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Mutual-help
& Self-Help Action Supporting Survivors of Torture and Trauma in SE Asia,
Oceania and Australasia
A PLAN OF SMALL
GENERALISABLE ACTIONS
Short
Version of the Plan Written 1997. Updated April, 2014.
Other Links
Self Help Action
Rebuilding Wellbeing - A Micro-Project This document is about
possibilities for small local mutual-help, self-heal, self-help action
supporting East Timorese, West Papuans, Bougainvillians, Hmong, Vietnamese
and other Indigenous/disadvantaged small minority torture and trauma
survivors among Focal people. It is based on a model that Focal people in the
Region have successfully used for over forty years. Action is being enabled
by an informal network of Focal people engaged in mutual-help, self-heal,
self-help towards wellbeing. This network, known by the name 'Laceweb' has
been evolving among Focal people in remote and rural areas for over forty
years. This document is
expressed in very tentative terms because nothing contained in this document
could happen unless local Focal people want it. People from the Laceweb
who have supported themselves and other locals in self help healing on many
occasions, may be available to support East Timorese, Bougainvillian and
other Focal survivors of torture and trauma in the Region. The Laceweb is not
connected with any political group, faction or religion. They respect
spiritual and cultural diversity. Laceweb healing ways may form a basis for
evolving culturally appropriate healing action throughout the Region. The Laceweb is
discovering that traumatised people may provide a healing support to each
other as part of a healing community. It is mutual-help and self help.
This is not discussing a 'service'. People may heal themselves and pass on
what works to others. This help and support may be passed on within an
expanding Regional network, and thus support may grow exponentially.
Extensive historical and research material on the Laceweb is available. This
has been prepared in part by a Laceweb person towards his Ph.D. research into
the Laceweb and its participatory self help model(s). An evolving voluntary
self help network among Focal people in the Region holds forth the
possibility of placing healing and nurturing micro-experiences and behaviours
out in the local communities where they may be spread and incorporated
into every aspect of daily life. In this way, anyone who
has been traumatized may potentially become a nurturing healing resource
person for themselves and others. Following healing
gatherings and discussions over a number of years between Laceweb enablers,
Australian Indigenous/disadvantaged small minorities - East Timorese,
Bougainvillians and others - an extensive range of themes, processes and
healing micro-experiences may be shared and explored. Micro-experiences may
be easily passed on using experiential processes. The Plan may provide
healing support for children, adolescents, women, men, families, communities
and combatants. Broad themes:
MUTUAL-HELP &
SELF-HELP MODEL DIFFERENT FROM SERVICE DELIVERY The 'participatory self
help action' model as we know it, does not meet either the typical funding criteria
or the evaluation criteria of the 'service delivery' model. These two models
belong in different worlds. To attempt to place a top down service delivery
organisation in a watchdog role over us, that uses 'service delivery'
criteria to 'ensure we are doing things 'properly', is unacceptable and
unworkable in respect of this Plan and the accompanying Micro-proposal. It
would inevitably compromise the participatory self help process. Refer Interfacing
Complementary Ways. We would accept a
co-vision relationship with others. Co-vision is a
concept borrowed from transnational management consulting. It encapsulates
contexts were trainers find that feedback from trainees so train and change
the trainers, that these trainers then change their training to fit the
wisdom of the trainees. The concept equally applies to 'enabling' contexts. This co-vision
relationship may be:
We will be fully
accountable for funds and have funding monitored by funding bodies. Evaluation is built into
every participatory self help action. The plan is unfolding with evaluation
using 'participatory self help' criteria, not 'service delivery' criteria. The above organic process
is resonant with Focal people's healing ways and with the Laceweb enablers'
desire firstly, to use 'self help' processes and secondly, to stay clear of a
kind of pseudo-help that disempowers and leaves control of process and
content to outside 'experts'. This Plan and the
Micro-proposal may well form a model for wider support by Government and
NGO's of participatory self help by Focal people in the Region. The self help
healing network is already evolving in the Region. Uncompromising
funding support can see it blossom. The possibility is that
the further evolving of these healing networks will not only help bring
healing to oppressed and war ravaged people, it may well be a major process
for confidence building towards caring law, humane democratic community and
for consolidating a caring peace. Anybody funding this Plan
and the Micro-proposal is funding something that may have Global relevance. Providing support
Perhaps you may want to
support this project and the related Micro-Action and be part of an
extra-ordinary healing Odyssey. Self Help
Action Rebuilding Wellbeing - A Micro-Project |
