1 00:00:10,478 --> 00:00:12,028 Good Morning 2 00:00:12,808 --> 00:00:18,098 Worldwide, over 1.5 billion people experience armed conflict 3 00:00:19,137 --> 00:00:21,738 In response, people are forced to flee their country. 4 00:00:21,738 --> 00:00:25,078 leaving over 15 million refugees. 5 00:00:25,508 --> 00:00:27,227 Children without a doubt are 6 00:00:27,227 --> 00:00:30,227 the most innocent and vulnerable victims. 7 00:00:30,418 --> 00:00:33,158 But not just from the obvious physical dangers, 8 00:00:33,158 --> 00:00:37,158 but from, the often, unspoken affects that wars have on their families. 9 00:00:38,088 --> 00:00:41,088 The experiences of war leave children at real high risk 10 00:00:41,228 --> 00:00:44,918 for the development of emotional and behavioural problems. 11 00:00:45,738 --> 00:00:47,508 Children as we can only imagine, 12 00:00:47,508 --> 00:00:49,638 will feel worried, threaten and at risk. 13 00:00:50,725 --> 00:00:52,435 But there is good news, 14 00:00:52,435 --> 00:00:54,834 the quality of care that children recieve 15 00:00:54,834 --> 00:00:58,234 in their families, can have a more significant effects 16 00:00:58,234 --> 00:01:00,254 on their well-being, than from 17 00:01:00,282 --> 00:01:03,822 the actual experiences of war that they have been exposed to. 18 00:01:04,282 --> 00:01:07,092 So actually, children can be protected 19 00:01:07,302 --> 00:01:09,490 by warm, secure parenting, 20 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,967 during and after conflict. 21 00:01:13,637 --> 00:01:17,157 In 2011, I was a first year PHD Student 22 00:01:17,157 --> 00:01:19,127 in the University Of Manchester 23 00:01:19,127 --> 00:01:21,191 School Of Physiological Sciences. 24 00:01:21,271 --> 00:01:24,162 Like many of you here, I watched the crisis in Syria 25 00:01:24,162 --> 00:01:26,242 unfold in front of me on the TV. 26 00:01:26,352 --> 00:01:29,842 My family are originally from Syria, and very early on 27 00:01:29,842 --> 00:01:32,942 I lost several family members in really horrifying ways. 28 00:01:33,522 --> 00:01:36,632 I sat and I gathered with my family and watched the TV. 29 00:01:37,002 --> 00:01:38,662 So we have all seen those scenes, 30 00:01:38,662 --> 00:01:42,662 bombs destroying, buildings, chaos, destruction. 31 00:01:42,852 --> 00:01:45,382 and people screaming and running. 32 00:01:45,662 --> 00:01:47,462 It was always the people screaming and running 33 00:01:47,462 --> 00:01:49,532 that really got me the most. 34 00:01:49,762 --> 00:01:52,532 Specially those terrified looking children. 35 00:01:53,484 --> 00:01:57,114 I was a mother to two young, typically inquisitive children. 36 00:01:57,114 --> 00:01:58,809 They were five and six then. 37 00:01:58,809 --> 00:02:01,669 At an age when they typically ask lots and lots of questions 38 00:02:01,669 --> 00:02:04,509 and expect real convincing answers. 39 00:02:05,338 --> 00:02:07,998 So I began to wonder what it might be like 40 00:02:07,998 --> 00:02:12,074 to parent my children in a war-zone and a refugee camp. 41 00:02:12,328 --> 00:02:14,198 Would my children change? 42 00:02:14,768 --> 00:02:18,228 Would my daughter's bright happy eyes lose their shine? 43 00:02:18,677 --> 00:02:21,157 Would my son's really relax care-free nature 44 00:02:21,807 --> 00:02:23,727 become fearful and withdrawn? 45 00:02:24,799 --> 00:02:26,139 How would I cope? 46 00:02:27,712 --> 00:02:29,442 Would I change? 47 00:02:30,552 --> 00:02:32,822 As psychologists and parent's trainers 48 00:02:32,832 --> 00:02:34,662 we know that arming parents 49 00:02:34,662 --> 00:02:36,732 with skills and caring for their children 50 00:02:36,732 --> 00:02:39,182 can have a huge effect on their well-being. 