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Field notes from Turkey: Women, faith and trauma amidst horrors of war and hardships in refuge  

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HAD and Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) are currently implementing a one-year research project on the role of faith in trauma responses to Muslim women in Tunisia, Turkey, Syria and Iraq. In this blog post, HAD Fellow Sandra Iman Pertek, reflects on her field trip to Turkey, following a short research visit to Tunisia earlier this year.

My PhD research project explores how religion influences the experiences of abuse and discrimination against refugee and migrant women in Turkey and Tunisia, especially the impact of religion on resilience and vulnerability. My first day in the field in Ankara was the first day of Ramadan and fasting, I trusted that I will find the right people on my way who will willingly aid the ambitious aims of this research. The further I immersed in the community, the more women invited me to their homes and wanted to share their stories voluntary. I felt privileged to listen to the first accounts of these stories.

 

Suffering and horrors, but also kindness and charitable giving

What came out strongly is the volume of suffering and horrors witnessed by refugee women in their countries of origin, contrasted with kindness and charitable giving of Turkish people. I uncovered that dependency on donations in the long-term seriously increases refugee women’s vulnerability. Yet, hope is still there, and many of the people I spoke with have faith and expect that with God’s help, they will be able to change their situations, for example through finding a job or a better accommodation.

 

“What kept them going was their faith”

In my mission I interviewed in total 21 Syrian and 2 Iraqi women, who all sought protection and temporary residence in Turkey after fleeing their countries. All women showed an incredible resilience to manage change and crisis, and most resorted to religious coping methods, which brought them comfort and strength to carry on. Most women I spoke with were mothers. Each and every one of them witnessed conflict, feared for her and her family’s life, lost relatives, lived in camps and at the borders. During refugee journeys of variant length (from a few weeks to many lengthy months), they were forced to hide, run, roll over valleys, climb walls and mountains, feeling that their live was at risk. What kept them going was mentioning God, invoking and talking to God, whilst surviving this crisis of humanity. Most women trusted God in relieving their conditions, taking action to meet their basic survival needs and other active means of coping.

 

Prayer as a means of comfort and inner peace

The women I spoke with told me that God is their only hope and rescue. Despite great sensitivity around discussing religion, often considered as a personal matter with the potential to endanger people back in Syria and Iraq, faith was central in their lives and empowered women to overcome their limitations, whilst mobilising strength beyond their comprehension. Daily prayers, additional prayers and night prayers were means of comfort and finding inner peace in the chaos of their lives. Reading the Qur’an was nourishing and a protective factor in women’s lives, who suffered from daily destitution of economic resources, inadequate housing, the psychological pain of losing relatives and war trauma. The prophetic stories brought to them respite and motivated them to continue their living in dignified ways, no matter in what circumstances.

 

Daily struggles and vulnerability

The daily struggles were a major source of distress and exposed women, most often living alone with children after losing their husbands and male relatives in conflict zones, to greater vulnerability to exploitation, abuse and discrimination by non-family members and sometimes family members too. All women I met were at a risk of sexual exploitation and transactional sex, for food and other necessities, yet they resisted this risk, preferring to eat little or nothing, but maintaining their dignity. Some women, I was told about, were left without choice and had to sometimes resort to harmful coping strategies for them and their children to survive.

 

Major strain on the women’s mental health

In result of the war and resettlement experience, most women I met have been lonely, cautious and not trusting others. The strain on their mental health is major. Many women I spoke with face trauma, are stressed and anxious, because of the war and displacement. Some of them carried with them memories of abuse from childhood and adolescence, which now coupled with new experiences, compound the intensity of trauma suffered. In context of their limited economic opportunities, they use their intrinsic resources and rely on ways of coping that are relatively available to them. Coping methods often rest around available spiritual, faith and religious resources such as prayers, contemplation, recitation of religious scripts and talking to God.

 

Context matters: Syrian refugee women living in Turkey

The level of trauma and well-being seems to predetermine trends in utilising faith beliefs and practices in drawing strength and coping with new life situations, such as destitution, poverty and exclusion. Through the faith lens, women find meaning of, and solutions to, their experiences of violence and abuse. Sometimes mental health disorders decrease women’s ability to utilise some of these relatively available resources. Refugee women living now in Turkey find that religious identity, especially sectarian belonging, seems to play a lesser role than  it did in Syria, where it could lead to one’s life being at danger. Where they reside now, they choose to keep religion as a private domain, and they seek closeness and direct relations with God through reading religious text alone.

 

Stories of pain and sadness, but also little seeds of hope

I returned to Birmingham equipped with the unheard stories of pain and sadness but also carrying with me little seeds of hope. Working with committed translators, visiting Bilkent University as a researcher and finally meeting friendly personnel of  the Red Crescent Turkey (Kızılay), whom I established collaboration with, were additions which made my mission more secure and possible. My next step is analysis and further continuation of my enquiry – yet before that, my next stop is Medinine in Tunisia, to unfold further stories of forced migration, SGBV and religion in my second field research site.

 

Written by Sandra Iman Pertek

HAD Postgraduate Fellow and PhD Student at the University of Birmingham

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Learning & Development: What are we all about?

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So what does the Learning and Development Team do?

If you asked that of most people they’d either say “oh, that’s about training isn’t it?” or possibly, “I don’t know”.

Learning and Development is about so much more than training – providing training courses is one vital part of our work but it is just one part. Learning and Development needs are (and should be) met by using a broad and diverse range of opportunities. Attending training courses, reading articles or books, attending conferences or seminars, secondments, learning from experienced colleagues/managers, coaching, mentoring, reviewing lessons learned from work that went well or not are all perfectly valid activities which should be used to meet learning and development needs.

At HAD, these are the things that we are involved in providing directly or facilitating so the most effective solution to identified learning and development needs is utilised. One of our core beliefs is that learning should be “sticky”. What we mean by that is that, whatever the method used to meet learning and development needs, the individual undertaking that opportunity MUST be able to retain, transfer and – more importantly – apply some learning back at their work place.

Our experienced, skilled and professionally qualified team design, develop and deliver training that is enjoyable, innovative, “sticky” and, most importantly, relevant to the needs identified. Our focus, rightly, is on providing learning and development solutions to NGOs and INGOs but we work outside of that Sector too.

