dr Ani Kalayjian, Alexa Kauffman, Shayla Tumbling    Haiti has been in a state of turmoil for decades. The problems the people of Haiti face on a day-to-day basis are enormous. According to reports from globalissues.org, Haiti is ranked as one of the world’s poorest countries when it comes to economy, healthcare, and resource distribution (Shah, 2010). Even acquiring basic necessities such as food and untainted water is a daily struggle. Cholera has ravaged Haiti since the Earthquake back in 2010 and as many as 8,450 people have died from contaminated water (UN, 2014). These unresolved issues leave the people of Haiti in constant fear, unable to live their daily lives safely and in good physical and emotional health. Still today, four years later, Haiti is trying to rebuild and reconstruct these damages, but has made little advancement. As of 2013, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation reported that some 358,000 of the Haitian people still live in poorly maintained camps, because their homes are still in ruins (Schwartz, 2013). CBC also reports that a major portion of funding for reconstruction has been lost within a corrupt Haitian government, leaving the Haitian people nearly helpless in obtaining fulfillment for their basic human needs such a food, shelter, health-care and work. Unfairness from the government and the devastating earthquake are external forces, which creates the internal social and personal struggles that 99% of Haitians face. Association for Trauma Outreah & Prevention (ATOP) Meaningfulworld, is a not-for-profit NGO affiliated with the UN, which helps aid in emotional well-being of people who have experienced both political and ecological trauma. Meaningfulworld is dedicated to fostering a meaningful, peaceful, and just world in which every individual enjoys physical, mental, social, ecological, and spiritual health. A sense of meaning, peace, and justice, although unique to each individual, is achieved through a transformative journey that integrates knowledge and experience with a sense of responsibility and reflection. This transformative process is also attained through healthy relationships that nurture open, honest, and transparent communication, insight into forgiveness, love and spiritual connection, and active collaborations (Kalayjian, 2014). In Haiti we wish to inspire such communication and connection through workshops, group discussions, meditation, and energetic chakra balancing exercises. With the help of our 7-step the Biopsychosocial and Eco-Spiritual model of healing after trauma, previous teams were able to facilitate forgiveness and decrease the trauma symptoms (Kalayjian, 2012). The past eight ATOP Humanitarian Missions to Haiti, which began in 2010 immediately after the earthquake, have served over eight thousand survivors, including children. Our team has also been training students of psychology, social work, nursing, as well as faculty, administrators, lawyers, and teachers in the integrative healing model. As recently as 2012, there were still moderate levels of trauma, as we reach out to new communities who are still suffering. Through healing and forgiveness, the community will be able to recover, empower, and find positive meaning. As an aspiring psychologist, I, Alexa Kauffman, join the ATOP team in the hopes of bringing some emotional and spiritual healing to the people of Haiti. I currently am a student at Teachers College of Columbia University where I plan on graduating with a master in psychology degree in 2015. Past personal trauma has led me to understand my purpose in this world is to help myself, and then others create and establish meaningful connections in their life which can help bolster their resilience during times of trauma. As an American and lifelong New Yorker, I have been blessed to grow up in a place where my psychological and safety needs have always been met. With this gratitude, I would like to help share this sense of security with others around the world who struggle with feeling secure in their most basic of needs. I look forward to visiting Haiti, and working with the people in the continued effort to bring them some emotional relief. I, Emily Bales, am a first year student in the master program at Teachers College Columbia University. Dr. Kalayjian helped me on my personal path of forgiveness and introduced me to the Biopsychosocial and Eco-Spiritual model of healing, which has profoundly influenced my life. It is with this new sense of purpose that I join the ATOP team. My hope is that I can share this feeling of peace with the people of Haiti, and help them find the strength and peace within themselves, so that they can heal from the everyday traumas they face. My name is Shayla Tumbling, I am a graduate student completing my doctorate in Counseling Psychology. I have had the pleasure of participating in two previous Humanitarain Missions to Haiti and providing services to different communities. I love the ATOP mission & Humanitarian Outreach. Being able to volunteer & provide training and services to the international community fits in line with my life & career goals. I am Dr. Ani Kalayjian, President and Founder of ATOP Meaningfulworld, and Professor of Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Haiti has been in our hearts and souls and has motivated us to plan an outreach annually since 2010. We have a deep connection with the people, and we empathize with their suffering from the devastating earthquake, the political dysfunction, the horizontal violence, as well as the everyday human-made traumas. Our goal is to nurture a generation of conscientious Haitians who are motivated with love, inclusion, forgiveness, and unity to help one another. Our motto is: When one helps another, BOTH become stronger. Meaningfulworld Haiti team in 2012 Meaningfulwrold’s Kathryn Kaze in 2011 References Kalayjian, A. (2012). Mission Statement. Meaningful World. Retrieved 24 Apr.2014.<meaningfulworld.com> Kalayjian, A. (Summer, 2012). ATOP Meaningfulworld Psychosocial Rehabilitation Mission for Haiti: Healing, Ecology & Spirituality: Utilizing the 7-step Integrative Healing Model in Haiti. International Psychologist, 52(3) pp 24-26. Kalayjian, A. (2011, Spring) ATOP Meaningfulworld‘s Psychosocial Rehabilitation Training and Healing Groups: One-Year Follow-Up to the Earthquake in Haiti. International Psychology Bulletin,