Trainings: STAR has facilitated three Level I trainings so far in 2016, and we are gearing up for more STAR at the Summer Peacebuilding Institute. There is still space in some of the courses – for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of conflict, reconciliation, social change, restorative justice, trauma and resilience and more, check it out.
STAR I Lebanon (March 2016)
Last week, thirteen Syrian participants made their way overland through checkpoints and difficult borders from Damascus, Homs and Aleppo to Beirut, where they joined seven Lebanese colleagues from a variety of places in Lebanon.
Beginning March 4, the group participated in a five-day STAR I seminar, facilitated by Vernon Jantzi (STAR), Beth Good and Krista Johnson Weicksel from the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Akron, PA. Seven men and thirteen women participants brought a wide range of personal and professional experiences that helped them blend into a closely-knit and energizing group.
All the participants worked with displaced and at-risk populations in their areas. Many worked with children in some way. Several helped children engage the trauma generated by the violence in their surroundings using art and stories. All participants came from partner organizations funded in part by MCC.
In March 2015, MCC sponsored the first STAR I seminar in Beirut, designed primarily for Syrians from conflict areas. This year the participants were Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinians living in Lebanon, a mixture of Muslims and Christians and one who identified as secular. This plurality provided space to explore historical, cultural and structural conflicts and trauma, along with the individual work related to awareness of trauma and resilience, in their own lives and in the populations with whom they work.
Outside of Beirut on Mt. Lebanon, the scenic and tranquil setting provided much needed respite for the participants. They expressed appreciation for the change of pace, new relationships, new insights and increased awareness of the gifts they brought to the seminar. Many highlighted the welcome respite, a new understanding of trauma’s impacts and resilience, and new knowledge and skills. Several commented that they hoped to return to their homes and work places to help themselves and their colleagues engage the trauma that affected all of them.
A number of the participants pointed out that they themselves were displaced and serve other displaced persons in their areas. In addition, they also hire or involve displaced persons as volunteers. The trauma they have all experienced often manifests itself in conflict in the work place or community. They want to help their organizations become trauma-sensitive work places – more effective and dignity-enhancing in their work. Participants also noted that they took away a renewed commitment to self-care and some new ideas and skills to aid them in their daily life.
Doug and Naomi Enns, MCC Lebanon and Syria Representatives, deserve special thanks for effectively organizing the seminar and inviting committed and engaged participants. All of us would agree that this particular STAR seminar was life-changing in some way for each of us.
Lead trainer Elaine Zook Barge is on a sabbatical from STAR this semester, but she is keeping busy co-leading a cross-cultural education program for EMU students to Guatemala and Cuba. She found ways to integrate STAR concepts and activities into the curriculum from the beginning as students focused on being a resilient and trauma-informed cross-cultural group during orientation. The STAR ‘snail’ model has also been a very helpful analysis and assessment tool for understanding the historical and current wounds and violence in Guatemala, as well as the recent nonviolent movements for change, truth and justice.
Upcoming Events
Locally, we are working on and off campus to share bite-sized pieces of STAR with everyone from
- to student leaders at EMU
- to lawyers
- to volunteers with the Young Center for Immigrant Child’s Rights
- to a gathering at “Lincoln’s Cottage” (in the room where Abraham Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation), where we’ll focus on historical trauma and the legacies of slavery and genocide in the US.
- Finally, if you are interested in how STAR Practitioners and Trainers are working with veterans and active-duty military, we are considering organizing a web-based “happy hour” discussion in the coming months. Please email katie.mansfield@emu.edu to let us know if you are interested in being part of this discussion.