In March 2024, students at the Brookline, Massachusetts chapter of SND at Brookline High School staged a peaceful demonstration outside of the Massachusetts State House in Boston. They urged lawmakers to pass Resolve H. 738, a bill establishing a commission to study the existential threats that nuclear weapons and climate change pose to humanity. Read more about Students for Nuclear Disarmament here.
Patrick for Kansas Newsletter!
Patrick for Kansas
Welcome to my newsletter! I'll be using this space to bring you campaign news, upcoming events, and house renovation updates.
PATRICK SCHMIDT JUN 12
On May 24, I officially filed for candidate in Kansas-19 Senate District. I filed by petition with well over the 335 signature requirement! It was a proud day for me and my wife, Megan. The last 6 months have been an awesome journey and the next couple months leading up to the primary are going to be filled with hard work and exciting events. Thank you all for your support!
Our first piece of mail has officially gone out! We look forward to sending out more in the coming weeks, so be sure to look out for those.
This space will be used to bring you local news, campaign updates, and upcoming events to support us!
News
Following Governor Kelly’s veto of HB 2749 and the override votes, Kansas abortion providers challenge the abortion survey law. Forcing women to provide reasons and justification for getting an abortion is violating. Women should have freedom and access to their healthcare. The legislature needs young, progressive Democrats to help win this fight; I want to fight for and represent women’s issues and protect their access to healthcare.
Events
May 18: I got to spend some time with the Midwest Elks Lodge 1441 in Topeka a few weekends ago, supporting a scholarship fundraiser and eating some catfish! It was a beautiful day and a great event. Thanks to the Elks for having me and for raising money for such an important cause.
On Memorial day, I had the opportunity to join the ceremony at Mt. Hope Cemetery to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As we commemorated another Memorial Day, we remembered all those who sacrificed their lives so that we may be free today.
This past weekend, I got to join the Lawrence Pride Parade! There was a great turnout and it was lots of fun. Thanks to everyone that showed up to celebrate the diversity & acceptance of those in our community!
Houses Renovation Updates
The tree in front of our house fell down and this weekend I planted a new one! Can’t wait to watch it grow over the next years in our new house.
Amir Grinstein: Israeli Palestinian conflict not either/or situation
From the Boston Herald:
Our world is plagued by conflicts, both domestically and globally, fueled by political, social, economical or religion tensions. One that has gotten significant attention is the Israeli Palestinian conflict, which seems to have reached a peak with the Israel-Hamas war and the protests on college campuses.
Although the Israeli Palestinian conflict is very complicated, in an era governed by social media and polarization, it is not surprising that it is often depicted in simplified terms, using unidimensional frameworks, and driving the public to adopt an “Either/Or” approach. You are either with the underdog or against it. The heroes in the story are either powerful or weak. You are either a pro-Palestinian (and anti-Israel) or you are pro-Israel (and anti-Palestinian).
This forced simplicity is detrimental as it is often motivated by ignorance, increases polarization, and is not helpful in finding a constructive path forward. Is there a better way to think about the Israeli Palestinian conflict that could lead to a deeper understanding of the complex reality and inspire more useful engagement with the issue? I came across an excellent book and mindset that opened my eyes to the value of embracing conflict and tensions, and the paradoxes that underlie them. “Both/And Thinking,” by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis, discusses paradoxes – competing but interwoven views that are a source of sustained conflict.
These paradoxes surround us in our personal and professional lives. As paradoxes create discomfort, uncertainty, and stress, we often want to solve them as quickly as we can. The easiest way to solve a paradox is to adopt an Either/Or approach – choosing one clear path and to fully stand behind the decision to regain a sense of control and minimize cognitive dissonance. Although an Either/Or approach may lead to short-term relief, this approach narrows our options, limits opportunities, listening and learning, is less creative and collaborative, and is likely to have a negative long term effect. Alternatively, a Both/And approach requires us to grapple with the paradox and identify a less linear, not unidimensional, learning-based and more creative path forward.
