Report on Child Soldiers

Psychology Beyond Borders (PBB) and researchers from Harvard's François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights are pleased to announce the release of a new report examining the state of research and service in the field of child soldiers. This report, titled "Psychosocial adjustment and social reintegration of children associated with armed forces and armed groups: The state of the field and future directions," focuses on what is known about the psychological health of former child soldiers and the approaches used by people working with this population. The report also examines what major questions exist for future research and service. Psychology Beyond Borders has made the report available for download at:

http://www.psychologybeyondborders.com/content.php?p=caffreport

This report was prepared by the FXB Center's Research Program on Children and Global Adversity.  The RPCGA is directed by Dr. Theresa Betancourt, who has been working in the area of psychosocial issues surrounding children associated with fighting forces (CAFF) for thirteen years. The report includes three main sections:

* An examination of predictors of psychological health in former CAFF and existing unanswered questions in this area;
* A discussion of existing service programs and what is known about what works for supporting psychosocial adjustment and community reintegration.
* Recommendations for future work in both research and service in the area.

The authors conclude that while there is a growing understanding of what predicts distress in former child soldiers, and some developing awareness of what interventions might be effective, there is still no solid empirically-based understanding of how to best support their healthy social reintegration. There is much to be learned from traditional community approaches to healing and promoting acceptance. In addition, there is a wealth of experience gained from years of interventions delivered by local and international professionals. However, it is time that research and evaluation kept pace with on-the-ground practice. In particular, the authors call for future research that is longitudinal, sensitive to gender and cultural issues, and uses scientifically rigorous designs.

For additional information about the report and its findings, please contact the authors at RPCGA@hsph.harvard.edu or PBB at info@psychologybeyondborders.org.

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Guinea Experts Needed

Human Rights First is looking for a country conditions expert on Guinea to provide an affidavit of support and testify in support of the asylum claim of one of our clients.  The client is scheduled for his individual (final merits) hearing on June 24, 2008.  If you are a scholar whose area of research includes Guinea and you might be able to assist in this time frame, please contact me with your CV at the information below, which I will forward to the client's attorneys.

If you are a scholar who will not be able to assist on this particular case but might be interested in being contacted about future cases, I would appreciate hearing from you, as we handle a large number of cases from Guinea.

Thanks for any assistance you might be able to provide.

Best wishes,

Lily Dalke
Program Associate and Legal Assistant

Human Rights First, Refugee Protection Program
333 Seventh Avenue, 13th Floor

New York, NY 10001

Tel: (212) 845-5231

Fax: (212) 845-5299
DalkeL@HumanRightsFirst.org

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Special Interpreter Visa Iraqis Urgently Need Your Help

*PHILADELPHIA, PA* *(APRIL 16^TH , 2008**)* -- Lutheran Children and > Family Service (LCFS), an affiliate of Liberty Lutheran Services, seeks > congregations and individuals to assist Iraqi Interpreters (with Special > Interpreter Visa status (SIVs) who have fled to Philadelphia and other > parts of the United States. The interpreters are being persecuted in > Iraq for giving assistance to the American war effort. They arrive in > the United States with little or no notice and with extremely limited > resources. The SIVs are in desperate need of shelter, food and other > assistance. > > If you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring one or more SIVs > by providing temporary housing, please contact Lyn Back, Refugee > Resettlement Resource Developer at LCFS at 215-747- 500, extension 207, > or by email at lynb@lcfsinpa.org <mailto:lynb@lcfsinpa.org>. You can > also make a donation to the Refugee Emergency Housing Fund, which can be > sent to the LCFS Refugee Resettlement office at 231 N. 63^rd Street, > Philadelphia, PA 19139. Checks should be made out to LCFS- Refugee > Housing. This account, used to pay for the temporary housing of > refugees who have arrived to the United States with no prior notice, has > been completely exhausted. > > "Thankfully, there has been a groundswell of interest from > local church networks of many denominations in aiding those so displaced > from their homes," says Janet Panning, LCFS Refugee Program Director. > "Unfortunately, resources are limited and are being depleted faster than > planned. There is a critical need for donations, sponsor families, and > much more at this juncture." > > Lutheran Children and Family Service (LCFS) of Eastern Pennsylvania, an > affiliate of Liberty Lutheran Services, has been bringing hope and > opportunity to children and families in need since 1922. LCFS offers an > array of services to vulnerable children and families including foster > care, group care, adoption, in-home services, after-school programs, > parenting education, immigrant services and resettlement of refugees. By > strengthening thousands of families, LCFS builds stronger, more caring > communities throughout the Delaware Valley. > > Liberty Lutheran Services is a broad array of faith-based services > delivered by a team of world-class employees. Comprised of the > non-profit organizations of Artman Lutheran Home, Paul's Run Retirement > Community, Lutheran Children and Family Service, and Liberty at Home, > LLS serves approximately eighteen thousand individuals annually > throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. The organizations of LLS have a > combined 200 years of service for children, families, and older adults. > Caring communities are built by Lutheran congregations to serve all > people, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, country of origin, > ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation. For more information > about Liberty Lutheran Services and their mission, please visit > _www.libertylutheran.org_.

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Please update your contact information

As we update and redesign our website, we need to include current information on our affiliates, fellows, and visiting scholars, past and present.  The contact information we have for you may be out of date!  Please send your current contact information to aschcenter@brynmawr.edu, along with any recent publications related to your affiliation with the Asch Center. 

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Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict now accepting manuscripts in APA or Chicago Endnote formats 

DAC will now be able to publish in both popular referencing styles, reflecting its commitment to serving authors and readers from different academic and professional backgrounds.  We believe this is the only journal in the world offering this kind of flexibility.

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