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Transforming generational trauma, horizontal violence, and trauma of the war in Syria Katherine Kaze and Dr. Ani Kalayjian It was a warm sunny day in October when I first landed in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to begin our Meaningfulworld outreach work. Our work in Armenia began in 1989 immediately after the disastrous earthquake. As our car sped away from the airport, my eyes were greeted by buildings constructed of smooth pink stone placed alongside a number of new construction sites and modern creations. Older citizens from the countryside sold plump fresh fruit on the roadside amid the younger set of well-dressed businessmen and middle-class women. At first impression the city was quite charming – a vivid juxtaposition of ancient and contemporary culture. This was the characterization that would remain with me as the mission progressed. In 10 days’ time, I was introduced to a spirited, proud, and resilient people whose past provides a rich backdrop for a future that is still in transition. Through traditional meals, 13 training programs, and many new connections, it became clear that though much work remains to be done, the passion to complete it is also present. The team consisted of Dr. Ani Kalayjian and myself, and we were joined by Karen Gargaryan from Yerevan. Our first day was dedicated to reflection and organization, with a visit to Dzizernagapert, the memorial monument for the Armenian Genocide. With a burning flame at the center of 12 stone pillars, visitors are made to feel the sense of pride the Armenian people have for their heritage, and a sense of sorrow for those killed during the genocide carried out by the Ottoman Turks. The first half of the week centered on the training of professionals in Yerevan. The first workshop targeted professors of psychology at Yerevan State University’s Pedagogical Institute Psychological Department, with representatives from The Intra Mental Health Center, the Caucasus Institute of Gestalt and Family Therapy, the Armenia Round Table Foundation, and the State University. The team also traveled to the Civil Society Institute to meet with a group of mothers who had suffered the loss of their sons to snipers in the Azerbaijani conflict. One participant described the anger she felt at not receiving the support she needed. The women felt helpless and angry at the lack of recognition for their sons’ sacrifices, with some having come outside for the first time in a year to participate in our workshop. All participants complained of physical ailments such as high blood pressure and skin disorders of unknown origin after the loss of their sons. The team encouraged the women to empower themselves and share information by engaging in mutual support, make a list of their needs, and make use of the 7-Step Model. It was later established with the Chairman of the Board Artak Kirakosyan that the mothers will be offered free weekly therapy and grief-counseling sessions. In a separate training with youth members of PeaceJam, participants were also encouraged to be part of an “adopt-a-mother” program so the troubled mothers can be connected with a support system. Our team conducted its next workshop through the aid of the Minister of Health as well as the Armenian Red Cross. Close to 50 medical doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals attended, providing lively discussion about the idea of transforming the pain and suffering of the Genocide, the negative impact of the Soviet Regime, the devastating earthquake, the 20-year-long war with neighboring Azerbaijan, and leadership challenges after the nation’s independence. They specifically expressed physical pain, backache, stomach acidity, insomnia, as well as anger outbursts and extreme frustration and sadness. At the Nar Dos School in Yerevan, students aged 7 to 9 were drawn from their respective classes to attend a special workshop. These students were refugees of the Syrian war seeking to rebuild in a new home. The most frequently expressed negative emotions were worry, anxiety, and embarrassment. Some expressed feelings of missing their home in Syria and their friends. In an expressive drawing exercise, approximately one-fifth drew their home in Syria and expressed a yearning to return home. Overall the children seemed happy, and their teachers were giving them a lot of positive attention. Additionally we worked with the teachers and their principal. Plans were solidified to continue to provide the school with much-needed supplies, including gym equipment and chalkboards. We then met with psychology and linguistics professionals and social workers at FAR and World Vision. Here a spirited yet agitated discussion regarding the current leadership and political scene in Armenia revealed feelings of helplessness in the face of corruption and dismay at not having a platform for protest. The team encouraged participants to focus on things that they do have control over, like starting an Armenian psychological association and strengthening that organization across Armenia in order to build leverage as a strong professional organization. Truly, it is only united that we will stand strongest. Reinforcing a commitment to initiate positive change, the team also met with Dr. Bruce Boghosian, president of the American University of Armenia, to discuss incorporating gender studies in a meaningful capacity at the university. Dr. Boghosian shared the view that domestic violence was a salient gender issue and a poignant starting point for such a program. Through his network, Meaningfulworld will begin the dialogue that is essential for generating a program on gender studies at the university in collaboration with Barnard College. Further on in the week the team traveled two hours away to Vanadzor to conduct a workshop with psychologists, social workers, and the community at the Armenian Constitutional Rights Protective Centre (ACRPC). A passionate discussion about the issue of domestic violence arose. Participants commented that domestic violence was more prevalent in urban areas and villages and among less-educated communities. They expressed dissatisfaction that domestic violence was not at the forefront of social issues, and the males who were present reaffirmed that it was instead viewed as a cultural norm in line with gender roles