The Israeli Palestinian conflict is full of paradoxes. Between the old and the new. Between the extreme and the moderate. Between security and autonomy. Between hope and reality. Between the short term and the long term. Between anger and empathy. What can we learn on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and how can we address some of these paradoxes if we adopt a Both/And thinking? Who are the indigenous people in the story?
The Either/Or approach of the conflict views the Palestinians as the indigenous people and the Jewish Zionists – the national movement of the Jewish people – as “settler colonialists.” The Both/And approach would review history and religion to reveal that they connect both Jews and the ancestors of the Palestinian people to the land of Israel/Palestine. Further, for many centuries, much before the establishment of Zionism in the late 19th century, Jews lived in the holy land, emptying the concept of “colonization.”
Still, after the 1967 war, Israel did occupy the West Bank (among other territories) where the majority of Palestinians live. This territory is still under dispute, and the very small group of Israelis that have decided to live there are often viewed as “settlers”; their strategy is often debated even within Israel. So, both the Jews and the Palestinians share “the old” and are here to share “the new”. Does the story depict white privileged vs. non-white under privileged?
The Either/Or approach of the conflict has borrowed the “white=privilege” framework from other social justice battles like that of the civil rights movement. It is first valuable to note that the “white=privilege” framework is simplistic and is not able to capture many instances (you can be white and poor or non-white and successful). The Both/And approach will reveal a more nuanced reality. First, most Israelis are not “white” and, in fact, many come from Arab countries.
Interestingly, during 1948, when Israel was established and the Palestinian refugee crisis began, roughly the same amount of Jewish refugees had to flee their homes in the Arab world – about 800,000 people. So, both the Jewish and Palestinian people’s history is associated with being refugees and neither is “white.” Who should we criticize?
The Either/Or approach of the conflict has led people to be either critical of, and put all blame on Israel or critical of, and put all blame on Hamas and the Palestinians. The Both/And approach suggests that most of the time, the reality is more multi-layered. Israel is rightly perceived as the stronger actor, with a successful economy and strong military. Viewing itself as part of the Western developed world by holding similar values, Israel is disproportionally singled out for some of its actions in the context of the conflict.
Although mistakes have been made, and some of Israel’s policies and actions can be criticized, there is no logical reason to de-legitimize the country. Further, on Oct. 7, the country faced a brutal attack by Hamas, catching it off guard militarily, socially, and politically. On the other side, the Palestinians, deserving a state to reflect their self-determination, have not established effective institutions and governance systems to be able to avoid the fate of “failed nation.”
At the same time, in the West Bank, the lives of Palestinians are far from being easy, also because of Israeli policies. Finally, the extreme, jihadist branch of the Palestinians – Hamas – has demonstrated hate, evil and corruption, and is as far as can be from the values liberals in the West hold dear. Their Oct. 7 attack and strategy of hiding within and under civilians have led to a huge tragedy for Gazans. Overall, a Both/And approach could lead one to be both pro-Israel (or at the minimum empathize with Israelis) and pro-Palestinian (or at the minimum empathize with Palestinians), and at the same time be anti-Hamas.
Moving away from an Either/Or approach and adopting a Both/And thinking will not solve the conflict. But it might allow for more people to become open to learn more and listen, accept that reality is often more complicated than portrayed in social media, and be engaged with others in a more useful way. It can also enable us to reframe some of the questions we ask around the conflict. Rather than “Who is the one to blame?” or “Who is the victim?” we can start asking questions such as “How can we combine tradition and modernity in the Middle East” or “How can we create realistic hope”?
This is an opportunity for learning, in the context of the current conflict, but more broadly, a Both/And thinking can serve us well as individuals, organizations and societies, helping us address the many conflicts and underlying paradoxes around us.
