Fri, 03 Jul 2009

Waldorf crisis intervention team allowed to return to Gaza

KARLSRUHE (NNA) – A crisis intervention team sent to Gaza by the international Waldorf organisation Friends of Waldorf Education to help traumatised children following Isræl’s military offensive at the start of the year can now return to the territory.

As NNA reported at the time, the team had been forced to leave Gaza on the urgent advice of the German foreign office and the UN after Egypt said it would close the Rafah crossing point and that thereafter teams working in Gaza would no longer be allowed to cross back into Egypt.

Although it initially remained in El Arish on the Egyptian side of the border in the hope that it would be allowed to return again soon, the team eventually had no choice but to go back to Germany when it became clear that there would be no quick change in the situation.

Now Friends of Waldorf Education has announced that a ten-member team will return to Gaza from 14 to 27 July, once again with the support of the German foreign office, to resume its work.

“We will work together with our established Palestinian partners in Gaza City – the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme und the Al Qattan Centre for trauma work as well as the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, a school for deaf children,” the Friends said in a press release.

“Since it is school holidays during the period of our deployment, the team will also work in the customary holiday camps,” the organisation added.

A new field of deployment for the team will be training adults. “We will use workshops to provide training for teachers and carers in working with psychologically traumatised children,” the statement said.

The aim is to communicate the basic theory and on that basis teach in a practical way the various Waldorf educational methods.

“Together with our Palestinian partners, we want to build on the educational successes of our previous deployment and further deepen our collaboration,” the Friends said.

Because of its decades-long experience in helping children in war zones or in the wake of natural disasters – most recently in Lebanon in 2006/2007 and the earthquake in China last year – Friends of Waldorf Education decided to send the intervention team to Gaza to provide acute assistance to children and their families traumatised by the recent fighting.

Numerous children who came under fire have been psychologically traumatised and require urgent help to prevent or reduce the psychological after-effects such as post-traumatic stress, Friends of Waldorf Education says.

Waldorf education and the various anthroposophical forms of therapy were particularly suited for this purpose, the organisation adds.

Crisis intervention teams consist of physicians, therapists and health and education professionals with experience in crisis intervention work.

The organisation is also still appealing for funds to cover the costs of the deployment. In February the costs were estimated at 43,000 euros (£37,000, US$60,000). (Bank details below).

END/nna/cva

Link: www.freunde-waldorf.de/die-freunde/arbeitsbereiche/pædagogische-nothilfe/

Bank account for donations: Name: Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiners, Bank: GLS Gemeinschaftsbank Bochum, Bank Sort Code: 430 609 67, Acc. No.: 13042010, Reference: “pädagogische Nothilfe”

Item: 090703-01EN Date: 3 July 2009

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