51 00:02:40,026 --> 00:02:42,436 We call this parents training. 52 00:02:42,436 --> 00:02:43,896 So the questions I had 53 00:02:43,896 --> 00:02:47,896 was could Parent Training programs be useful for families 54 00:02:48,083 --> 00:02:50,843 while they're still in war-zones or refugee camps? 55 00:02:51,202 --> 00:02:53,692 Could we reach them with advice or training 56 00:02:53,692 --> 00:02:56,272 that would help them through these struggles? 57 00:02:57,849 --> 00:03:00,039 So, I approached my PHD supervisor, 58 00:03:00,269 --> 00:03:01,789 professor Rachel Calam, 59 00:03:01,789 --> 00:03:04,189 with the idea of using my academic skills 60 00:03:04,189 --> 00:03:06,579 to make some changes in the real world. 61 00:03:06,579 --> 00:03:09,529 I wasn't quite sure, exactly, what I wanted to do. 62 00:03:09,629 --> 00:03:11,599 She listened carefully and patiently, 63 00:03:11,599 --> 00:03:12,979 And then to my joy, she said: 64 00:03:12,979 --> 00:03:14,519 "If that is what you want to do, 65 00:03:14,539 --> 00:03:16,909 and it means so much to you, then let's do it. 66 00:03:17,349 --> 00:03:20,489 Let's find ways to see if parent programs can be useful 67 00:03:20,825 --> 00:03:23,455 for families in this contexts." 68 00:03:23,505 --> 00:03:26,475 So for the past five years myself and my colleagues, 69 00:03:26,775 --> 00:03:28,785 professor Calam and Dr. Kim Cartwright 70 00:03:28,905 --> 00:03:31,045 have been working on ways to support families 71 00:03:31,355 --> 00:03:34,545 that have experienced war and displacement. 72 00:03:35,149 --> 00:03:37,519 Now, to know how to help families that have been 73 00:03:37,519 --> 00:03:39,959 through conflict, support their children, 74 00:03:40,244 --> 00:03:41,964 The first step must obviously be 75 00:03:41,974 --> 00:03:44,744 to ask them what are they struggling with. Right? 76 00:03:44,914 --> 00:03:46,264 I mean, it seems obvious, 77 00:03:46,414 --> 00:03:48,304 but often those are the most vulnerable 78 00:03:48,304 --> 00:03:51,494 that we are trying to support that we actually don't ask. 79 00:03:51,584 --> 00:03:53,394 How many times have we just assumed 80 00:03:53,394 --> 00:03:56,804 we know exactly the right thing that is gonna help someone or something 81 00:03:56,804 --> 00:03:58,644 without actually asking them first. 82 00:03:59,044 --> 00:04:02,334 So i travelled to the refugee camps in Syria and in Turkey. 83 00:04:03,044 --> 00:04:05,184 And I sat with families and I listened. 84 00:04:06,254 --> 00:04:08,764 I listened to the parenting challenges 85 00:04:08,764 --> 00:04:10,654 I listened to the parenting struggles 86 00:04:10,994 --> 00:04:13,044 And I listened to their call for help 87 00:04:13,106 --> 00:04:15,666 And sometimes that was just paused 88 00:04:15,666 --> 00:04:18,506 as all I could was hold hand with them and just join them 89 00:04:18,506 --> 00:04:19,886 in silence crying and prayer 90 00:04:19,926 --> 00:04:21,895 So they told me about their struggles 91 00:04:22,275 --> 00:04:26,505 They told me about the rough, harsh refugee camp condition 92 00:04:26,905 --> 00:04:30,645 That made it hard to focus on anything but practical chores 93 00:04:30,645 --> 00:04:32,825 like collecting clean water. 94 00:04:33,305 --> 00:04:36,075 He told me how they watch their children withdrawn, 95 00:04:36,175 --> 00:04:40,755 the sadness, depression, anger bed-wetting, thumb sucking 96 00:04:41,377 --> 00:04:45,667 fear of loud noises, fear of nightmares, terrifying terrifying nightmares. 