13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
The Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC) is the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific Islanders. The South Pacific Commission (now The Pacific Community - SPC) launched this dynamic showcase of arts and culture in 1972 to halt the erosion of traditional practices through ongoing cultural exchange. The 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture, will convene in Hawaiʻi, 6–16 June 2024. “Ho‘oulu Lāhui: Regenerating Oceania” will serve as the theme of FestPAC Hawaiʻi 2024, honoring the traditions that FestPAC exists to perpetuate with an eye toward the future.
Human Rights Foundation
This week, our community of human rights defenders and democracy advocates reunited in Oslo, Norway, for the 16th annual Oslo Freedom Forum. Over three days, attendees heard talks from leading activists and industry leaders, explored interactive art and tech installations, and discussed the struggle for freedom through exciting panels and workshops.You can re-watch all theater talks at oslofreedomforum.com and on our YouTube page. Share these links with your family and friends so they can hear these incredible stories for themselves.
This year’s theme, Reclaim Democracy, emphasizes the pivotal role every individual — speaker and participant alike — plays within the global movement for liberal democracy and basic human rights. We encourage you to continue your involvement beyond the Oslo Freedom Forum, supporting activists and exchanging valuable tools, knowledge, and resources in the struggle for freedom.
Adam Schiff for Senate in Boston June 6
RefugePoint first quarter report 2024
Highlights from our 2024 First Quarter Report include:
In February, RefugePoint staff traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with staff from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the World Bank, among others, to discuss refugee self-reliance. Our aim is to help more refugees pursue livelihoods wherever they are and achieve economic and social inclusion.
RefugePoint helped 4,419 refugees access pathways to relocate to safety, including resettlement, family reunification, employment, sponsorship, and other pathways, from 100 locations in 26 countries worldwide.
RefugePoint staff interviewed this family in order to submit their case for resettlement at a refugee camp in Rwanda. Photo: Chris Jensen
Our staff conducted and reviewed child protection assessments for 432 refugee children.
98 clients reached a point of self-reliance and graduated from our Urban Refugee Protection Program in Nairobi, Kenya.
Our staff trained 138 individuals from UNHCR and partner organizations on topics ranging from child protection to resettlement and other pathways.
Helping refugees settle in the U.S., one family at a time, by Sasha Chanoff, WBUR (Cognoscenti)
Darren Kew named new Dean of the USD Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies
Convisero mentor Darren Kew joins as the new Dean at the University of San Diego. Below is an except from their press release: https://www.sandiego.edu/news/detail.php?_focus=92248
The University of San Diego is pleased to announce the appointment of Darren Kew, Ph.D., as the new Dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, effective July 1, 2024.
Dr. Kew holds a Ph.D. from Tufts University and brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and international relations. He is a professor and former Chair of the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance, and Executive Director of the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Additionally, Dr. Kew has advised democracy and peace initiatives to the United Nations, USAID, US State Department, and several NGOs, including the Carter Center and the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Interfaith Mediation Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria.
An author and researcher, Dr. Kew's work focuses on the relationship between conflict resolution methods and democratic development in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. His research interests encompass a wide range of topics including civil society, international security, culture, religion, and nation-building. He also recently spent several months doing comparative research in Northern Ireland on a Fulbright award at Queens University, Belfast.
The 2024 Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony
About the Ceremony
The Joint Memorial Day Ceremony, organized by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle – Families Forum, is the largest Israeli-Palestinian jointly organized peace event in history. The Joint Memorial Ceremony provides a unique opportunity for Israelis and Palestinians to grieve together and stand strong in demanding an end to the occupation and ongoing violence. The ceremony occurs yearly on the eve of Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day). In Israeli mainstream culture, the ceremonies that are most often held to honor this day serve to reinforce cultural narratives of pain, victimhood, and hopelessness. The Joint Memorial transforms this narrative by bringing Palestinians to the Memorial alongside Israelis to mourn side by side and model another way forward.