We also provide consultancy, working with Departments and individuals on what the most suitable solution might be to the learning and development needs they have.

For example, we could design an “e” learning module to support (or instead of) a face to face training course that can be accessed to suit an individual’s time frame and location. E Learning opens up a whole new world of learning in as much as it puts the individual in control of when they access it so can be planned to suit work commitments.

Additionally, we have the capacity and capability to deliver respected and trusted psychometric instruments (e.g. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Belbin) – to assist individuals and teams to identify areas in which they want/need to develop in order to be more effective in their personal and professional lives. These instruments form part of our service undertaking learning and development needs analyses (sometimes called Training Needs Analysis or TNA) to help identify the areas requiring work from which we can advise on and/or provide the most effective solution to meet the needs.

Our website shows a range of products and services available but these are not totally exclusive, if you have a learning and development need, contact us – we’d welcome the opportunity to help meet that need with and for you. Learn more about Learning and Development here:https://staging.had-int.org/learning-and-development/

 

Written by Darrell Foster 

Head of Learning and Development

aidex 2019

AidEx Nairobi 2019 – an East African perspective of inclusiveness in the aid and development sector

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Over 11 and 12 September 2019 at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, AidEx; one of the leading platforms for A&D professionals in humanitarian aid and international development, hosted thought-provoking discussions that provided a comprehensive analysis of how inclusive the aid and development sector is fairing in the East African region.  

Expert panellists & development professionals, detailed their stories and projects on the ground and discussed cutting-edge problems faced by communities; on an individual, organisational and global level. In addition to the formation of valuable working relationships, conversations focused on potential solutions, some of which are outlined in the following key highlights.

Day one highlights

For the opening keynote, Head of DFID in Kenya Julius Court focused on inclusion, impact and innovation. He stressed how 16 million Kenyans remain in poverty and that “innovation has the potential to really revolutionise the lives of the poor, unlock development and prosperity accelerating progress towards the Global Goals.”

He told the audience “disability inclusion is an issue that highlights some of the key principles of success for inclusive development” and spoke of the Youth Advisory that was established to gain insight into the level of involvement of young people in strategic work, programme development and communications – an integral move considering 70% of Kenyans are under 30 years old.

 

Digital equality – Katie Drew, Emergency Lab Manager at UNHCR argued how making technology inclusive and sustainable now superseded the concern about whether the right technology could be resourced in the first place; “Refugee connectivity and inclusion is about availability, affordability and accessibility”, she said.

Mark Kamau, Director of User Experience Design of BRCK expressed the need to think about technology from the ground up, always with the end user in mind, with experiences based on what we see. Kamau remarked on the appetite for digital literacy programmes as people want to be more connected in order to learn and educate others.

In shared sentiment, Kenya Red Cross’ Innovations Manager Safia Verjee insisted adequate user-centred design demands an understanding of the challenges faced by the very communities requiring the solutions. “Participation of the end user has created a community innovation space in Lamu, because innovative solutions cannot be based on assumptions but must be co-designed with the community,” she stated.

 

Disability mainstreaming – Action Network for the Disabled’s Advocacy Officer Mwavunah Kazungu spoke about how “attitudinal barriers are the most limiting barriers for persons with disabilities”, whilst Michael Mwendwa of CBM emphasised “nothing without us full stop” in order to achieve fully inclusive participation. Mwendwa also raised the need to build local capacity to ensure inclusive responses to crises, an issue of major importance given people with disabilities disposition to be left most vulnerable in times of humanitarian disaster.

 

Partnerships in poverty alleviation – Elizabeth Corbishley, Chief Scaling Officer at Village Enterprise explains the reasoning behind the process of evidence collection, adaptation of findings to a refugee context and necessity of partnerships for making change happen.

Founder and CEO of Growth Africa, Johnni Kjelsgaard said he believed one solution to improving refugee connectivity is to view refugee camps as a marketplace and hub of entrepreneurship. In consensus, Corbishley highlighted the graduation programme implemented by Village Enterprise in Bidibidi, Rhino Camp and Palorinya settlements in northern Uganda: “We believe entrepreneurship is the way to end extreme poverty and change people’s lives”.

 

Healthcare delivery – Head of Displacement Unit at MSF Spain Ana Santos touched on the importance of taking mental health issues as seriously as physical with psychosocial support in field operations and urged people to understand how innovation transcends technology.  

Medical Director Tom Catena shared his first-hand insight into treating patients with limited basic resources in the war-torn Nuba Mountains and essentially delivering healthcare in challenging environments by innovating without capital or resources. “Imagine a hospital with no infrastructure, only one road which is cut off during rains and being bombed? When you are forced to be creative it is amazing how you can innovate” Catena told participants.

 

Zero Hunger – WFP’s Senior Regional Programme Advisor, Ross Smith presented the case for addressing the link between conflict and hunger, through building social capital, improving community relations and people’s access to natural resources, whilst making efforts to ensure all profit-making activities are generated with a climate conscience. He stated how “we need to work with people on conflict resolution methodologies and to improve state services. As NGOs we are often substituting state services.”

Day two highlights

Youth disability inclusion – Opening day two delivering our morning keynote we had disability advocate Maria Njeri passionately reinforce the need to let people with disabilities be fully involved in the inclusion movement because, “they are the experts of experience, of knowledge and experts of practice, which is why Inclusion is not just inviting people with disabilities to the party but also asking them to dance.” Njeri insisted education is one of the greatest assets to help people with disabilities access exposure of opportunities, which is why making school more accessible is crucial.

 

Faith-based aid delivery – Moderator Reverend Cyprian Yobera asked the panellists to share their thoughts on faith sensitivity in humanitarian and development contexts and reflected on the consensus about using the more inclusive term ‘faith-based organisation’ as opposed to ‘religious’.

Kenya Country Director at Islamic Relief, Obaidur Rehman remarked on how global partnerships help to assist a collaborative and culturally sensitive approach on the ground through reaching out to community leaders and building local capacity for sustainability.

Evans Gacheru, Program Manager at Al-Khair Foundation asserted the need to work with neutrality, impartiality and independence in order to deliver assistance with professionalism regardless of an organisation’s faith-based identity.