97 00:04:46,784 --> 00:04:50,294 These families had been through what we had been watching on the TV. 98 00:04:51,524 --> 00:04:54,647 The mothers almost half of them were now wisdom of the war 99 00:04:55,147 --> 00:04:57,857 or didn't even know their husbands were dead or alive, 100 00:04:57,857 --> 00:05:00,857 described how they thought they were coping so badly 101 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,600 They watched their children change 102 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,900 and they have had no idea how to help them. 103 00:05:05,935 --> 00:05:08,995 They didn't know how to answer their children's questions. 104 00:05:09,605 --> 00:05:12,915 Why I found incredibly astonishing and so motivational 105 00:05:13,405 --> 00:05:17,365 was that these families was so motivated to support their children 106 00:05:18,025 --> 00:05:20,134 Despite all the challenges they faced 107 00:05:20,134 --> 00:05:22,154 they were trying to help their children 108 00:05:22,639 --> 00:05:25,879 they were making attempts at seeking support from NGO workers 109 00:05:26,385 --> 00:05:30,385 from refugee camp teachers, professional medics, other parents. 110 00:05:31,389 --> 00:05:33,889 One mother I met had only been account for 4 days 111 00:05:34,144 --> 00:05:36,974 and had already made two attempts at seeking support 112 00:05:37,074 --> 00:05:38,874 for her eight -year-old daughter 113 00:05:38,874 --> 00:05:41,544 who was having terrifying nightmares. 114 00:05:42,510 --> 00:05:46,060 But sadly, these attempts are almost always useless. 115 00:05:46,362 --> 00:05:49,802 Refugee camp doctors when available are almost always too busy or 116 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,880 don't have the knowledge all the time for basic parenting supports. 117 00:05:54,495 --> 00:05:58,495 Refugee camp teachers and other parents I just like them 118 00:05:58,798 --> 00:06:02,798 part of a new refugee community who's struggling with units 119 00:06:03,039 --> 00:06:07,139 So then we began to think how could we help these families. 120 00:06:08,639 --> 00:06:12,639 The families were struggling with things much bigger than they could cope with. 121 00:06:12,837 --> 00:06:16,487 The Syrian crisis made it clear how incredibly impossible it would be 122 00:06:16,637 --> 00:06:19,107 to reach families on an individual level. 123 00:06:19,427 --> 00:06:21,717 How else could we help them. 124 00:06:21,754 --> 00:06:26,424 How would we reach families at a population level and low-cost 125 00:06:27,871 --> 00:06:31,301 in these terrifying terrifying times. 126 00:06:31,771 --> 00:06:34,251 After hours of speaking to NGO workers 127 00:06:34,251 --> 00:06:38,224 one suggested a fantastic innovative idea of distributing 128 00:06:38,224 --> 00:06:41,894 parenting information leaflets by a bread wrappers. 129 00:06:41,894 --> 00:06:44,304 Bread wrappers that were delivered to a family 130 00:06:44,304 --> 00:06:47,774 in a conflict zone in Syria by humanitarian workers 131 00:06:48,198 --> 00:06:49,628 So that's what we did 132 00:06:49,893 --> 00:06:52,723 The bread wrappers haven't changed at all in their apperance 133 00:06:52,927 --> 00:06:55,577 except for the addition of two pieces of paper. 