It was an honor to be together online yesterday for the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Day Ceremony. We are grateful to the thousands who joined us from all over the world. There were over 200 satellite ceremonies in Israel and Palestine, approximately 175 in the US, and many more in South Africa, France, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Spain, the UK, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Canada, and more.
As many of you know, despite our efforts to safeguard the event, the Combatants for Peace YouTube channel appears to have been hacked and we are investigating what happened. Despite this, Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle-Families Forum were able to broadcast via Facebook and regained access to YouTube.
AFCFP board president, Gili Getz, reflected on the ceremony: “Drowning in darkness and despair, we came together to mourn with the families of Israelis and Palestinians who lost members to violence. We gathered in Beit Jala because our Palestinian partners do not have permits to travel to Tel Aviv to be at the ceremony. It is clear that they are trying to keep us apart. Despite these obstacles, our faith is in each other, and our path is grounded in humanity. We all call this land home, and we believe supremacy, violence, fanaticism, occupation, and oppression are not the way. They will not keep anyone free or safe. The movement holds a sacred space for me. It gives me light, hope, and air. It is difficult for both societies to accept this path, but it’s a path that we believe in. We are a reference point to all who seek another way: the path of peace rather than separation and hate. We should all be able to thrive in this sacred land together. I’m filled with deep gratitude to all the hard work, care, and love so many Palestinians and Israelis put in to make this happen during these extremely challenging times. And to our supporters all over the world who watched the ceremony in solidarity at hundreds of events.”
Immediately following the Ceremony, AFCFP and American Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum hosted a powerful conversation with bereaved Palestinian, Musa Juma’a and bereaved Israeli, Maoz Inon. You can watch the recording here.
Presenting the "Halas Deal" for the Biden-Harris Administration
To review the full presentation, please see the link here: https://www.halasdeal.com/english
Vinyl Revival with Bob Schuman
Mona Mowafi
Mona Mowafi is Co-founder and President of RISE Egypt, a global nonprofit that is leveraging its network of top experts, investors, and researchers to accelerate entrepreneurship for development in Egypt. Its mission is to find, support, and scale enterprises that create positive social impact, are financially sustainable, and address policy challenges of national significance. Mona was also Co-founder and President of Egypt NEGMA from 2011-2013, and was Chair of its 1st Annual NEGMA Conference and Impact Egypt! Social Innovation Competition. She has received numerous awards for her work including a global health research award by the Global Health Council in 2011, the Judith O’Connor Award for emerging nonprofit leaders from Boardsource in 2012, and a national leadership award by Americorps Alums in 2014 for her ongoing commitment to global development through service-learning. She has published widely in her field and has frequently lectured on the role of people-driven development in Egypt. Mona holds a doctorate in Social Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health, where she currently remains affiliated as a Visiting Research Scientist.
Jenna Sirkin
Jenna is a principal research scientist who uses qualitative, implementation science, survey, econometric, and community-based participatory research methods. Her scholarship focuses on Medicaid/Medicare financing and delivery, state health policy, behavioral health access and integration, care delivery transformation in primary care and safety-net systems, and community health and well-being.
Her portfolio for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) includes mixed-methods evaluations of state payment and delivery models, such as the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model, the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model, and Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program. Her work with agencies, foundations, and local organizations examines the effectiveness of evidence-based models for care delivery, access, and coordination across community-based settings. She also has a portfolio of work focused on professional well-being and factors associated with access to care.
She was formerly at Abt Associates, adjunct faculty at Northeastern University and associate director of the Brandeis University Council on Health Care Economics and Policy. She engages with community members, policymakers, and implementation partners throughout the design, research, and dissemination process. She brings international development experience and is co-author of Breaking the Poverty Cycle: The Human Basis for Sustainable Development as a Rotary Fellow in Mexico City.
Alexander Busse
Mr. Alexander Busse serves as General Partner at NXTP Ventures. He also serves as Board Member at Worcket and previously served on the board of Kangu. Prior to NXTP, Alex worked in various investment funds and financial institutions and most recently worked at New York-based private equity fund, Conduit Capital, investing controlling stakes in private companies across Latin America and the Caribbean. He holds a BA from Tufts University in Boston and a master's degree from Columbia University in New York.
