http://www.womenforwomen.org/index.htmlWomen
for Women International, a non-profit, humanitarian organization,
seeks
submissions for the spring 2006 edition of its bi-annual academic
journal,
Critical Half, about economic, social, and political issues as
they relate to
women in international development and conflict and
post-conflict societies.
The journal is intended to both raise awareness
and spark debate among a
variety of audiences, addressing issues from
various viewpoints. Each article
is expected to present a theoretical
framework as well as the practical
implications resulting from its
implementation.
The journal targets
the international development and post-conflict
reconstruction community,
including but not limited to government policy
makers, the United Nations,
international and overseas NGOs, U.S.
foundations, and philanthropists. In
addition, it is written in a style
that is accessible to our 75,000
grassroots supporters, in order to educate
them about the issues we believe
must be addressed so that women are
included in, and best served by, the
programs intended to rebuild their
communities. We wish to raise public
awareness about the dynamics of the
development and post-conflict
reconstruction fields and how women are
affected by various projects that are
intended to assist them.
This issue of the journal will focus on the
psycho-social aspects of trauma
women suffer during and after major conflict,
and how to best address this
trauma in order to support women as they rebuild
their lives and
war-ravaged communities. We hope to examine existing
approaches to
psycho-social support, as well as specific challenges and
strategies used
by organizations in post-conflict settings. Accordingly, we
welcome
articles on the following topics and questions:
· Are there
common mental and emotional challenges that survivors of
conflict,
particularly women, experience? Are there recognizable patterns
that
organizations providing support should understand?
· What are some different
approaches to psycho-social support after
conflict? (i.e. support groups,
therapy, physical activity, job training,
legal support, reconciliation) What
approaches have been more successful?
What is important to understand or
include in designing healing-oriented
programs?
· Are the emotional and
psychological effects of war different for men than
they are for women? If
so, how should psycho-social support strategies
differ?
· Does the role
and effectiveness of psycho-social support vary, depending
on the women's
pre-conflict situation? How can women who already saw
themselves as victims,
or who seem ''stuck'' in a negative mental or
emotional state, be
assisted?
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