African Refugees in Israel

Some 35000 African refugees are living now in Israel. Sudanese, Aritherian, and more from the countries around the Strife and Violent conflict in Central Africa.
Their way across has not been an easy one, not only have they fled from violence anxiety and chaos, without much on them, they encounter much hassle and little welcome on their flight across neighbouring countries. Some have even been abducted beaten raped and used as pawns for blackmailing their families and friends left at home and abroad.
Israel is facing a grave and conflictual situation, in understanding how to treat these people upon their enter into Israels' territory. Most of them asking assylum.

Aside from the Goverments efforts and inner politics. Apart from the confusion and misunderstanding in how to deal with the huge sudden influx of foriegners, putting up boundaries yet remembering our heritage as the Jewish people. Wanting to help balanced with the need to keep stability and some means of safety in a tomultous political situation. When you move your attention just a bit from these traumatic vortexes... you might just find a few heartwarming groups and human beings that work with, embrace and support these refugees in Israel.
Hagar and Miriam is such a group, for African women that need help through pregnancy and birth. Assaf is another ngo, supporting the African refugee community in Tel Aviv, with legal aid, every day living beauracracy, providing support groups and short trainings for the people.
We've ToWo group been getting together with these to consult and brain storm a way to share and work in conjuction. Apparently our knowledge from SA and training design could be of out most importance to the work with the African refugees in Israel.

We would appreciate your donations, whether it be money, cameras, tripods, or even just raising awareness and sharing this info with others. These people need help.
The quicker we meet them and allow the traumatic body memories to thaw, the better will their progress will be, they will gather less retraumatic experiences, be able to make clear communicative and productive decisions, and find dignity and self esteem.

Thanks from the Heart

Conference Presentations/ Ireland Israel

The ToWo project was presented in the ESTD conference in Belfast Ireland, April 2010. It was welcomed by some 30 international therapists that watched our video, listened and inquired into the cross cultural issues that have been raised through this trauma therapy project. The feedback was very supportive, some have been interested in learning more of the special design created by ToWo, SE combined with Video and narrative therapy/education. Others showed interest and joined a group studying the basics of SE technique for trauma therapy/emotional first aid, led by Juditta Ben-David.
We are happy to announce that the project will also be presented on a panel in the
Tel Chai college, Israel, 1st July 2010. A conference about Trauma stress and Disaster aid.
All invited :-)

Quotes to resonate with

I can indicate no royal road for bringing about a social revolution

except that we should represent it

in every detail of our lives

Mahatma Ghandi

"We need to learn to trust and act upon our own feelings and experiences,

if we are ever to be free "

feral fawn

"We the indigenous are not part of yesterday, we are part of Tommorrow"

subcommondante marcus/ starhawk

We also hereby want to acknowledge Miri Ben Baruch

for joining our small group with gusto and taking on herself the role of the fund raiser.

Photography, Mindfulness, and Somatic experiencing

after the ToWo project, a workshop for friends and the public. 12th Dec in the Western Galillee, the lovely village of Clil.
Resourcing in Creativity, a full day workshop.
10% of revenues will be forwarded to the ToWo project.

info: 077-6639903
towogroup@gmail.com

We are glad to announce that a prominent Israeli Journal

"Chaim Acherim" has aired a beautiful article about the ToWo project and its director Juditta Ben David. It has come out this month, August 2009, in Hebrew. We shall try and see if we can translate it to English. Our Facebook page is: ToWo dbd, and for more info: ToWogroup@gmail.com

Nurit Tolnai, Hod Shacham and Orna Glass have joined us as contributers, see their Bios.

אנחנו שמחים להודיע על החשיפה היפה שקיבלנו במאמר במאגזין "חיים אחרים" של חודש אוגוסט 2009 שם כתוב גם על
פרוייקט טובו וגם על ג'ודיתה בן דוד המייסדת והמנהלת.
בזמן הקרוב ננסה להעלות מספר קטעים ואולי אף לתרגם את המאמר לאנגלית

הדף שלנו בפייסבוק הוא: ToWo dbd וליצירת קשר ואינפורמציה נוספת : ToWogroup@gmail.com

אנחנו מתחילים לאסוף מצלמות יד שניה וידאו וסטילס ..ותרומות כנדבת ליבכם

We would appreciate greatly your donation !

ToWo in Israel

Lately ToWo-group has been in contact with Hagar & Miriam, an organisation that aids the African women refugees in Israel. A year long course of Trauma healing and Video documentation is being built especially for the women refugees that are pregnant in a foreign land and preparing for labour. More information soon.
Also, check out the article about the work with COHI, and midwifes from Tansaniya that happened just this July. SO exciting.

17th October, TLV-Jaffa, a fund raising party

Yeap! a party for ToWo.. a deck on the Jaffa beach, afternoon till dusk .. Music music, dancing, amazing African dance group from Ghana, great musicians such as Alma Zohar, Groovatron (dror ahava romem), Dreaming elephants and Noa Zulu, Ethiopian singer Ayala Engedashet, and more... Short movies, a kids corner, visual info about the project, short presentations... and more.