Alex Zerden
Alex Zerden is the founder and principal of Capital Peak Strategies LLC, a FinTech, digital asset, and emerging technologies advisory firm.
As a regulatory lawyer, economic policymaker, and financial diplomat, Alex brings fifteen years of public and private sector experience at the intersection of financial services, national security, and law with a focus on financial regulation, anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), economic sanctions, anti-corruption, financial enforcement and oversight investigations, economic crisis response, and public-private partnerships.
Alex began his career representing U.S. and international victims of terrorism. He has worked across the U.S. government to protect the financial system from abuse and promote economic growth, including at the Treasury Department, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), White House National Economic Council, House of Representatives, and Senate. From 2018-2019, Alex deployed to Afghanistan to lead the Treasury Department office at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
Alex has published extensively on issues involving AML/CFT, economic sanctions, anti-corruption, cybersecurity, and FinTech, including with the American Banker, Atlantic Council, Lawfare Blog, Center for American Progress, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Blog, and has been quoted and interviewed in media outlets including Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, Fox Business News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
Alex received his B.A., cum laude, from Tufts University, and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law. He is also a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Term Member and a former CNAS Next Generation National Security Fellow.
Ken Vacovec
Kenneth J. Vacovec, the founding partner of the firm, practices in all areas of tax law including tax planning for businesses and individuals, estate planning, representation before Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities, international tax planning for individuals and businesses, international estate planning, and tax compliance.
Ken, who is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, has extensive experience in advising clients on the tax aspects and planning opportunities for structuring domestic and cross border transactions and business relationships involving U.S. and foreign individuals and businesses. He graduated from Tufts University (BA 1969), Suffolk University Law School (JD, cum laude, 1975) and the Boston University Law School (LL.M in Taxation, 1976).
Ken is a member of the bars of Massachusetts and the United States Federal District Court of Massachusetts and the United States Tax Court. He has been an active participant in the Massachusetts Bar Association, most recently as President (1996-97). He is currently a Trustee and President of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and a Trustee and executive Vice President of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. He is also a member of the Boston Bar and American Bar Associations where he was a Massachusetts Delegate to the ABA house of Delegates 1996-2001 and is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He is a member of the International Fiscal Association and member of the United States Branch Council.
He is the National Reporter for the IFA world congress Oslo Norway 2002 Reporting on U.S. Tax Residency.
Ken speaks regularly on tax topics before both business and professional groups. He was one of the original seminar presenters for Massachusetts Partners for Trade.
Publications
Co-author of U.S. Foreign Tax Credit for Corporate Tax payers IBFD Bulletin special Issue IFA 55 Congress San Francisco, CA. USA.
Co-author, “Taxation in the United States,” International Taxation of Employment Manual, F.T. Law and Tax (U.K.), 1995;
Tyler Peppel to guest lecture at Sai University
Convisero mentor Tyler Peppel presented at the Global Challenges colloquium.
Voices of Grief Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony
Immediately following the 19th Annual Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony, we will gather online to hear from bereaved Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers who are transforming their losses into catalysts for hope. Come hear from Musa Juma’a and Maoz Inon.
Sunday, May 12th
2:30 PM EST (9:30 PM Jerusalem, 7:30 PM London)
(Simultaneous translation to English, Arabic, and Hebrew will be available)
Speakers
Musa Juma’a was born in Jerusalem, and studied and graduated in its streets. He is a 37-year-old doctor and writer who has family in both the West Bank and Gaza. Musa’s aunt and 8 of his cousins were recently killed in Gaza. Musa is working to end the occupation and believes peace cannot be separated from freedom.