134 00:06:55,779 --> 00:06:59,779 One was a parenting information leaflet that had basic advice 135 00:06:59,924 --> 00:07:02,404 and information that normalizes the parents 136 00:07:02,408 --> 00:07:04,378 what they might be experiencing 137 00:07:04,397 --> 00:07:06,237 and what their children might be experiencing 138 00:07:06,237 --> 00:07:08,629 and information on how they could support themselves 139 00:07:08,779 --> 00:07:10,119 and their children 140 00:07:10,119 --> 00:07:13,759 such as information like spending time talking to their child 141 00:07:14,373 --> 00:07:18,373 showing the more affection being more patient with your child 142 00:07:18,614 --> 00:07:20,424 talking to your children. 143 00:07:20,424 --> 00:07:22,844 The other piece of paper was a feedback question 144 00:07:22,844 --> 00:07:24,861 and of course there was a pen. 145 00:07:26,002 --> 00:07:29,592 So is this simply leaflet distribution 146 00:07:29,716 --> 00:07:33,336 or is it actually possible means of delivering psychological first aid 147 00:07:33,336 --> 00:07:35,115 that provides warm secure 148 00:07:35,115 --> 00:07:36,405 loving parenting. 149 00:07:36,405 --> 00:07:40,655 We managed to distribute 3000 of these in just one week. 150 00:07:41,761 --> 00:07:45,511 was incredible was we had 60-percent response rate 151 00:07:45,511 --> 00:07:49,511 SIxty-percent of the three thousand families responded. 152 00:07:49,902 --> 00:07:52,312 I don't know how many reasearchs we have here today 153 00:07:52,412 --> 00:07:54,938 but that kind of response rate is fantastic 154 00:07:54,938 --> 00:07:58,038 to have this in Manchester would be a huge achivement 155 00:07:58,158 --> 00:08:00,911 Let alone in conflict zone in Syria 156 00:08:00,961 --> 00:08:04,511 really highlighting how important these kind of messages work to families. 157 00:08:04,641 --> 00:08:06,271 We ain't remember how excited 158 00:08:06,271 --> 00:08:08,481 and eager we were for the return of question is 159 00:08:08,761 --> 00:08:11,146 the families had left hundreds of messages 160 00:08:11,248 --> 00:08:14,128 most incredibly positive encouraging. 161 00:08:14,128 --> 00:08:15,758 My favorite has got to be 162 00:08:15,758 --> 00:08:18,948 "Thank you for not forgetting about us and our children". 163 00:08:19,949 --> 00:08:23,729 This is really illustrates a potential means of the delivery of psychological 164 00:08:23,732 --> 00:08:27,179 first data families and the return of feedback to 165 00:08:27,179 --> 00:08:29,889 Just imagine replicating this using other means 166 00:08:29,889 --> 00:08:31,909 such as baby look distribution 167 00:08:31,913 --> 00:08:35,913 or female hygiene kits or even food baskets 168 00:08:36,026 --> 00:08:37,906 Let's bring this closer to home 169 00:08:37,996 --> 00:08:39,606 because the refugee crisis is one 170 00:08:39,606 --> 00:08:42,316 having an effect on every single one of us 171 00:08:42,403 --> 00:08:45,223 We're bombarded with images daily of statistics 172 00:08:45,437 --> 00:08:46,457 and photos 173 00:08:46,548 --> 00:08:48,668 and that's not surprising 174 00:08:48,668 --> 00:08:50,088 because by last month 175 00:08:50,101 --> 00:08:52,871 over 1 million refugees had reached europe 176 00:08:53,233 --> 00:08:57,333 1 million refugees are joining our communities 177 00:08:57,393 --> 00:08:59,313 They're becoming our neighbors 178 00:08:59,399 --> 00:09:01,759 their children are attending our children schools 179 00:09:01,759 --> 00:09:05,759 So we've adapted the leaflets to meet the needs of European refugees 180 00:09:06,877 --> 00:09:09,217 and we have them online open access 181 00:09:09,217 --> 00:09:12,007 and areas with a really high refugee influx. 182 00:09:12,246 --> 00:09:14,602 For example, the Swedish healthcare uploaded it 183 00:09:14,602 --> 00:09:16,053 onto their website 184 00:09:16,053 --> 00:09:17,567 within the first 45 mintutes 185 00:09:17,567 --> 00:09:19,957 it was downloaded 343 times 186 00:09:20,413 --> 00:09:23,093 really highlighting how important it is for volunteers, 187 00:09:23,093 --> 00:09:25,413 practitioners and other parents to have open 188 00:09:25,579 --> 00:09:28,569 access psychological first aid messages. 