Trauma training for churches

HONIARA: 24th May 2005--  20 committed lay church workers; both men and women from Guadalcanal and Malaita are attending a three-week long training workshop at the Don Bosco House of Prayer, Kola Ridge, that commenced on 16 May, 2005. 

    Facilitated by clinical Psychologist Patrick and Bernice Rasmusen, from Brisbane, Australia, the first week of the was spent reviewing the programme and refreshing skills.  In the second week the participants will focus on supervision, listening and teaching skills on Trauma.

    “The interchurch trauma project has brought together persons from the Catholic, Anglican and SSEC churches”, stated Henry Tabusu, Principal of Manaabu Training Centre, North Malaita.  “It is also the first time that persons from both Malaita and Guadalcanal have attended the programme, which will make lasting changes in conflict resolutions in Malaita".

     “The workshop has been a tremendous boost to all the Trauma Support Workers, equipping them to hold Trauma Awareness meetings, counselling and enabling them listen attentively to their peoples problems.  They are thus able to assist the many persons traumatically affected during the recent ethnic unrest”, said David Ben, North Malaita.

     The Trauma Workshop is now in its third year and has been bringing together Trauma Support workers every six months to share their progress and findings and receive further training and support.  It has been the initiative of the Catholic Archdiocese of Honiara and has been facilitated by Caritas.

VOCABULARY

trauma: in psychological terms, a state of shock brought on by serious events

Guadalcanal: the main island in the Solomon Islands group, though people from Malaita might dispute that!

Malaita: neighbouring island to Guadalcanal.  Both isalnds famous for WWII battles, and separated by Iron Bottom Sound, a stretch of water filled with sunken warships.

The trauma that resulted from recent conflict had much to do with conflict between people of Guadalcanal and Malaita.

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