Aala El-Khani: What it's like to be a parent in a war zone
Aala El-Khani: Hur det är att vara förälder i en krigszon
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
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
experience armed conflict.
1,5 miljarder människor beväpnad konflikt.
to flee their country,
tvungna att fly från sitt land,
15 miljoner flyktingar.
and vulnerable victims ...
the obvious physical dangers,
de tydliga fysiska farorna,
that wars have on their families.
krig har på deras familjer.
leave children at a real high risk
i en väldigt stor fara
of emotional and behavioral problems.
och beteendeproblem.
that children receive in their families
som barn får av sina familjer,
effect on their well-being
på deras välmående
that they have been exposed to.
som de har utsatts för.
during and after conflict.
under och efter kriget.
School of Psychological Sciences.
School of Psychological Sciences.
unfold in front of me on the TV.
som visades framför mig på tv.
från Syrien,
in really horrifying ways.
på förskräckliga sätt.
och tittade på tv.
and watch the TV.
and running that really got me the most,
människor som påverkade mig mest,
terrified-looking children.
typically inquisitive children.
asked lots and lots of questions,
verkliga, övertygande svar.
what it might be like
hur det skulle kunna vara
in a war zone and a refugee camp.
i en krigszon och i ett flyktingläger.
happy eyes lose their shine?
ögon förlora sin glans?
nature become fearful and withdrawn?
bli rädd och avlägsen?
with skills in caring for their children
färdigheter att ta hand om sina barn
on their well-being,
på deras välmående,
be useful for families
vara gynnsamt för familjer
or refugee camps?
krigszoner eller i flyktingläger?
with advice or training
through these struggles?
genom vedermödorna?
to make some change in the real world.
färdigheter för att förändra världen.
what exactly I wanted to do.
på vad jag ville göra.
and it means so much to you,
och det betyder mycket för dig,
om föräldraprogram
in these contexts."
i detta sammanhang."
myself and my colleagues --
har mina kollegor och jag -
on ways to support families
för att stödja familjer
war and displacement.
och tvångsförflyttning.
that have been through conflict
som har varit med om konflikt
to ask them what they're struggling with,
att fråga dem om vad de kämpar med,
that are the most vulnerable,
att vi vet precis rätt sak
we know exactly the right thing
utan att fråga dem först?
without actually asking them first?
in Syria and in Turkey,
i Syrien och Turkiet,
föräldrautmaningar,
var att hålla deras hand
in silent crying and prayer.
i tyst gråt och böner.
harsh refugee camp conditions
förhållanden i flyktinglägret
on anything but practical chores
på något annat än praktiska sysslor
their children withdraw;
sina barn dra sig tillbaka;
fear of loud noises,
rädslan för höga ljud,
what we had been watching on the TV.
vi har sett på tv.
were now widows of war,
if their husbands were dead or alive --
var döda eller levande -
they were coping so badly.
att de inte kunde hantera det.
and they had no idea how to help them.
ingen aning om hur de skulle hjälpa dem.
their children's questions.
sina barns frågor.
and so motivational
och motiverande
so motivated to support their children.
motiverade att stödja sina barn.
at seeking support from NGO workers,
in a camp for four days,
i lägret i fyra dagar,
for her eight-year-old daughter
are almost always useless.
är nästan alltid förgäves.
for basic parenting supports.
för grundläggande föräldrastöd.
are just like them --
är precis som dem -
who's struggling with new needs.
som kämpar med nya behov.
much bigger than they could cope with.
mycket större än vad de kunde klara av.
to reach families on an individual level.
nå familjer på en individuell nivå.
at a population level
på befolkningsnivå
från organisationer,
en fantastiskt innovativ idé
information leaflets via bread wrappers --
om föräldraskap i brödförpackningar -
to families in a conflict zone in Syria
till familjer i konfliktzoner i Syrien
at all in their appearance,
of two pieces of paper.
that had basic advice and information
föräldraskap med grundläggande råd
what they might be experiencing,
might be experiencing.
support themselves and their children,
stödja sig själva och sina barn,
time talking to your child,
was a feedback questionnaire,
att ge psykologisk första hjälpen
of delivering psychological first aid
secure, loving parenting?