 

Localisation – Lydia Zigomo, Oxfam’s Regional Director Horn, East and Central Africa pointed out that the more we seek to make these local partners ourselves by forcing them to implement our systems, the more we deny them who we want them to be. Zigomo expressed the need of unique actors in order to have effective interventions but also asked if we are ready to give away our power in favour of local actors.

Communications are designed for audiences back home where the money is coming from and is therefore unsuitable for local markets, which is why Zigomo contends we must review how we design content to ensure suitability for both local and foreign audiences.

In line with Zigomo, Paul Warambo, Swahili Language Lead from Translators Without Borders rigorously emphasised the absolute imperative of learning and understanding cultural context you are working in being equally as important as providing basic needs like food and water. The NGO sector must make sure whole organisational aid delivery agendas integrate the right communication in the right language and right format.

An audience member raised the issue of fear and control from international NGOs deriving from insecurity about transparency and accountability on the local level. Questioning how we can limit corruption, Zigomo replied by asserting the need for external pressure on local actors to not just take orders from above but to have a responsibility to question, push and demand for more control. “There will always be ill-intentioned people – the key is to strengthen systems by getting communities to directly report what is happening and not happening. The local partners can’t do this in isolation without donor money for administration required to build their systems”, she said.

 

Economic sustainable development – Private sector partnerships were established as integral to development. Senior Manager of Foundations Programmes at Safaricom, Henry Kilonzo demonstrated how their partnerships improved lives by implementing a five percent target to employ people with disabilities and has so far achieved two percent. An initiative exemplary of how a philanthropic social responsibility initiative can evolve from sympathetic, to strategically advantageous and meaningfully inclusive.

 

Women empowerment – Diram Duba took to the stage to speak about her work with Amref in Marsabit championing the wellbeing of women and girls for the right to education and putting a stop to harmful cultural practices. Country Director for DRC Kenya, David Kangethe spoke about the necessary role of men in the fight to end FGM through changing their attitudes and mindset towards marrying uncircumcised girls.

Over the two days at AidEx Nairobi, the willingness from various actors across the sector to become more meaningfully inclusive and shift away from superficial tokenism was ardently apparent. Inclusiveness needs to be enshrined in everything we do, and it will only be possible to achieve full inclusion by engaging everyone- one hundred percent participation, one hundred percent of the time. From young women and girls to people with disabilities and local communities, all of us must be adequately resourced and allowed to be at the helm of the movement pushing for progress.

 

Join AidEx Brussels on 13 and 14 November 2019  by registering here >>

HAD are proud partners of AidEx 2019 

Article originally published by AidEx 

refugee

The need for a sustained humanitarian commitment to the global refugee crises’

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Humanitarian crises in Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan have displaced more than 13 million people around the world; millions have been forced to leave their homes and have not received sufficient humanitarian support. Behind the statistics are people: mothers, fathers, children, all with dreams for their futures. And while it is sometimes easy to switch off from what is happening around us, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the refugee crises’ happening around the world. As the frequency and complexity of humanitarian climate-related crises’ continue to rise, the number of people who will be forced to flee from their villages and towns will inevitably increase. In drawing attention to the almost ‘forgotten’ about refugee crises’, HAD shines a light into these areas. Only in doing this will we be able to create change. 

  1. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) –

In addition to being a host to many refugees escaping violent conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan, and Burundi, the DRC has seen increases in internally displaced citizens, due to increased inter-ethnic fighting within its borders. Even though the civil war in the DRC ended in 2003, violence continues to plague the country. Hundreds of thousands of Congolese were forced to flee across Lake Albert into Uganda in 2018 when inter-ethnic fighting resumed in the north-eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri [1].

  • 5 million IDPs (as stated by OCHA, UNHCR) [1].
  • A host to over one million refugees from neighbouring countries [1].  

  1. South Sudan –

Since 2013, the brutal conflict in South Sudan has forced many families to flee their homes. Currently, 4.3 million are displaced, while 1.6 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries [2]. Women and children are particularly vulnerable. 63% of the refugees from South Sudan are children. These child refugees are often fleeing unaccompanied, which makes them particularly unsafe.

  • 3 million displaced as a result of conflict [2].
  • The number of refugees fromouth Sudan has surpassed 2 million [2].

  1. The Central African Republic (CAR) –

In the CAR, conflict is rife. Despite the transition to peace in 2013, there has been renewed conflict and violence in the country. Over a quarter of the population has been displaced. 2.9 million are in urgent need of humanitarian support [3].

  • More than 605,000 refugees from the CAR [4].
  • 655,000 IDPs [4].
  • 543,000 in neighbouring countries [4].

  1. Cameroon –

Peaceful protests in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon started in 2016, which have now escalated into violent conflict. This conflict, between the state’s military and non-state armed groups, has left more than 450,000 people displaced. 780,000 children are without schooling and hundreds of villages have been destroyed [3].

  • 450,000 displaced [3].
  • Hosting refugees from Nigeria and the CAR[3].

  1. Ethiopia –

Ethiopia, with more than 900,000 refugees and asylum-seekers seeking safety within its borders, is home to the second-largest refugee population in Africa. Moreover, with inter-communal violence and conflicts deepening since 2016, Ethiopia has more than 1 million IDPs [5].

  • The second-largest refugee population in Africa [5].
  • More than one million internally displaced [5]. 

The bigger picture:

While there has been a focus on countries that are receiving very little media attention in this blog post, we must not forget about all the other refugee crises’ going on around the world. Millions are displaced. There are a record 70.8 million displaced as a result of conflict, persecution or violence, according to the UNHCR [6].

 

The refugee crisis is a human crisis. Behind the statistics are real people.

If you want to find out about HAD’s research priorities, click here.

You can read about HAD’s ongoing research project on forced migration and violent conflict, as well as post-ISIS Iraq analysis conducted by a PHD fellow.  

Additionally, find out how HAD’s R&D team enhances our knowledge on refugees, social justice and religion and find out how HAD has been building the capacities of Syrian NGOs responding to the crisis.

