This workshop will be divided in two parts. In the first, we will introduce the MSc Humanitarian Intervention, offered via Distance Learning, by the School of Psychology of the University of East London. We will explore what wellbeing means in different cultures – and what is the impact of personal identity combined with contextual factors on an individual’s experience of wellbeing support. We will discuss how crucial these reflections are when designing and implementing psychosocial support in intercultural contexts. We will also describe how the MSc Humanitarian Intervention tries to address these aspects and to contribute to the decolonization of psychosocial intervention in humanitarian contexts (both for beneficiaries and staff of humanitarian organizations).
The second part of the workshop will be more experiential. Using group discussion and reflections, participants on the call will use their own experience to explore how diverse cultures express wellbeing – and how personal identity and contextual elements within cultures may affect the provision and perception of wellbeing support.
Course Content
Presenter
Julia Warrington has worked for Save the Children for over 15 years, joining SCUK in 2006 in an HR role before moving to SCUK’s Humanitarian Department to help manage their Emergency Response Personnel team. She has a particular interest and passion for supporting staff working in the most challenging environments and over time, she has developed a comprehensive understanding of the unique stresses and strains that colleagues working in this sector are exposed to. Her current role as Wellness Advisor for the Global Humanitarian Surge Platform, which was formed in 2019 to combine surge resources from across the organisation as a whole, supports the psychosocial wellbeing of the global surge team which is made up of staff from many countries. This platform has a specific goal of localising surge resources wherever possible over the next five years and as part of this it aims to strengthen local, culturally appropriate wellbeing provision. Completing the Masters in Humanitarian Interventions at UEL in 2019 has been invaluable in developing her understanding of MHPSS and the cross-cultural issues which impact staff wellbeing.
Dr. Lucia Berdondini, PhD., is currently Associate Professor and Course Leader of the Distance Learning MSc Humanitarian Intervention at the School of Psychology, University of East London. At UEL she is also teaching on the BSc (Hons) Counselling. Lucia is a BACP Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist since 2003 and she has been working with a variety of clients, individuals, couples and groups, adolescents and adults. Her areas of interest are psychosocial intervention in countries in war and conflict; existential therapies; intercultural counselling training. She has been involved in co-creating psychosocial interventions in countries like Afghanistan, Angola, India and Syria.
