capacitar...our apv psychology team coordinator, was passing. when we talked with him that evening...
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Dear Friends, October, 2017
SpecialgreetingstoyoufromKabul,Afghanistan.AstheCapacitarAfghanteam,Fr.GeorgeHoranandIhadavaluabletimeherecollaboratingaspsychologistswiththeAfghanPeaceVolunteers(APV).Duringour10daysweoffered30counselingsessionsand7CapacitarworkshopsthatwereintegratedwithrelevantthemessuggestedbytheAPVyouth:studyandexamstress,healthyrelationships;transformingdepressionandhope-lessnesswithresilience;healthyandnonviolentcommunication;anddealingwithwartrauma.WealsodidaworkshoponTeamSpiritfor15teamcoordinatorswhodealwithconflict,communicationandcoordinationchallengesintheirworkandcommunityoutreachasAfghanPeaceVolunteersintheBorderFreeCommunity.
The Reality of Kabul SinceourlastvisithereinFebruary2017,thesecuritymeasuresonthestreetsofKabulseemtohavedoubledwithmorearmoredtanks,increasednumbersofstreetbarriers,andpolice,military,andsecurityguardswiththeirassaultrifles.ThereisanincreaseofviolenceandsuicidebombattacksoverthelastyearwiththeassaultsattheAmericanUniversity,NGOs,theKabulhospital,mosquesandministries.However,asAPVfounderDr.HakimYoungsaidtous,thenewsmediaiscurrentlynotreportingmanyoftheseattacksandkidnappings.Theeveningbeforeourdeparture,asuicidebombwentoffinaShiamosquenearwhereNaser,ourAPVpsychologyteamcoordinator,waspassing.Whenwetalkedwithhimthateveninghewasreallydistressed.Weencouragedhimtousethetappinghehadjustlearnedinourclass.ThreedaysagotwobombswentoffinthevicinityoftheAPVcenteranhourafterGeorgeandIhadfinishedourworkthere.ThesoundoftheexplosionscausedterrorwithintheAPVmembersstillpresentatthecenter.Hakimdescribedhowtheyouthwererunningaroundinpanicnotknowingwhattodo.Oneoftheyouthtwodaysagohadgonetohishomevillagetogetadocumentsignedatthelocalpolicestation.Whilehewaswithhisfamily,asuicidebombwentoffatthepolicestationkilling200people.Oneofourworkshopsfocusedondealingwithwartraumaandhowtoliveinthemidstofongoingviolence.AfterteachingthedifferentCapacitarpracticesforstabilizingaperson,de-conditioningtraumaticresponsesandactivelistening,theyouthrole-playedwhattheycoulddotohelpthemselvesandhelpothersastheyexperienceviolentincidents.Itwasinspiringtoseehowtheyouth
CAPACITAR
responded.TheyfeltempoweredwiththesimpleCapacitarskillsandwerenotashelplessastheypracticedwhattodotostabilizethemselvesandoth-ers.WhenwetalkedbyphonewithNaserthemorningofourdeparture,hesaidthattheTappingEFTexerciseandtheFingerholdsreallyhelpedtocalmhimsohecouldregainhisbal-anceaftertheterrifyingexperienceofthesuicidebomb. Naser, psychology coordinator APV youth practicing EFT Tapping for trauma and stress
Almostalloftheyoutharedealingwithsomeleveloftraumafromtheirfamilyhistory.Oneyoungpersoncameforcounselingbecausetheyfeltembarrassedbytheirconstanttearsandsadness.Inthecourseofoursessiontheyouthrevealedthatasababyintheirvillagetheywereleftun-attendedwhilerocketsandbulletspassedby.Childrenaredeeplyaffectedbyviolenceandoftenareunabletoreleasetheirpentupfeelingswithin.Thisunreleasedtraumaleadstonightmares,constantcrying,bedwetting,tantrums,andothersuchsymptoms.Themoreserioustraumaforachildisseparationfromtheirparents.ManyofthestreetchildrenandyouthattheAPVcenterhavelostaparentorfamilymemberduringtheyearsofongoingwar,thetimesoftheTaliban,orbecauseofaccidentsorun-treatedillness.Withadolescence,traumaticexperienceisevengreater,sinceyouthusuallyhaveanunderstandingofwhatishappeningtothem.Theirclassicsymptomswereoftendescribedbytheyouthinourcounsel-ingsessions:depression,hopelessness,helplessness,suicidalthoughts,self-harm,delinquency,insomnia,inabilitytofocus,headachesandotherphysicalailments.AttheAPVcenterseveraloftheyouthhavehadinci-dentsofrageandself-harm—onepersonrepeatedlyhithimselfonthehead,anotherbrokealltheglassanddishesathome.Anotherdescribedhowshetoreupeverythinginherroomaftershedidpoorlyonanexam.Manyoftheyouthhavesharedtheirinnerexperienceofhopelessnessanddepressionwithlittletolookforwardtointheirlives.