ATOP Meaningfulworld’s Intern volunteers in Jungles of Peru Connecting with joy and gratitude By Danielle Caminneci DanielleCaminneci@gmail.com Gracefully awoken by two monkeys swinging on my mosquito net, I gaze up at the recently sun-lit sky and take my first stretch in the jungle of Manu. Standing up off my mattress, I look around at the empty beds, tie up my net, slip on my flip-flops and grab my towel with the ambition of bathing before its time to set out on our plant monitoring adventure. I without hesitation begin my first journey alone to the waterfall. Slippery rocks, ankle deep creeks and sinking mud make my bare feet more reliable than my flip-flops to trek in. A rejuvenating 15 minutes of deep breathing, careful and quiet walking later I begin to hear the sound of cascading water; after climbing up the last muddy hill, I hop in to the perfectly nature-constructed pool and slither towards the falling sheets. Once standing beneath them, I can hardly help but to shout with excitement and nervousness. This was when I first knew that a week of jungle conservation volunteering was nowhere near long enough. The opportunity to volunteer in the Jungle and learn about plants, animals, survival and about myself was an extraordinary experience that I would relive without hesitation. But when first considering traveling to volunteer I had specific goals in mind. I was looking to help in the field of mental health in another country, so I would be in the best position to observe how the interpretation and treatment of those with abnormalities varies through cultures. Social norms, family traditions, sexual norms, parental styles and family dynamics all vary throughout the world, and with them the study of psychology conforms. There are happy people all over the world, and I find it very interesting the different qualifications people have created to obtain happiness. Through the International Volunteering HQ (IVHQ) organization I was given the opportunity to volunteer my time and my energy with a child psychologist in the city of Cusco, Peru, and on an ecological reserve in the jungle of Manu, Peru. Arriving in the Cusco airport, I was greeted by a volunteer coordinator Maximo Nivel, IVHQ’s partner organization in Cusco. We taxied our way to the volunteer headquarters where I was introduced to volunteers from all over the world. We were each taken to our prospective living quarters for our time in Cusco. “La Florida”, the name of the volunteer house in which I stayed, was truly a comforting and reflective environment. It was a blessing to live with eighteen volunteers of all ages who each spent a good portion of their day volunteering in different areas of the city, doing various projects; from construction, orphan care, afterschool care, nursing home care, to working in a hospital; then come together for dinner every night to share stories and hopes. The house staff was phenomenal, making three meals a day for us and sharing any information that would be helpful to know in our new city. Getting to my volunteer placement was a wonderful experience. Catching the bus on the corner of “La Florida” and travelling fifteen minutes with locals to the hospital definitely helped me to improve my Spanish and gave me a glimpse into the everyday life of a hardworking Peruvian. San Juan Di Dios Clinica, the hospital that I spent everyday of the week from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM was the home to all ages of physically and mentally disabled individuals. A staff of four nurses caring for some thirty people immensely appreciated the help of the five or six volunteers that Maximo Nivel had assigned to them. Evelyn, the psychologist I was partnered with, had her office right outside the hospital. Every day she would see eight patients for 30-minute sessions. The patients varied in ages from four months old to about seven years old. Most of the infants had a form of sensory processing disorder, problems locating sounds, reacting to touch or visual stimuli and paying attention. The older children’s disorders were, for the most part, more developed and noticeable; Down syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder & Autism were common among the patients ranging between the ages of four and seven. A few of the patients were born without limbs; with these children we focused on teaching them to push buttons with what vestiges of limbs they had (while reciting the colors or animals they were pressing). Some were unable to coordinate their movements, with these children we stretched their feet and hands, taught them to clap, catch, take steps, and wave; things people tend to take for granted. Being an undergraduate student of Psychology, I am not taught the hands on aspect of caring. But being an intern with ATOP of Meaningfulworld we are always reinforced the value of mind-body-spirit. Spending a few weeks with Evelyn taught me about play therapy. I learned that a lot of repetition and demonstration are necessary when doing puzzles and using colorful lights to cause visual and auditory stimulation. With the younger children, I learned how to physically stimulate them with massages. It was often a struggle getting the children to become present in the moment; because of this we used a lot of toys that created loud noises, plastic clapping hands, singing pianos, and instructional music were a few of our most used tools to get their attention. Massaging the faces of those with Down syndrome was especially important I was told, in order to improve their muscle tone. Not being able to have in depth conversations with Evelyn due to my inability to express myself in Spanish and hers in English, lead me to be an attentive observer. By watching Evelyn, not only did I learn the physical movements of successfully demonstrating a play therapy session, I learned probably the most important lesson someone in the field of psychology could learn; Love is essential & universal prerequisite to all healing. The language barrier