Written by Charlotte Davies 

Marketing and Communications Intern

 

Further reading:

Mercy Corps. The world’s 5 biggest refugee crises.https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/worlds-5-biggest-refugee-crises

Chen, M., 2019. The Forgotten Refugees. https://www.thenation.com/article/the-forgotten-refugees/

Dw., 2019. Forgotten children: Europe’s failure in the refugee crisis. https://www.dw.com/en/forgotten-children-europes-failure-in-the-refugee-crisis/av-48705615

Care. Global Refugee Crisis. https://www.care.org/emergencies/global-refugee-crisis

The UNHCR.https://www.unhcr.org/uk/

 

References: 

[1]UNHCR. DR Congo Emergency. https://www.unhcr.org/uk/dr-congo-emergency.html

[2] UNHCR. South Sudan Emergency. https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/south-sudan/

[3] Norwegian Refugee Council. June 2019. The world’s most neglected displacement crises. https://www.nrc.no/shorthand/fr/the-worlds-most-neglected-displacement-crises/index.html

[4] UNHCR. Central African Republic situation. https://www.unhcr.org/uk/central-african-republic-situation.html

[5] UN Refugees. Ethiopia refugee crisis explained.https://www.unrefugees.org/news/ethiopia-refugee-crisis-explained/

[6] UN Refugees. Refugee statistics. https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/

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Gabi Recommends: Podcasts for NGO Workers

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How many times have you been obsessed with a book and hoped you could listen to it while you walk? At least I have. As humans, we think in stories, and from a young age, our brains gravitate towards narratives. Even more, a study at Stanford University proved that we remember information 22 times more when it is part of a narrative than facts alone. And Neuro-economist, Paul Zak, found that character-driven stories cause our brains to release oxytocin, a neurochemical which plays an important role in feeling empathy towards others.

In 2018, 525,000 podcasts were available in different platforms, with over 18.5 million episodes produced over the year, proving that podcasts have acquired more and more audience over the past few years. Nowadays, we are used to rushing everywhere. Maybe it is just me, but there was a moment in the day that during my commute to work or back home where I needed more than just listening to music, and that is when I discovered podcasts. This type of audio listening is a really good way to not only listen to facts and interesting things, but to go back to storytelling. Podcasts are mainly listening to conversations from people all over the world as if you were there yourself, being free, portable and specially made to engage with each audience’s interest.

For NGOs, listening to podcasts are a good way to not only get informed about what is happening in the humanitarian sector, but is a way to get inspired with stories. There are so many podcasts that can help improve optimization and personal and professional growth, and I want to recommend the best ones in my opinion.

Strategies and lessons for the NGO sector

There are many podcasts that are made from NGO organizations or experienced NGO workers who want to share their knowledge in the field. The following podcasts are, according to my opinion, the most helpful for those who want to learn about the sector.

Nonprofits Are Messy: with Joan Garry

In this podcast hosted by Joan Garry, you can learn valuable lessons about fundraising, leadership team building, Marketing and Communications and even Self-Care in the Non-profit sector. The fun thing about this podcast is that it focuses on real-life scenarios that a NGO could face, and with the help of experts in the conversation, it could be a good help for any aid worker.

Hubcast: Nonprofit Hub Radio

Another podcast dedicated to non-profits is Hubcast. Hosted by CEO of Nonprofit Hub, Randy Hawthorne, every episode gives the opportunity to learn and be inspired by the experience of NGOs and influential thought leaders. The episodes I mostly recommend are called “What next?” and they include interesting interviews to experienced NGO workers about the new models and ideas used in the sector. This is especially helpful for those who want to be one step ahead of the changes that the non-profit sector could live in the near future.

Nonprofit Jenni Show

This podcast has an interesting overview of the challenges commonly faced by organizations in the NGO sector, were Jenni Hargrove, a charitable marketing coach, interviews representatives from different non-profits to make sure that multiple perspectives are presented. An interesting side of this podcast is the section of Anonymous Q&A, where Jenni answers questions from non-profit staff or board members. This could be especially useful for not only those who follow the show, but to those new or small NGOs that cannot afford formal assessment and need advice to get things started.

The importance of staying informed

As NGO workers, being updated with news is not only important but very challenging if you want to keep up with everything that is going on in the world. For me, the following podcasts help to get a good picture of current information in a fast and entertaining way.

UN NEWS

This podcast consists in a 3-minute daily news report that will keep you updated with the main information that you need to follow according to the UN. It is a good alternative for those who have only a few minutes in the day and cannot afford to read the news. You can listen to it briefly while you have your coffee in the morning, on your way to work or in any 3 minutes you get of free time. It also includes 4-6-minute episodes of a more in-depth explanation of the main events or natural disasters that are happening in the world and what the UN is doing about it. The news include climate change issues, natural disasters, humanitarian news, conflicts, etc.

The Take – Al Jazeera

If you want to get more information and analysis in depth, Al Jazeera has the best solution with a weekly 20-minute episode of a story of Al Jazeera journalism. My favourite thing about this podcast is that it tells stories from any part of the world with a good context and direct testimonies with the affected. It is the perfect way to get to know what the most important events of the week are, and it is made by correspondents who have covered personally each event, which gives an interesting and personal narrative.

The Inquiry – BBC

The podcast The Inquiry gets beyond the headlines to explore the trends, forces and ideas shaping the world. This is the perfect way to get informed about those questions that you always had in mind, but you were too afraid to ask. Is there really a solution to Climate Change? Can hunger ever be resolved? All these questions try to be answered in only 20 minutes with the help of BBC journalists and experts.

Inspiration is key

When we are working in the NGO sector, it is important to always remember why we are doing our work. Hearing real-life stories from around the world can inspire us to do our work more passionately and also have more perspectives about certain issues that we try to solve.

In their own words – Amnesty International UK

This podcast is filled with amazing real-life stories, direct from around the world that have or are fighting for their rights. From Chelsea Manning in high-security military prison, to the story of Iranian journalist Khadjia Ismayilova, these stories can inspire us to reach our objectives in life for the greater good.

Good Life Project – with Jonathan Fields

A look into inspirational, intimate and unfiltered conversations about living a and meaning-drenched life. These podcasts include the participation of iconic world-shakers like Elizabeth Gilbert and Brene Brown, but also stories from non-famous people who want to make the world a better place. As the podcasts suggests, every story matters.