189 00:09:30,461 --> 00:09:36,161 In 2013, I was sitting on the cold harsh floor of a refugee camp tent 190 00:09:36,477 --> 00:09:40,477 with mother sitting around me as I was conducting a focus group 191 00:09:40,749 --> 00:09:42,969 across from East, an elderly lady 192 00:09:43,019 --> 00:09:46,049 with what seemed to be a 13-year-old girl lying beside her, 193 00:09:46,159 --> 00:09:48,901 with her head on the other ladies knees. 194 00:09:48,901 --> 00:09:53,041 The girls stayed quiet throughout the focus group not talking at all 195 00:09:53,281 --> 00:09:55,854 with her knees curled up against her chest. 196 00:09:56,048 --> 00:09:57,703 Towards the end of the focus group 197 00:09:57,823 --> 00:10:00,383 and as I was thanking the mothers for their time 198 00:10:00,812 --> 00:10:03,642 the other lady looked at me while pointing at the young girl 199 00:10:03,642 --> 00:10:07,062 and said to me:" Can you help us with?" 200 00:10:07,062 --> 00:10:09,412 not quite sure what she expected me to do 201 00:10:09,482 --> 00:10:12,452 I looked at the young girl and smiled, in Arabic I said 202 00:10:12,571 --> 00:10:13,951 (Arabic) 203 00:10:14,564 --> 00:10:16,234 "What is your name?" 204 00:10:16,572 --> 00:10:19,022 She looked at me really confused and engaged 205 00:10:19,299 --> 00:10:21,319 but then said:"Halluan" 206 00:10:21,751 --> 00:10:25,481 Halluan is the best name for the Arabic female name Halla 207 00:10:25,684 --> 00:10:28,734 and is only really used to refer to really young girls. 208 00:10:29,747 --> 00:10:32,967 At that point, I realized that actually Hallo was probably much 209 00:10:32,967 --> 00:10:37,177 older than thirteen, it turns out Halla was a 25-year-old mother 210 00:10:37,198 --> 00:10:40,068 to three young children 211 00:10:40,117 --> 00:10:43,497 Halla had been a confident bright bubby loving caring mother 212 00:10:43,717 --> 00:10:45,027 to her children. 213 00:10:45,167 --> 00:10:46,797 But the war had changed all about. 214 00:10:48,077 --> 00:10:52,077 She had lived through bombs drop being dropped in her town. 215 00:10:52,283 --> 00:10:54,383 She had lived through explosions, 216 00:10:54,896 --> 00:10:58,476 when fighter jets were flying around their building dropping bombs, 217 00:10:58,822 --> 00:11:01,942 her children would be screaming terrified from the noise. 218 00:11:02,064 --> 00:11:03,877 Halla would frantically grab pillows 219 00:11:03,877 --> 00:11:06,407 and cover up her children is to block out the noise. 220 00:11:06,637 --> 00:11:08,717 all the while screaming herself 221 00:11:08,822 --> 00:11:10,632 When they reached to the refugee camp 222 00:11:10,632 --> 00:11:13,862 and she knew they were finally in some kind of safety, 223 00:11:14,006 --> 00:11:15,916 she completely withdrew to acting 224 00:11:15,916 --> 00:11:18,306 like her old childhood self. 225 00:11:18,392 --> 00:11:20,142 She completely rejected her family, 226 00:11:20,995 --> 00:11:23,515 her children, her husband. 227 00:11:23,828 --> 00:11:26,308 Halla simply could no longer cope. 228 00:11:27,188 --> 00:11:30,372 Now this is the parenting struggle with a really tough ending 229 00:11:30,372 --> 00:11:32,502 but sadly, it is not uncommon. 