Maoz Inon is an award-winning Israeli social entrepreneur, peace activist, and the founder of several tourism initiatives within Israel and the Middle East. Since his parents were killed on Israel on October 7, 2023, Inon has become a leading voice for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Deborah Katchko Gray
I’m a fourth generation cantor, and the second woman to serve a conservative congregation (1981). My years at Boston University were enriched by studies with Prof. Elie Wiesel of blessed memory. I am still learning from his wisdom and teachings. While at Boston U I got involved at the Hillel and met Sherman Teichman, a program director like no other. I fondly remember the Leviathon Leather workshops, the Lehrhouse programs of study, and outreach, creativity and energy that even a wonderful place like BU Hillel just could not process or contain. I am thrilled to be reconnected with Sherman in this wonderful endeavor. I believe in mentoring, sharing, and creating connections. In l982 I sensed a need for a like-minded community of women cantors and founded the Women Cantors’ Network. It has grown to be a lifeline for hundreds of women cantors, soloists, musicians, rabbis, and people exploring the cantorate. It is open to anyone interested in learning and sharing. www.womencantors.net I’ve been a pulpit cantor for decades and are on the brink of retiring. I love sharing programs and ideas- Sharing the legacy of my grandfather’s music in a new era using guitar chords in female friendly keys is a passion of mine. I published perhaps the first cantorial book with guitar and female voices in mind. I’ve enjoyed doing workshops for cantorial students and teach for the European Academy for Jewish Liturgy by zoom.
Fiber art and Judaica has been another passion of mine. I’ve been making Swedish Weaving tallitot for many years. The idea of making a personal tallit for my four sons has evolved into years of teaching and publishing a book on it. Prayerful Creations. Using fabric from family members makes it so meaningful- literally connecting with your loved ones as you pray.
Recently I was challenged to help create a Women of the Wall choir. I call it the WOW Choir! It is amazing to see and hear over a dozen young women sing and harmonize the prayers for the Rosh Chodesh Women of the Wall services at the Kotel. The struggles continue, but the harmony lifts up the voices and prayers.
I love writing as well, and I’m working on a book “Class Notes- A Lifetime of Learning with Elie Wiesel”. I also like writing smaller things for Times of Israel Blogs, and Jerusalem Post. All my writings are found at www.muckrack.com.
I am thrilled to be part of this community of mentors and seekers. May we all continue to grow, create and make waves for the future.
I'm so excited to share this creative adventure with my friend Beth Styles- I've had a dream of using nusach from my grandfather, Cantor Adolph Katchko and creating new music that keeps the nusach theme throughout while making it meaningful with English and singable uplifting melodies. I have an essay attached describing the idea behind it, and the two recordings are listed above- Please let me know what you think- how you think you can use them in worship. We have pdfs available, hoping to go through Transcontinental and Oysongs to distribute. There are solo and choral versions of the pdfs. For now, you can contact me for the music.
Adonai Malach- My Strength, My Rock includes the words Am Yisrael Chai! The opening music is a recording of my father, Cantor Theodore Katchko z"l with me adding harmony years later. Bringing the family musical traditions together and moving forward feels right.
Let us continue to pray for Israel and the hostages.
Shalom- Sing a New Song to God
Michael Niconchuk and Justine Hardy at the 35th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference - Trauma Research Foundation
Opening remarks by Convisero mentor Mike Niconchuk:
Good morning and welcome.
I want to thank each of you for being here. And I want to thank the Trauma Research Foundation for opening this space. Bruce, for his new and exciting leadership of TRF. Wendy, for her work on this event and globally-recognized leadership in the field of trauma, and Carrie, who puts so much effort into this event. Of course I also want to thank Bessel for deeply considering the relationships between trauma, social unrest, violence, and social repair and suggesting this topic feature prominently at the very start of the event.