älskande föräldraskap?
3,000 of these in just one week.
av dessa under bara en vecka.
we had a 60 percent response rate.
svarsfrekvensen var 60%.
families responded.
researchers we have here today,
vi har här idag,
rate is fantastic.
would be a huge achievement,
vara en stor prestation,
typer av meddelanden var för familjer.
these kinds of messages were to families.
for the return of the questionnaires.
vi var inför enkätsvaren.
hundreds of messages --
hundratals meddelanden -
och uppmuntrande.
about us and our children."
och våra barn."
den potentiella möjligheten
the potential means
first aid to families,
till familjer,
using other means
i andra sammanhang,
or female hygiene kits,
modersmjölkersättning, hygienprodukter,
on every single one of us.
of statistics and of photos,
med statistik och foton,
had reached Europe.
nått Europa.
our children's schools.
to meet the needs of European refugees,
de möter Europas flyktingars behov,
refugee influx.
av flyktningar.
till exempel upp den på sin webbplats,
uploaded it onto their website,
and other parents
och andra föräldrar
psychological first-aid messages.
psykologiska första hjälpen-meddelanden.
hard floor of a refugee camp tent
hårda golvet i ett flyktinglägertält
as I was conducting a focus group.
då jag ledde en fokusgrupp.
a 13-year-old girl lying beside her,
som låg bredvid henne,
throughout the focus group,
curled up against her chest.
the mothers for their time,
while pointing at the young girl,
medan hon pekade mot den unga flickan,
"Kan du hjälpa oss med...?"
förväntade sig av mig,
den unga flickan och log,
confused and unengaged,
oengagerat på mig,
for the Arabic female name, Hala,
kvinnliga namnet Hala,
to refer to really young girls.
till väldigt unga flickor.
Hala was probably much older than 13.
förmodligen var mycket äldre än 13.
mother to three young children.
en 25-årig mamma till tre små barn.
bright, bubbly, loving, caring mother
livlig, älskande mamma
being dropped in her town;
som fallit över hennes stad;
were flying around their building,
terrified from the noise.
and cover her children's ears
och täckte sina barns öron
in some kind of safety,
i någon slags säkerhet,
to acting like her old childhood self.
som i sin egen barndom.
with a really tough ending,
med ett väldigt svårt slut,
armed conflict and displacement
konflikt och tvångsförflyttning
vi alla kan relatera till.
a devastating time in your life,
en förödande tid i ditt liv,
or something you really care about,
som du verkligen bryr dig om,
ta hand om dig själv och din familj?
to care for yourself and for your family?
of a child's life are crucial
av ett barns liv är avgörande
and emotional development,
och emotionell utveckling,
are experiencing armed conflict --
upplever beväpnad konflikt -
joining our communities --
i våra samhällen -
who are experiencing war and displacement.
krig och flykt.
these families' needs --
dessa familjers behov -
and those who are refugees worldwide.
och de som flyr över hela världen.
by NGO workers, policy makers,
ickestatliga organisationer, politiker,
and every single one of us
that we function in our society.
the individual faces of the conflict,
kamperna i en konflikt,
those intricate emotions on their faces,
de invecklade uttrycken i deras ansikten,
the needs of these families,
in humanitarian settings
under humana förhållanden
role of the family in supporting children.
primära uppgift, att ta hand om barnen.
will be shouting loud and clear
höras klart och tydligt
to enter social service systems
att hamna hos socialtjänsten
would have had support earlier on.
har fått stöd tidigare.
who are joining our communities.
kommer in i våra samhällen.
can dream of planes dropping gifts,
kan drömma om plan som släpper presenter,
raging throughout the world,
konflikter i världen,
att tvångsförflyttas,
and caregiver support,
till föräldrar och vårdgivare,
between war and psychological difficulties
mellan krig och psykologiska svårigheter
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