Humanitarian Outreach to Kenya, Day Five: Meeting Obama’s Grandmother Sept 1, 2010 By Dr. Ani Kalayjian Today I am in Kunya. I awoke from several confusing dreams. I try to recall and share my dreams each morning and learn something about the inner workings of my emotional world, mind, and heart. In my dream I saw my grandmother, who left this material world long ago. I guess since today we will be meeting Grandma Obama, our president’s grandmother, that’s the reason I dreamed of my grandmother. She was very strong and beautiful, and she held the family together. Grandmothers know how to hold the space for all the family—they are the anchor of the families and clans. Especially having survived the Ottoman Turkish Genocide, she helped knit the family into a tight social network with her unique matriarchal management style. We had planned to leave at 8 A.M. sharp… Now this is Kenyan time, which I am sure you have realized is the same in every country. This being-late phenomenon is a contagious one; of course in Mexico it’s Mexican time, in Armenia it’s Armenian time, in Sierra Leone naturally it’s Sierra Leonean time. We all rushed to make it to the main hut by 7:30. Then we had to wait for our driver, Omolo, who is also the nephew of our host, Joyce Oneko, to return from fishing in Lake Victoria (which is the second-largest freshwater lake in the whole world). It is customary here in Kenya to bring fresh fish to the house you are visiting, to share the abundance. Of course we wanted to take the fish to Grandma Obama to share the abundance! On the way to Kogelo, we stopped to meet with George, the director of the sewing school, where we contributed to the students’ experience by asking them to prepare our traditional Kenyan outfits. So we got our measurements taken and chose the fabric and the styles, and our Humanitarian Team agreed to pick up the garments the following day. The roads that connect villages are usually bumpy and unpaved—indeed it was no ordinary ride. We were shaking up and down all the way to Kogelo, while the two fish hung from our driver’s side mirror (which provided natural refrigeration). In the beginning we were given a hard time while trying to enter Obama’s complex because we didn’t bring our passports, so we had to look for other forms of identification. Thank goodness we soon found some other forms of ID and we were granted entry to the compound. The house was a simple structure, with two graves on the left side of it; one is for Obama’s father and the other is for his uncle. After waiting for about 10 minutes, Dr. Sara Obama (she was given an honorary doctorate from University of Kenya) came out in her traditional Kenyan clothes and headscarf. This 88-year-old vibrant smiling woman with cute dimples on both cheeks greeted us with “El Salam ou Aleykum” (“May peace be upon you,” in Arabic), “Karibu” (“Welcome,” in Swahili) and “Jambo” (“Hello” in Swahili). She mentioned she’d been taking a nap since she felt tired because she is fasting for Ramadan, the Islamic holy days. She also shared that she was busy the day before, meeting with ministers and government officials. One of her basic goals and dreams is to educate the girl child; she in fact feeds and helps more than 12 female orphans, who are unable to afford education. Joyce will do an in depth interview with Mrs. Obama in a few weeks, as she is writing a book on the oral traditions passed on generationally through older/wise women, grandmothers of the village. Mrs. Obama was talking a mile a minute and we were all gathered around paying close attention to every word she uttered. Of course we didn’t understand much of it, and we were grateful to Joyce for translating for us. We asked the questions in English—Mrs. Obama could understand a little. I wanted to know how her life had changed since her son, Barak, became the President of the United States, and she said very humbly, “I get to meet people like you, who are coming from all walks of life—people I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise.” We numbered about 10 in our Humanitarian Team and there was so much to ask, as we were wondering about the circumstances of her childhood, among other experiences. When I asked about how best to deal with the issue of illiteracy, especially with regard to the girl child, and how to overcome the male oppression of women stemming from male insecurity and role confusion, her response was, “Only with education can we overcome all these restrictions.” I totally agree; in fact, that is one of the goals of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and that is our goal in WNGE (Worldwide Network for Gender Empowerment). We actually have less than five years left to meet the eight goals set forth by the MDGs. These goals have been signed by all governments and are to be completed by 2015. Right in the backyard, just a few feet away from where we were sitting and visiting with Mrs. Obama, lay President Obama’s father’s grave. Last year on Father’s Day, President Obama said that he grew up without a father in his life. “My father left my family when I was 2 years old, and I knew him mainly from the letters he wrote and the stories my family told. And while I was lucky to have two wonderful grandparents (maternal) who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me, I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood. “In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence—both in my life and in the lives of others. I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to