And you—you chose to be here, in person or online, to engage with content that is explicitly emotional, sensitive, and likely personal for many of you. Conflict, violence, trauma, and social division. This topic is imminent and painful for so many reasons. By virtue of our location today on historically stolen lands, police brutality against student protests here in Boston, the anguish of Palestinian families watching their families killed daily in Gaza, the daily arrival of hundreds of persons fleeing rampant violence in Haiti, rising anti-Semitism, the intersection of trauma and violent conflict is evident here in this city—and the world over. The line between the “here” and the “there” has broken, and many of you probably interact with the tendrils and legacies of displacement, war, and social rupture in your work.
And we must speak into the room Gaza. We will not focus intensely on it, as it is not mine to speak about, but it is naturally something on the mind and in the heart, as it is a trauma that speaks to the intergenerational and collective, to identity, the metastatic pain that dismantles dichotomies between victim and perpetrator.
I am confident that feelings of unsafety, anger, or fear emerge even at its mere invocation.
And know, from the bottom of my heart, that I wish for each of you a life of safety, just as I wish the same for the people Gaza, of Sudan, of Congo, Haiti, Ecuador, Burkina Faso, Iraq, Ukraine, Los Angeles, incarceration facilities in this country, and elsewhere.
And we take a breath together. Find those safety resources within yourself as we go through the day. Invoke them, use them.
It is my true desire that each of you in this room and online live a life of safety. A life of safety in which your own and your policymakers pursuit of your safety is not at the expense of the life of less desirable others. And today we are not here to adjudicate blame, but to elevate trauma and the necessity of exploring trauma healing contexed within broader social and political issues.
I wish for you a life of safety, because that is what it is all about—as a species, as mental health workers, as advocates. We work to create safety in the self, in relationships, and in the world around us. For those who have experienced trauma, opportunity without safety is a false gift. Decades of violence in communities can impact health outcomes for generations, can rupture families and social cohesion, and can exacerbate inequities. Safety in the body and mind, in such adverse circumstances, is wildly difficult, and we must continue innovating in the creation of safety in mind, body, relationships, land, and material circumstances.
Today is highly personal for me.
The act of centering myself on this stage could be construed as a gross act of privilege, but my intention is to bring us immediately to a critical point that Justine Hardy, Homeboy Industries, and the Violence Intervention Project will investigate in great detail: trauma and violence are personal. And only by elevating the urgency, dignity, and beauty of persons will we be able to couple our pursuit of healing and our pursuits of justice.
To be blunt, I am enraged at the actions of this country’s government in sustaining active conflicts and adding embers to situations where they could easily as add water. In many ways, there is something particularly infuriating about working on conflict-related trauma, because violence is not an act of God; it is an act of mankind. Often I find myself incredulous at the reality of global mental health financing; as the same actors involved in the harm of populations then ask for bids to go innovate on dealing with the trauma left behind. It is akin to cigarette companies funding heart disease interventions in the communities with the greatest sales.
One of my best friends is at the moment on a perilous and criminalized journey to safety for himself and his family. He, a refugee who first fled war in 2012, is somewhere in a Russian, or Belorussian, or Polish forest. Perhaps frostbitten, perhaps about to get shot, perhaps soon to be attacked by police dogs, perhaps totally safe—smuggling himself into Europe because that—the decaying heart of empire—is the only place that he can fathom safety. Foreign aid money, which has historically been used as a form of soft power and influence, has all but dried up for refugee camps in greater Syria (bilad ash-Sham), and he has struggled for 9 months to make enough money picking tomatoes, in order to feed his children, including one with specific health needs. My heart breaks that he feels there is no easier way. And I am angry that this is the landscape of choice he has—risk life, limb, and crushing debt to undertake a life-threatening journey where, even if successful, you will be separated from your family for 2 years, or wallow in a tent or decaying apartment where every aspect of your existence is dependent on aid resources that are rapidly drying up now that your people are not politically relevant. That we have built a world where material scarcity, forced poverty, and internationally influenced civil wars are written off as “unfortunate traumas.”
Days ago, I told him not to go. That we will try to find another way.
He was weeping.