Written by Gabriela Hagedorn
Marketing and Communications Intern 

References
https://leanin.org/education/harnessing-the-power-of-stories
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Organisational development is a must, not a choice

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At times, language can feel unnecessarily complicated and difficult to measure in a practical sense. Terms like ‘capacity building’ oftentimes feel overwhelming – what does it mean to build capacity? How do we define and measure this process? We are working in an industry where the clarity of our language is incredibly important – we save lives with our work in the charity sector, without understanding and effectively navigating the terminology we hold ourselves accountable to, we not only risk communities and individuals falling through the cracks, but we also risk losing the trust and support of our donors. Furthermore, how can we effectively translate these standards to the general public so that they can recognize the sector’s desire for growth and development? 

A 2018 report by the Charity Commission, raised some concerns about the public’s trust in charities. As a sector, we are struggling to communicate our good work and prove to donors and prospective donors that their money is safe with us, and that they can trust us in our delivery of our aims. Words are not enough, but in our action, in our constant striving to build the capacity of organizations within this sector, we can, I believe, slowly and steadily rebuild our relationship with the public and gain back that lost trust. We need to do better at effectively communicating with donors and supporters about the actions that we have taken to improve areas of transparency, accountability and so on.

The reality is that the values of which terms like capacity building entail are very much symbolic of general movements within contemporary culture: the language of self-development we find in every bookstore, across online platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, in lifestyle movements such as minimalism, veganism, zero-waste, and more. Both the wider public and sector are speaking the same words of growth, of developing the foundations necessary for building the future versions of ourselves we wish to see. Without the desire for self-development and self-betterment, we shall remain stagnant, whether that be on a personal and individualist level, or as a sector. If we do not change and grow, we are destined to repeat the mistakes of the past. We must be more pro-active and we must do better at developing better ways to communicate the sector’s focus on self-development to the public.  

How can capacity building help us to reach the sector that we envision for the future? In regard to the charity sector, capacity building essentially means to develop, improve, obtain and retain the tools, knowledge, skills and other resources necessary to competently fulfill the job/role of which an organization is undertaking. Yet, capacity building is not a one size fits all, and we must be more mindful of this. What resources, skills and so on are needed would depend on the specifics of the job that an organization is conducting, as well as other factors such as the theological or cultural background of the charity. Hence, within my role as CEO of the Muslim Charities Forum, a network of British Muslim charities working for social good at home here in the UK and abroad, we have dedicated time and effort into recognizing the specific resources necessary for effective capacity building amongst our members and the wider Muslim charity sector. Acknowledging diversity within the process of capacity building is central – we all have different goals and different points that need to be met to help us in reaching them, hence curating and shaping capacity building so that it is feasible, realistic and relatable to specific organizations is important. Furthermore, like people, organizations within our sector are all at different levels of capacity building, and we must be more aware of this.

Collectively, we understand and feel both the immediate and long-lasting effects of challenges to our sector, and it is these difficult challenges that help us to recognize the connection we all have to each other. Unity is strength, and we can all achieve more when we work together, when we combine and share knowledge, resources and skills to help lift each other up, and help push the sector as a whole to its collective capacity-building goals. 

 

Written by Fadi Itani*

CEO of MCF

 

*Fadi Itani is the CEO of the Muslim Charities Forum, the Network of Muslim Charities working for social good in the UK and abroad.

 

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The Negative Effects of a No-deal Brexit deal on British NGOs

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October 31st is right around the corner and as discussions are still ongoing between Parliament and Office about the UK’s agreement to leave the European Union, the no-deal Brexit is an outcome for all to consider. A no-deal Brexit is something that can potentially affect people, business and institutions alike, and the British NGO sector is not excluded!

As the no-deal scenario remains a possibility, UK NGOs are unsure of what will happen to funding, employees and donations. At the moment, Britain has one of the largest group of humanitarian aid workers and donors in the world, being the second largest recipient of EU Aid to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). According to EU data, in 2017 British NGOs secured €228 million in new grants from the EU’s humanitarian arm (ECHO)’s budget of €2.5 billion. From the budget, UK NGOs received €214 million (28% of all NGO allocations). If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, British NGOs have a better possibility to have access to ECHOs budget and agreements on employment. On the other hand, if the UK decides to leave the EU with no deal, the scenario could be very different.

 

So, what should British NGOs be aware of?

 

  1. Access to EU Funding

Currently, the UK is a strong collaborator in the NGO sector and a recipient of European Community of Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) funding. Every year, ECHO-funded projects affect almost 120 million people in 90 countries, and together with the aid given by each member of the EU, it is the largest aid donor in the world. In the event of a no deal, the greater risk is that ECHO could cut any funding to British NGOs. Already in 2019, according to the UK Aid minister Penny Mordaunt, UK NGOs have selected a smaller number of ECHO grants, mainly because the contracts last year demanded proof that British NGOs could continue funding a programme in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

In 2017, a study guided by Bond determined that if the EU stops funding, UK CSOs are most likely to face an annual funding shortfall as high as €356.9 million per year. According this issue, a recent letter written by Secretary Alok Sharma from the Department for International Development (DFID) confirmed that in case of a no deal Brexit, the government is committed to fill the gap in any signed contracts with ECHO that are at risk of having their funding terminated. For that to be done, DFID encourages organizations to apply before October 31stthis year. If you want your NGO to apply, you can do it here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-overseas-aid-programmes-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/delivering-overseas-aid-programmes-if-theres-no-brexit-deal

On other news, in last week’s UK government Spending Round, Chancellor Sajid Javid announced that the UK will continue with its commitment on spending 0.7% of national income on overseas aid. Also, the announcement included a 1.5% increase in the DFID resource budget for 2020-21, together with other budgets for projects that help refugees, climate, capacity building, etc. While many organisations are questioning how this aid will be spent, the uncertainty of a no deal leave still endangers important amounts of EU funding for British NGOs.

Deal or no deal, after Brexit, the UK will still be a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Because of that, UK CSOs will still be eligible to apply for external EU funds such as the work with “Least Developed Countries” (LDCs) and “Heavily Indebted Poor Countries” (HIPCs). 

Until this day, the UK pays around £1.5 billion a year into the EU’s development and humanitarian aid budgets. Since Britain is legally obliged to maintain the same level of aid spending, it would leave the UK with an extra £1.5 billion that must be spent on aid. The government has shown interest into continuing to give funding to the EU, but the question is how and if there is going to be negotiation to make this happen. What will occur in funding for next years to come, is still uncertain.

