Aala El-Khani: What it's like to be a parent in a war zone
الآء الخاني: كيف تبدو الأمور عندما تكون والداً في منطقة حرب
Aala El-Khani explores the needs of families affected by war and displacement and the mental health of children who have experienced armed conflict. Full bio
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experience armed conflict.
من صراع مسلح.
to flee their country,
من بلادهم،
and vulnerable victims ...
the obvious physical dangers,
الجسدية الظاهرة،
that wars have on their families.
الحروب على عائلاتهم.
leave children at a real high risk
في مستوى عالٍ
of emotional and behavioral problems.
that children receive in their families
الأطفال في عائلاتهم
effect on their well-being
على عافيتهم
that they have been exposed to.
التي قد تعرضوا لها.
during and after conflict.
خلال وبعد النزاع.
في عام 2001
School of Psychological Sciences.
unfold in front of me on the TV.
على التلفاز.
in really horrifying ways.
بطرق مروعة.
and watch the TV.
نشاهد التلفاز.
and running that really got me the most,
أكثر ما أثر بي،
terrified-looking children.
typically inquisitive children.
asked lots and lots of questions,
فيه الكثير من الاسئلة،
حقيقية ومقنعة للغاية.
what it might be like
in a war zone and a refugee camp.
وفي مخيم لاجئين.
happy eyes lose their shine?
و السعيدة لمعانها ؟
nature become fearful and withdrawn?
والسعيدة، خائفة ومنطوية ؟
with skills in caring for their children
العناية بالأطفال
on their well-being,
على صحتهم،
تدريب الآباء.
be useful for families
مفيداً للعائلات
or refugee camps?
أو في مخيمات اللاجئين؟
with advice or training
through these struggles?
to make some change in the real world.
لإحداث تغيير في العالم الحقيقي.
what exactly I wanted to do.
and it means so much to you,
كثيراً وتريدين فعله،
إذا كانت برامج التربية الوالدية
in these contexts."
myself and my colleagues --
على مدى الخمس سنين الماضية
والدكتور كيم كارترايت --
on ways to support families
war and displacement.
that have been through conflict
العائلات التى مرت بنزاع مسلح
to ask them what they're struggling with,
عن الأمور التي يعانون منها،
that are the most vulnerable,
يكون الأشخاص المستضعفون،
we know exactly the right thing
بالشيء الصحيح تماما
without actually asking them first?
دون أن نسألهم أولا؟
in Syria and in Turkey,
في سوريا وتركيا.
التي تواجههم،
كل ذلك الأمر يتوقف،
أن أمسك أياديهم
in silent crying and prayer.
في البكاء والدعاء.
harsh refugee camp conditions
القاسية والصعبة
on anything but practical chores
سوى الأعمال الأساسية
their children withdraw;
انْطواء أطفالهم،
fear of loud noises,
والخوف من الأصوات العالية،
what we had been watching on the TV.
بكل ما شاهدناه على التلفاز.
were now widows of war,
كن أرامل بسبب الحرب،
if their husbands were dead or alive --
أمواتا أو أحياءً --
they were coping so badly.
كن يتأقلمن مع الأمر بشكل سيء للغاية.
and they had no idea how to help them.
أدنى فكرة عن كيفية مساعدتهم.
their children's questions.
and so motivational
بما وجدت
so motivated to support their children.
لدعم أطفالهم.
at seeking support from NGO workers,
من عاملي المنظمات غير الحكومية،
in a camp for four days,
منذ أربعة أيام فقط،
for her eight-year-old daughter
ذات الثمانية أعوام
are almost always useless.
باءت كل هذه المحاولات بالفشل.
في حال تواجدهم،
for basic parenting supports.
دعم التربية الوالدية.
are just like them --
المخيم والآباء الآخرين --
who's struggling with new needs.
يعاني من احتياجات جديدة.
much bigger than they could cope with.
من أن تستطيع التعامل معها.
to reach families on an individual level.
على المستوى الفردي.
at a population level
على المستوى السكاني
مع عاملي المنظمة غير الحكومية،
information leaflets via bread wrappers --
للتربية الوالدية من خلال مغلفات الخبز --
to families in a conflict zone in Syria
في مناطق النزاع السورية
at all in their appearance,
of two pieces of paper.
that had basic advice and information
تحتوي على نصائح و معلومات أساسية
what they might be experiencing,
might be experiencing.
support themselves and their children,
عن كيفية دعم أنفسهم وأولادهم،
time talking to your child,
بالتحدث إلى أطفالك،
was a feedback questionnaire,
of delivering psychological first aid
لتوصيل إسعافات نفسية أولية
secure, loving parenting?
والدافئة والمليئة بالحب؟
3,000 of these in just one week.