I told him, “Habibi, you could die. Are you willing to risk your children losing their father?”
He paused, and said, “But they already have.” He continued sobbing.
They have lost him to depression, hopelessness, trauma, shame, guilt, fear.
What is the work with this man? A breathing exercise? Cognitive reframing? EMDR—for which trauma? For his PTSD or his depression or his hopelessness or his anger or his anxiety? A life of dignity is not a treatment protocol. That is not to say trauma healing work is irrelevant for this man—but there is simply no post- to his post-trauma challenges.
It is heavy. This work is heavy. And we are not here to shy away from it, but to explore how what we know how to do—this like build relational containers of healing and hope, building regulation in the body, investing in spiritual, emotional, psychological, and interpersonal resources towards healing—to explore how these things are complicated by the realities of war, separation, violence, politics, racism, and social division.
Today we aim to connect dots, for the context of violence, disconnection, and injustice is universal. Where power, greed, identity threat, and perceived status loss go, so does violence. And that is not to suggest such traumatic experiences are inevitable, but rather that the challenge at hand is massive for those in the field of mental health and psychosocial support. What we see in parts of Los Angeles—as we will hear today—or what we see in the Kashmir Valley or in the Republic of the Maldives or Gaza—is connected. To be interested in the mental health of survivors of violence and conflict without being interested in their justice is insufficient at best, and complicit at worst.
This is where the etiology of PTSD, stress related disorders, and sub-pathological adaptations in the self, relationships and communities pushes us into a difficult position. In some cases we know so clearly the causes of harm. In many conflicts our tax dollars drop the bombs that cause the trauma and then agencies based in those countries get the big contracts to respond to the trauma. It’s a perverse cycle.
Is the role of the mental health practitioner or psychosocial support worker inherently political? How can privilege and class and foreign intervention destroy local ways of healing? And at the same time how can privilege and platforms be leveraged to do the work of undoing the structural sources of harm? How do we build sustainable teams in such environments? Where are the bright spots in new protocols and ways of working that can bring hope and agency even in the most adverse circumstances. Where do we see those bright spots of innovation that honor the local, offer agency to survivors, and work around systems that are unwilling or unable to change in the timeframe needed.
In the case of trauma and conflict, I sit in a pile of my own unintended complicity, while also fiercely trying to get this right. So how do we dare do work? Carefully, with humility and permission. With radical empathy as we know how trauma metastasizes in self and society, and we understand that grace, dialogue, and healing are necessary parts of justice.
We will start today with Justine Hardy, who will take us to the Kashmir Valley, a site of decades of violence, and millennia of beauty, art, faith, and complexity. We will then talk about one of many elephants in the room—extremism—and the delicate work of trauma-responsive care for persons exiting violent extremist groups. I will focus on collective work with returnees from the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, while calling out our obsession with violence in the Islamic world, when in reality, much of what goes on in this country should be equally as vilified and understood in the context of history and policy. After lunch we will shift geographies, focusing the city of Los Angeles, exploring innovative models of care for persons exiting incarceration, and in bringing neurofeedback to communities that have long suffered the consequences of injustice, racism, and systemic exclusion.
Today will be uncomfortable, eye opening, and challenging.
Justine Hardy’s outline:
I was talking about trans-generational trauma, and though the following is only in bullet point, and without the elegance of Mike’s introductory comments, it gives an outline:
The different impacts across several generations living through (and within) the same conflict.
How to begin to address the misunderstandings and differences between the trauma of each generation.
How to support and accompany those who are ‘frozen’ (psychologically paralysed) by trauma in settings where there is little or no recourse to treatments other than the heavy bombardment of pharmacology and what an individual therapist can do face-to-face with the people they are working with.
Working with the next generation, exploring ways of interrupting the cycles of violence that play out across the generations.
Working somatically (in the mind-body continuum) both preventatively and curatively to give people the agency of understanding what is happening within their nervous system responses and how this interacts with their minds, mood and capacity to function.