Joining the Red Cross and the Health department- training Arabic speaking Social workers- Trauma and Resiliency- for wounded Syrians

ToWo group have been invited to train Arabic speaking Social workers, in Nahariya and Tzfat hospitals

Trauma and the Mind, Mindfulness, MBSE - mindfulness based somatic therapy for trauma and resiliency. 4 full days over a month. Ms. Juditta Ben-David MA SEP, Ms. Dunia Brodi MA, and Ms. Jumana MD, mental health professionals and trauma specialists, are training the social workers in Hebrew and Arabic. All the participants are counselors that work with the wounded Syrians, in various departments of the hospital.
It's been a delightful interactive eye and heart opening series till now. Working with women and men from the Muslim and Druze community and their specific cultural conditioning regarding the body and yet approaching it in self reflection, patience and deep listening, has been a challenge worthwhile. We believe it is an act of healing for the Social workers as well as to the Syrians that they will treat. We have a couple more days to go. 

** Your support for this project would be highly appreciated.** Donations can be given via PayPal and Bank ** for more detail please write: towogroup@gmail.com

The feedback from the group is amazing
The group has been sharing of vicarious trauma as well as about the stress of the work, which can be at times emotionally conflictual.
It's a novel idea for them, SE MBSE CRM - psychophysical techniques and Mindfulness, yet backed by so much research and theory - they are joining us in curiosity, role play, personal experiences, and lots of questions.
Towogroup@gmail.com

Syrians have been arriving for the last 5 years to the Israeli Hospitals in the north, since the beginning of this long ongoing war- for medical help through the connection with the Red Cross.
Quite a few good thousands have received valuable treatment, families, children, women and men.
Their stories and their wounds are severe, and the staff had very little experience and/or knowledge of the emotional-body-mind side of trauma work, for the Syrians as well as for themselves.

Our materials have been translated to Arabic, so that the tools can be shared easily.

** Your support for this project would be highly appreciated.** Donations can be given via PayPal and Bank ** for more detail please write: towogroup@gmail.com

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 :-)

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.

ToWo project in SA 2007

more pics at: picasaToWo enjoy :-)

In a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible

Abraham Joshua Heschel