خلال أسبوع واحد فقط.
we had a 60 percent response rate.
بنسبة 60%.
families responded.
researchers we have here today,
rate is fantastic.
would be a huge achievement,
سيكون إنجازاً عظيماً،
these kinds of messages were to families.
على أهمية هذا النوع من الرسائل للعائلات.
for the return of the questionnaires.
لرجوع الاستبيانات.
hundreds of messages --
about us and our children."
the potential means
first aid to families,
الأولية للعائلات.
using other means
or female hygiene kits,
on every single one of us.
of statistics and of photos,
had reached Europe.
our children's schools.
to meet the needs of European refugees,
اللاجئين الأوروبيين،
refugee influx.
uploaded it onto their website,
برفع النشرة على موقعها،
and other parents
وللآباء الآخرين
psychological first-aid messages.
كإسعافات نفسية أولية.
hard floor of a refugee camp tent
على أرضٍ قاسيةٍ لخيمةٍ في مخيمِ اللاجئين
as I was conducting a focus group.
عندما كنت أرشدهم كمجموعة مركزة.
a 13-year-old girl lying beside her,
كانت مستلقية إلى جانبها،
throughout the focus group,
خلال المجموعة المركزة،
curled up against her chest.
the mothers for their time,
while pointing at the young girl,
وهي تشير إلى الفتاة،
"هل من الممكن أن تساعدينا...؟"
تتوقع مني أن أفعل،
confused and unengaged,
for the Arabic female name, Hala,
هالة في العربية،
to refer to really young girls.
Hala was probably much older than 13.
أن تكونهالة أكبر من 13 عامًا
mother to three young children.
وهي أم لثلاثة أطفال صغار.
bright, bubbly, loving, caring mother
حيوية ومهتمة ومحبة
being dropped in her town;
were flying around their building,
تحلق فوق مبناهم،
terrified from the noise.
خائفين من الضجة.
and cover her children's ears
بشكل مسعور لتغطي آذان أطفالها
in some kind of safety,
في مكان آمن،
to acting like her old childhood self.
متقمصةً دور طفولتها القديم.
with a really tough ending,
بنهاية قاسية،
armed conflict and displacement
ونزوحاً.
a devastating time in your life,
or something you really care about,
عزيزاً على قلبك،
هذا الأمر؟
to care for yourself and for your family?
بنفسك وبعائلتك؟
of a child's life are crucial
تعتبر مَصِيرِيّة
and emotional development,
are experiencing armed conflict --
من صراع مسلح --
joining our communities --
الآن لمجتمعاتنا --
who are experiencing war and displacement.
للحرب والنزوح.
these families' needs --
هذه العائلات كأولوية --
and those who are refugees worldwide.
في جميع أنحاء العالم.
by NGO workers, policy makers,
عاملي المنظمات غير حكومية وصناع القرار.
and every single one of us
الأمم المتحدة لشؤون اللاجئين، وكل واحد منا
that we function in our society.
the individual faces of the conflict,
الفردية للنزاع،
those intricate emotions on their faces,
المعقدة على وجوهم،
the needs of these families,
in humanitarian settings
في الأوضاع الإنسانية
role of the family in supporting children.
للعائلات في دعم الأطفال.
will be shouting loud and clear
بشكل عال وواضح
to enter social service systems
نظم الخدمة الاجتماعية
would have had support earlier on.
على مساعدة في وقت مبكر.
who are joining our communities.
إلى مجتمعاتنا.
can dream of planes dropping gifts,
أن يحلموا فيه بطائرات ترمي الهدايا،
raging throughout the world,
عبر العالم،
and caregiver support,
ودعم مقدمي الرعاية الصحية.
between war and psychological difficulties
العلاقة بين الحرب والعوائق النفسية
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aala El-Khani - Humanitarian psychologistAala El-Khani explores the needs of families affected by war and displacement and the mental health of children who have experienced armed conflict.
Why you should listen
Dr. Aala El-Khani develops and researches innovative ways to reach families that have experienced conflict with parenting support and training. She has conducted prize-winning field research with refugee families and families in conflict zones, exploring their parenting challenges and the positive impact parenting support can provide. Her work has significantly contributed to an agenda of producing materials which together form psychological first aid for families affected by conflict and displacement.
El-Khani s a humanitarian psychologist, and she works as a consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as well as a Research Associate at the University of Manchester at the Division of Psychology and Mental Health. Her current work collaborates the efforts of the UNODC and the University of Manchester in developing and evaluating family skills programs in countries such as Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.
El-Khani is passionate about highlighting the significant role that caregivers play in protecting their children during conflict and displacement. She has trained NGO workers, school teachers and affected families internationally on family skills and research methods.
Aala El-Khani | Speaker | TED.com