  1. Risk Management Assessment for currency fluctuations

As the UK government insists on leaving the EU even without a deal, the pound’s value continues to fall and further volatility is expected, according to experts. This could potentially have a great impact on British NGOs because if the pound value fluctuates, donors could potentially struggle to commit in a larger scale or in long-term programmes. If the pound continues to decrease, it is likely that UK aid CSOs will have to reduce their number in aid work as well.

According to Bond, NGOs can reduce this risks by what financial institutions call “hedging” or a “forward contract”, which in simple words means that NGOs invest in the protection of their finances from risky situation. This could be done to minimize the chance that their assets could lose value, for example to secure an amount of currency at a specific value.

This kind of risk management planning involves the help of experts, which is commonly available in larger and experienced organizations. But, medium or small size UK NGOs do not generally invest in this sort of assessment, therefore making them more likely to be affected.

  1. Ensure that your EU national employees apply to the Settled Status Scheme

As the Institute for Public Policy Research states, over 80% of EU nationals currently working in the NGO sector would be ineligible to work in the UK post-Brexit under current migration proposals. If your NGO has European employees based in the UK, it is important that they apply to the “Settled Status Scheme”, so that they can continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. However, if the UK leaves without a deal, the deadline for applying for either a settled or pre-settled status will be 31 December 2020. More information is available in https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

On the other hand, if the UK leaved the EU with no deal, British nationals who work for European NGOs can also be affected by the possibility of having to pay Visas, which means costs, bureaucracy and delays.

  1. Always be aware of the official information

Lastly, it is important that British NGOs are informed with the best sources. It is recommended to keep updated not only with the press but with the Government’s official information about how to prepare for Brexit (https://www.gov.uk/brexit) and the specific guidance for CSOs (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/five-ways-civil-society-organisations-can-prepare-for-eu-exit) from the Charity Commission and Office for Civil Society.

 

Written by Gabriela Hagedorn

Marketing and Communications Intern

 

References:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/five-ways-civil-society-organisations-can-prepare-for-eu-exit

https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/applying-for-settled-status

https://www.gov.uk/brexit

https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2019/08/brexit-looms-6-things-for-ngos-to-consider

https://www.bond.org.uk/resources/the-impact-of-brexit-on-eu-funding-for-csos

https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2019/09/uk-government-spending-round-implications-for-international-aid

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49162356

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46862790

https://www.devex.com/news/uk-ngos-in-the-dark-about-eu-aid-funding-post-brexit-94312

https://www.devex.com/news/experts-question-dfid-s-promised-spending-boost-95534

 

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Mental Health in the Workplace- An Invisible Aspect of Employee Welfare?

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When you hear that there’s a training course addressing topics like anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders etc. Are your first thoughts along the lines of: “this is not for me” or “why would people want to talk about those things?”

If they are, you are by no means alone and it’s certainly not unusual to have those thoughts. In all parts of our Society, in every Sector, mental health is a topic that should and needs to be discussed as the following facts indicate:

  • An estimated 1 in 4 people experience some kind of mental health issue at some point in their lives.
  • Those who experience mental health issues face stigma and discrimination in various forms
  • Very few people want to talk about their mental health and few people know how to respond or what to say if someone discloses that they have a mental health issue
  • Good physical health and good mental health are intrinsically linked

Throughout this thought piece, I hope to assist in providing you a better understanding of mental health in the workplace, offer ideas on ways you can help either yourself or others, give simple tips and techniques that may help. Many of us think we fully understand mental health, but do we fully understand it or the different aspects of one’s life it can affect?  Are we aware of ways we can help or make a positive influence at home or in the workplace? Just as physical first aid requires early intervention to stop it developing into a more serious issue, as does mental health, with the earlier the intervention, the greater the likelihood of recovery.

“Workplace Mental Health” is a term that’s become part of our everyday language, but what is it? It is a state of mind in our everyday working life, it is the way we think, feel and our ability to deal with various situations.  Every individual has their own threshold and one person’s breaking point is another individual’s everyday work. What is common though is that, irrespective of the role we fulfil, we will all experience difficult times – we feel out of our depth, can’t cope; overwhelmed. However, it is not simply work pressure that effects a person’s mental health, personal life and outside factors can and do play a big part in how we cope at work, additionally not only do mental health issues financially cost the economy greatly but they also, naturally, have a high personal cost to individuals – sadly, sometimes the ultimate price is paid.

Below are 10 tips that can help promote wellbeing and in turn your overall mental health.

  1. Eating habits

Yes – everyone says it, but it really does make a difference! If you eat healthily, it makes you feel cleaner, lighter and more energised. If your workplace doesn’t provide opportunity for healthy eating then prepare your meals at home or buy food to take in. Take a defined break and eat your lunch away from your desk where possible. If you need to snack, choose things like fruit, nuts and other healthy options. Reduce your caffeine and sugary drinks then increase your intake of water-based fluids.

  1. Don’t be a statue!

If you’re in the same office as others, get up and talk to your colleagues instead of sending an email or making a phone call; you will build better relationships and create the opportunity to talk (however scary that is!).  Remember, you spend more time at work than anywhere else so why not make it fun with positive experiences and enjoy your days.

  1. Get some structure

Irrespective of how many goals/targets/objectives you may have, write them down. Number them in order of importance and plan your steps to reach the end for each one. Be realistic about what is urgent vs important. Don’t put pressure on yourself and give or agree to unrealistic timeframes.

  1. Ask for Help or Guidance

If you follow point 2 above then, by doing this, you will have the confidence to ask for help or guidance from others as you will have established solid relationships.  Conversations help to add different views and perspectives just might help you progress and ease any anxiety.

  1. Be Positive

We have to accept that sometimes it can be hard to stay positive. However, if you can find a positive aspect to challenging situations (the Chinese characters for “crisis” are the same as for “opportunity” by the way!), you are more likely to achieve a goal or just enjoy your work a little more. No matter what life and work throw at you, there is usually a positive to be found; always try and look on the bright side of life!

  1. Meditate and Be Mindful

Practise your breathing – learn how to breathe properly. Read, listen to music or just be silent and aware of your surroundings. Actively practise mindfulness!

  1. Be thankful

Remind yourself of all of those things you have achieved, the obstacles you’ve overcome in getting to where you are today.

  1. Be kind to others

This makes us naturally feel good – “the feel good factor”! Reach out to someone and be there for them when you can.