School Stress Thesituationisallthemorecomplexbecausetheyoutharealsodealingwithschoolstress.ManyoftheAfghanPeaceVolunteers(aged15to22)areintheirlastyearsofhighschoolortheirfirstyearsofcollege.Mostoftheseyoutharethefirstpersonsintheirfamilytoreceiveanedu-cationortohavetheopportunityforhighereducation,sotheylivewithhighexpectationsfromtheirfamilies.Someyouthfromthevillagesspokeofhowtheirparentsorbrothersdiscouragedthemortriedtopreventthemfromgoingtoschool.Onebrightyoungmansaidthathisilliter-atefatherwantedhimtostayinthevillagesohecouldworkasafarmerorherdthesheep.Withgirlsoftentheirbrothersstandintheway,asiflearningnewthingswouldbringshameonthefamily.Theyouthdealwiththecontrastofvillagelifewithancientsocialandculturalmores(especial-lyforwomen)andlifeinKabulattheuniversitywithnewwaysofthinkingandinteracting.
SomeoftheyouthwhoattendclassesattheAmericanUniversitydescribedthestresstheyexperienceoncampus.AftertheassaultattheuniversitylastSeptemberwhere37peoplediedandhundredswereinjured(2professorshadalsobeenkidnappedinaseparateincident),theschoolwasclosedforanumberofmonthswhileincreasedsecuritymea-sureswereputinplace.NowhelicopterswithUSmilitarylanddailyoncampustoensuresecurity.OneAPVyouthsaidthatitislikegoingtoclassinawarzone.
Togotouniversity,theyouthmustpassthe“ConcordExam.”Thisisa3-hourexamconsistingof160questionscover-ing16subjectareas—includingmath,language,science,geog-raphy,history,etc.Dependingontestresults,theyareplacedinafield(lawbeingthehighest,engineering,medicine,science,journalism,psychology,andteachingbeingoneofthelowerfields!).YoucanimaginethelevelofanxietyamongtheyouthastheypreparefortheConcordexam!Inelementaryandhighschool,someteachersusecorporalpunishmenttodisciplinethestudents.Hakimshowedusonechild’sarmthatwasdeeplybruisedwhenateacherbeathimwithanironrod.Severaluni-versitystudentsspokeofteacherswhodon’tshowupforclass.Oftentherearenobooksormaterialsforthestudents.
Ourweekofteaching2-hourafternoonclasseswasawonderfulexperienceandtheyouthrespondedwithenthusi-asm,interestandfocus.GeorgeandIintegratedtheCapacitartraumahealingpracticesinthecontextofthemeschosenbytheyouth—examstress,livingwithwartrauma,healthycom-munication,etc.ThisapproachhelpedtheyouthunderstandhowthesimpleCapacitarhealingpracticescouldbeusedin
waysrelevanttotheirdailylivesandthechallengestheyfaced.Wedevel-opedourclasseswithlotsofsmallgroupwork,interactionsandinterest-ingdynamics.Attheendoftheweeksomeoftheyouthsaidhowmuchfuntheyhadhadandwantedtolearnmore.Twoyounguniversitywomenwhosefieldwaspsychologycameforcounselingandaskedifwecouldteachthempsychologybecausetheywerelearningverylittleatschool.TheywereplacedinthefieldbecauseoftheirConcordtestscores,andhadnointerestinpsychology.Yet,upongraduation,theywouldbeexpectedtoworkaspsychologists.OnerecommendationthatwemadetoHakimwastodevelopastudyskillsclass,sincemostoftheyouthhaddifficultyfocus-ingorknowinghowtoorganizeandplantheirstudyandpreparationforexams.Anotherrecommendationwastohaveaclassonhowtowritetheiressaysforcollegeentranceapplications.
Onourlastday,thesuicidebombatthemosquewithmanykilledorinjured,broughthometoustherealityofAfghanistan.Inthemidstofthechaos,violence,fearandhopelessnessfeltonthestreetsofKabul,theAPVcenterprovidesanoasisofpeaceandpossibilitiesfortheAfghanyouth.Throughtheirprograms,APVoffersavisionofnewwaysofworkingtogeth-eracrosstribaldifferences,andgivesvaluableopportunitiesforsolidarityandoutreachtothepoorestofAfghansociety.ItisaprivilegeforGeorgeandmeandCapacitartocollaboratewithDr.HakimYoungandtheAfghanPeaceVolunteers.WeplantoreturninFebruaryandOctober2018.
Inpeaceandsolidarity,
PatCaneandGeorgeHoranCapacitarAfghanistanTeam
Dr. Hakim Young and the Afghan Peace Volunteer Coordinators