230 00:11:32,502 --> 00:11:35,132 Those, who experienced armed conflict and displacement 231 00:11:35,365 --> 00:11:38,125 will face serious emotional struggles 232 00:11:38,389 --> 00:11:40,649 and that's something we can all relate to. 233 00:11:41,324 --> 00:11:45,324 If you have been through a devastating time in your life. 234 00:11:45,735 --> 00:11:49,735 If you have lost someone or something you really care about. 235 00:11:50,438 --> 00:11:53,028 How would you continue to cope? 236 00:11:53,123 --> 00:11:56,513 Could you still be able to care for yourself and for your family? 237 00:11:57,979 --> 00:12:01,373 Given that the first years of child's life are crucial 238 00:12:01,373 --> 00:12:04,353 for healthy physical and emotional development. 239 00:12:04,490 --> 00:12:08,900 And that 1.5 billion people are experiencing armed conflict. 240 00:12:09,299 --> 00:12:12,179 Many of whom are now joining our communities. 241 00:12:12,217 --> 00:12:14,347 We can not afford to turn a blind eye 242 00:12:14,403 --> 00:12:17,543 to a need of those who are experiencing war and displacement. 243 00:12:17,830 --> 00:12:23,090 We must prioritize these family needs to those both burn internally displaced 244 00:12:23,158 --> 00:12:25,978 and those who are refugees worldwide. 245 00:12:25,978 --> 00:12:28,268 These needs must be prioritized 246 00:12:28,590 --> 00:12:32,430 by NGO workers, policy makers, the WHO, the UNHCR 247 00:12:33,538 --> 00:12:36,858 and every single one of us in whatever capacity, 248 00:12:36,910 --> 00:12:39,172 it is that we function in society. 249 00:12:39,172 --> 00:12:43,442 When we begin to recognize the individual phases of the conflict. 250 00:12:43,816 --> 00:12:47,816 When we begin to notice those intricate emotions on their faces, 251 00:12:48,501 --> 00:12:51,617 we begin to see them as human too. 252 00:12:51,617 --> 00:12:54,166 We begin to see the needs of these families. 253 00:12:54,166 --> 00:12:56,556 and these are the real human needs. 254 00:12:56,836 --> 00:12:59,676 When these families need are prioritized 255 00:12:59,835 --> 00:13:02,795 interventions for children in humanitarian settings 256 00:13:02,815 --> 00:13:06,815 will prioritize and recognize the primary role of the family 257 00:13:07,032 --> 00:13:09,022 in supporting children. 258 00:13:09,237 --> 00:13:12,037 Family mental health will be shouting loud isn't clear 259 00:13:12,069 --> 00:13:14,039 in global international agenda 260 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:18,100 And children will be less likely to enter social service systems 261 00:13:18,311 --> 00:13:20,025 and resettlement countries 262 00:13:20,025 --> 00:13:23,969 because their families would have had support earlier on 263 00:13:23,969 --> 00:13:26,569 and we will be more open-minded 264 00:13:26,736 --> 00:13:29,316 more welcoming, more caring and more trusting 265 00:13:29,506 --> 00:13:31,496 to those who are joining our communities. 266 00:13:32,946 --> 00:13:35,946 We need to stop wars. 267 00:13:36,008 --> 00:13:39,498 We need to build a world where children can dream of planes 268 00:13:39,498 --> 00:13:42,838 dropping gifts and not bombs. 269 00:13:42,917 --> 00:13:45,357 Until we stop armed conflicts, 270 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:49,480 raising throughout the world, families will continue to be displaced 271 00:13:49,571 --> 00:13:51,389 leaving children vulnerable 272 00:13:51,389 --> 00:13:54,409 but by improving parenting and caregivers support. 273 00:13:54,471 --> 00:13:57,091 It maybe possible to weaken the links 274 00:13:57,196 --> 00:13:59,336 between wars and psychological difficulties 275 00:13:59,786 --> 00:14:01,796 in children and their families. 276 00:14:01,834 --> 00:14:02,844 Thank you.