  1. Be Positive

Just as “behaviour breeds behaviour” so “positivity breeds positivity”! However hard it is – find and hold that positive thought.

  1. Accept Things You Can’t Change

In some situations, we have 3 choices – change the situation, accept it and change the way you view the situation or, if you can’t do either, leave the situation. It is pointless to waste your thoughts on something out of your control; staying in the past achieves nothing and those things that stressed you then will still stress you – lean from the past to apply to the future.

Some last reflections:

Most people with a mental health condition are able to work. It may take time to work out what the right job is but, to be honest, my view is that it doesn’t matter whatyou do as long as you are happy and have the right work/life balance for you (crucial ingredients in contributing to positive mental health). To be in work is very important for those experiencing mental health issues. Of course it may be hard. However, people who focus, who have the right support, who can find the strength from within, who remain positive and determined, will find that anything is possible!

I know from personal experience (close friends and family) how debilitating poor mental health is. Having lost a very close friend to depression – yes, he took his life – and having worked with him on his issues as much as I could before he refused my help and that of the professional services, the topic is close to home. I had a healthy interest in mental health before but my experiences made it much more than an interest. Working with those who need it makes you feel like – even in some small way – that you can make a difference! The majority of us know someonewho suffers from a mental health illness of some description.

Thankfully (and about time!) we see that Governments are investing more money and a lot more organisations across all sectors are supporting mental health in the workplace by investing in their staff to attend a mental health first aid course – we’re even seeing school children receiving the appropriate level of mental health training. Why don’t YOU be the person who promotes mental health wellbeing in your workplace?

Attending our two day course, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) will give you the tools and techniques to be more confident in talking about the various mental health issues, to be able to provide first step support to someone experiencing mental health issues (until they can access professional health) and contribute to you playing your part in helping reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by those who face mental health issues. 

 

Written by Darrell Foster

Deputy Head of Learning & Development at HAD

 

Click here to learn more about our MHFA course or to book! 

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Safety & Security for Humanitarians

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The recently published figures from the Aid Worker Security Report revealed 2018 as the second worst year on record for aid worker security, with 399 aid workers affected by major violence in 221 separate attacks. However, vehicle related incidents remain the most likely source of injury to humanitarian workers.

This week six Islamic Relief staff from the communications team attended a new course here at HAD, ‘Safety and Security for Humanitarians’. This is a 4 day programme delivered in two linked phases. The first phase focusses on prevention and impact mitigation, the second entitled ‘Reacting to Security incidents’ shifts the focus to practical applications in dealing with security incidents. In addition to the classroom based content there are two E learning modules that participants are required to complete prior to the training these provide valuable grounding in security matters. The classroom environment provides a unique opportunity for participants to share experiences and exchange ideas as well as form new alliances that they can draw on when travelling.

Unfortunately, casualties cannot be completely avoided in the humanitarian aid sector. During the amazing work that they do, humanitarians expose themselves to certain risks. This is particularly true if they are working in conflict-afflicted zones. However, with sufficient risk assessment and preparation, it is often possible to prevent these casualties or at least minimise the impact.

“In developing this training I have looked to take a multifaceted approach whereby we look at ways in which risks can be assessed and minimised or mitigated against”, says Diane Conway, the Academy’s lead on this project. “However we need to provide our staff travelling to the field with some practical hands-on application as well. This is where the second phase comes in.”

Policies and procedures are vital, but in order for them to have maximum effect implementation and adherence needs to be ‘business as usual’ for all staff, not just those charged with security matters as part of their job role.  This four day programme is intended to begin establishing a ‘culture of security’. Wherever you are it is important to be constantly inquisitive about the environment around you and to question anything that simply doesn’t feel right.

Working in the Humanitarian Sector can be a source of motivation and satisfaction. However you may face dangerous and challenging situations that you may not be adequately prepared for. This course looks at promoting resilience among aid workers and ways to mitigate the adverse effects of stress and trauma that can arise.

The Aid Workers Security report paints a worsening picture for attacks on aid workers which remains persistently and unacceptably high. The continuing rise in the number of aid workers affected by violence each year highlights the overwhelming need for training such as this.

Learn more about our Safety & Security in the field 

Written by Diane Conway
Learning & Development Partner

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The Long Read: Once a Humanitarian Worker, Now a PhD Student: Reflections from Post-ISIS Iraq

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Kathleen Rutledge conducted field research on the role of faith in coping and recovery amongst women survivors of the ISIS conflict in Iraq earlier this year. Her research is part of a one-year HAD/Islamic Relief-led research project on faith, gender and trauma response in Tunisia, Turkey, Iraq and Syria. In this blog post, Kathleen, who used to work with a humanitarian organisation in Iraq during the ISIS reign in 2015-17, reflects on what it is like to be back in Iraq as a researcher.

 

‘It looks the same, but it feels different’: Arriving (again) in Iraq

 

It looks the same. But it feels different. The same advertisements greet me as I step off the plane. I still don’t want to buy the SWISS watch. But the airport is more alive. The HERTZ rental car shop that had been shuttered during the time of ISIS from 2014-2017 is lit up again. Stepping out of the terminal, there are more cars waiting for passengers. Most of the cars weren’t allowed up to that part of the terminal area before. They were kept at a second terminal area in the distance. As I wait for the bus, one noticeable change is the lack of swooping helicopters out front. They were not always evident, but the coalition forces and other military combatting ISIS used a section of the airport as a military base. The widespread ISIS occupation has ended now – with the pivotal defeat in 2016/2017 as Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, was recaptured. From the airport the helicopters seemed to often fly to the west, toward the Mosul region and the front lines, and to other parts of IS occupied Iraq. Toward the end of my time in this region in early 2017, as the intensity of combat with ISIS came to a head, the military presence – particularly dark green and other black helicopters – were much more prominent, usually at night. At times you could hear them at night, from miles away, passing over other parts of the city, shuddering the air – with vibrations you could almost feel. There were many Chinooks – with powerful double rotors sweeping the sky. Most of the helicopters were at the airport, and as I travelled through the airport at the end of 2016 and early 2017, helicopters in a line formation would pass over our vehicle as they descended to land – the nose of the helicopters raising very slightly, like a horse lifting its head.

