Cross-Table Projects and Programs

Trauma and Reconciliation in South East Europe

Large numbers of children and adolescents in Southeast Europe were confronted with acts of cruelty, frequently showing contempt for humanity, on the part of the military and security forces during the war and during their expulsion from their homes. Rape and humiliating torments create deep psychological wounds, stir up hatred and cause severe psychological trauma among those affected. Children and adolescents are frequently not equipped to cope with their experiences themselves. As a consequence, psychic symptoms, irreconcilability and a desire for revenge evolve in those affected and are handed down to future generations. It is necessary not only to break down antipathy and resentment in future generations, but in addition to treat psychic trauma at individual, family and society-based levels.

Peaceful development in Southeast Europe presupposes not only political and economic reconstruction, but also inner willingness on the part of the people to achieve reconciliation. Therefore the objective of the project is to contribute to a stable psychological and social foundation for the reconciliation work and for building up a democratic society which is desirous of peace both internally and externally. The German government accords high development-policy importance to Trauma and Reconciliation. The German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) proposed in her letter of 14.12.99 to the coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe that a multilateral project on the theme of trauma and reconciliation should be integrated in the Stability Pact. The planned supra-regional project, considered as a cross-table-issue, requires a trans-sectoral strategy based on the commitment of the Stability Pact members.

The project-purpose is a) to develop concepts and methods for treating individual psychological trauma within a family context as well as to strengthen individual and social resources to develop reconciliation strategies for coping with the consequences of war and civil war among children and adolescents and b) to feed these into practicable and sustainable strategies in Southeast Europe. The methodology approach comprises:

• the individual therapy level (child and family);
• the educational, socio-psychological level (kindergarten, school, university, adult education, leisure activities, etc.);
• the political-cultural level (promotion of democracy, media work, support for the exchange process between cultural and religious communities);
• the economic level (enterprises, business interest federations).

At the same time the project is to systematically promote and strengthen sustainable institutional structures in connection with networking existing approaches and governmental as well as non-governmental organisations.

On behalf of the BMZ, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH (German Technical Cooperation) is currently conducting a fact finding mission in order to prepare a suitable project design and to identify local organisations. Country studies are being carried out by well known local experts in the following countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo), Macedonia, Croatia and Albania. Initial measures (see Results 1-5) of the project, which are built up on a modular basis and adapted to socio-cultural conditions, will be implemented in selected regions as soon as possible.

The lead agency is the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), owned by the Federal Republic of Germany, which has already many years of experience in working with the promotion and empowerment of children and youth with special emphasis on trauma-treatment and reconciliation-strategies. An important partner in the preparation and implementation of the project will be the Department of Child and Youth Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Hamburg. The latter is an internationally recognised institution in the field of trauma and reconciliation, as well as in the methodology, quality assurance and evaluation of this work. The Department of the University of Hamburg cooperates closely with the German Stefanie-Graf-Foundation "Children for Tomorrow", which is interested in contributing to the above mentioned project. The lead agency will cooperate with local and international organisations in order to guarantee a sustainable impact.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit
Dr. Hans-Heiner Rudolph, (Senior Education Adviser, Head of the Multisectoral Planning Group "Youth")
Ulrich Winkler, (Project Manager, Southeast Europe)
Postfach 5180
65726 Eschborn
Germany
Tel. (+49 6196) 79-1341
Fax (+49 6196) 79-1366
Email: Hans-Heiner.Rudolph@gtz.de
Email: Ulrich.W.U.Winkler@gtz.de