Trauma healing and reconciliation in Liberia

Liberia is slowly recovering from a 14-year civil war that uprooted thousands of families and devastated the country's economy.

Along with their children, the women of Liberia have borne the brunt of 14 years of war, enduring trauma beyond imagination. The Lutheran Church of Liberia's Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Programme provides free counselling to women to help them identify coping mechanisms to deal with past trauma and current hardships.

Vaiba Flomo, 42, a trainer with the programme, offers coping mechanisms and healing through song, listening and empathy, as each of the women recount their horrific stories in front of the group.

Vaiba worked with her partner at the Trauma Healing programme, Leymah Gbowee, and Liberia's Deputy Chief of Police, Asatu Bah Kenneth, to bring the Christian and Muslim women's groups together. After encountering initial reluctance to engage with the other faith, Vaiba developed the message: 'Can the bullet pick and choose? Does the bullet know Christian from Muslim?' Reluctance faded into action, and the women began their campaign to put pressure on Charles Taylor (the then President and warlord of Liberia) to end the war in 2003.

http://www.ourworld-yourmove.org

Category:

Education

Tags:

• our world your move
• nonprofit
• red cross
• red crescent
• international movement
• humanitarian challenges
• humanity
• liberia

[MrBartime]

These women need more help.

[gbalah162]

wow.. how powerful and what an amazing idea. Can we see the video by any chance?