 

Former colleagues that have become friends

 

But today, March 4th, 2019 – nothing but quiet outside. Nothing moving or visible in the former military area just ahead. Only families next to me just waiting for the bus. As I arrived in the second terminal, a dear friend from before – who picked me up my first day in Iraq in April 2015 – was there waiting yet again. He was there in those early days when our humanitarian response was fledgling and finding its way. And he was there as we grew to new cities and faced challenges and triumphs. He used to drive 2.5 hours every day to help our team work in a new location that wasn’t secure enough for us to stay overnight. He did this for more than a year – 5 days a week. He helped us set up offices and navigate government closed doors and he came to my rescue one Saturday when the pipes in my sink burst. Though it was a holiday and a weekend – he got a plumber there within the hour. He was hired to be a driver – but he became part of us. He’s a Kurdish man with a wonderful family and he adopted all of us. We’ve shared his wife’s legendary dolma and he’s hosted us in the mountains in his home that overlooks the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Kurdistan. And here he was again, picking me up as my friend. It can be like that sometimes, the team (that goes through the building, the strain, the tears and the most difficult early days in trying to setting up humanitarian operations in a new country, in contexts formed primarily of obstacles and urgency) bonds in a way that the word friendship will never quite cover.

 

On the plane to Iraq: Spotting humanitarian workers in the crowd

 

This time I am arriving in a different capacity. I am a student now, not a part of the humanitarian industry. Not a director or a worker or a leader or an employee with goals that will not be reachable until the day of departure. Just me. Coming back as a student. I had been a director before – overseeing the operations of the organization I worked for, in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, but based in Iraq. I lived here from 2015 to 2017. I smiled while on the airplane on the flight in. In certain destinations where there is no tourist population using the same planes, the humanitarian workers tend to stick out. In coming to this location, you can frequently spot humanitarian workers and oil workers. Before I left, you could spot foreign military personnel heading out on the domestic flights as well (they’d grown beards, which was important in terms of blending in, but still had the unmistakable close cut hair styles. The camouflage back-packs also gave them away). But now, I could spot the humanitarian workers immediately. There is a culture I could almost feel. They had laptops out, working furiously. Even in the airport, waiting for our bags, there was a man sitting on the floor working on his laptop. I don’t know why but this work (humanitarian work) tends to require about 10-12 hours or more each day – particularly when the emergency response phase is underway (and that can last for years unfortunately; Syria is one example). Aid workers often work into the nights and on the weekends. This is hardly a difficulty compared to what those in harm’s way or those affected by the disaster are suffering. And we, as aid workers, choose this, while others caught in the conflict have no choice. But it is a distinct experience and there is a definite feel to the humanitarian ‘culture’. 

 

‘Now I can seek to be useful in a different way’

 

But this time, on the plane, I wasn’t one among them. My feelings were mixed. But I felt mostly relief. I am so excited that – this time – though the research will be intense and hard work – I am able to come now with the time and space to fully be present – here. Now. With people who are facing the struggles, sitting with them for longer-periods, more frequently, than I have ever been able to. I used to say that ‘people were the point’ to remind myself of the ‘why’ of my work – but mainly not to get irritated when I had so much ‘to do’ and there was a knock on my office door with team members needing me. I did not always succeed! But in this case, the people really arethe point. No ‘to do list’ other than learning from them. I’m so delighted and excited. This was what I thought this type of work would be when I started all those years ago – I thought it would be me under a mango tree talking to folks. I never really had that season. Large scale disasters (like the Asian Tsunami) and the need for leadership even from fledgling aid workers meant that I went straight into running the operations – rather than spending the time ‘under the mango tree’ that I had longed for. Now I can seek to be useful in a different way. So, while it felt strange not to be hammering away on my laptop on the plane and in the airport – I felt mainly relieved. In my work here before, I once conducted an interview of a potential staff member – in the airport; I had collected my bags, sat on a bench and took part in a joint-interview on Skype via my phone – with people in four countries – the UK, Jordan, here and the Philippines. We were recruiting an advisor to start our psychosocial care programmes. She got the job and became a dear friend. This time, I looked at the bench where I conducted the interview. Smiled. Collected my bags and walked out.

 

Once a humanitarian worker, now a PhD student: A different me in many ways

 

One hour later, I was walking around the flat that used to be our office, having another ‘I’ve been here but have I?’ moment. The organisation I was with before kindly agreed to provide accommodation while I’m here this time. That organisation is frugal and seeks to use funds well, so not everyone has their own place. Most of the team share accommodation in rented houses nearby. Walking in the ‘office’ I smiled again. I had picked out the blinds in 2016. But this is a new world now, a new team – and a new (or changed) country. The field contracts are usually two years. Most of the team I worked with are long gone. I walked down the hall to the room at the end – the room where I would be living. It is the room that used to be my office. I shared the office with the finance manager, who remains a dear friend. Instead of our desks, there is a single bed, with sheets the logistics manager Matt bought in 2015. The current director kindly brought the bed from the guesthouse for me to use. There is a lone chair next to it. That is the only furniture in the room. She also kindly put some boxes together (empty printer paper boxes) for me to use as shelves for my clothes for a time. So I unpacked, with my clothes tucked into the printer box shelves, and lay down to go to sleep, in the old bed, in the office that represented a different time. A different me in many ways. Just a few feet from where my desk used to be. It made me smile. I loved that season of life. But it was a season bookended in time and a time in history that has also closed. As I fell asleep, the thought of sleeping in that old office, now my bedroom, put a smile on my face again. 

 

Written by Kathleen Rutledge

HAD Postgraduate Fellow

 

Kathleen Rutledge is a HAD Postgraduate Fellow and a doctoral student at Queen Margaret University in Scotland. She served in humanitarian response leadership for nearly a decade, in locations such as South Sudan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. She was a humanitarian director in Iraq from 2015 to 2017 and is currently researching the role of faith in coping and well-being among displaced Muslim women from Mosul, who were affected by the ISIS occupation and conflict.

 

Read more about our ongoing research project on gender, faith and trauma response:

Faith, gender, forced migration and trauma: Field notes from Tunisia:https://staging.had-int.org/blog/faith-gender-forced-migration-trauma/

Research-focused capacity-building in Gaziantep: Training the next generation of Syrian researchers:https://staging.had-int.org/blog/research-focused-capacity-building-training-for-syrian-ngos/

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