Call for papers

Collective Healing:
Restoring the relationship of humanity and nature

The 11^th ISHHR Conference for health and Human Rights

Will take place at the

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Bogotá, Colombia

from November 21 – 25, 2022

This conference will be a space for sharing solutions to the challenges of trauma for individuals of all ages and the obstacles it poses for human society, nature and development–whether solutions are scientific contributions, traditional practices, methods and techniques for behavioural change, work with special target groups, or ideas for the future.

We invite health and social welfare professionals, traditional practitioners, civil society organisations, educational institutions, social science and the Law; front-line workers and service providers working with psycho-education, therapy and psychosocial care of survivors of traumatic events and Human Rights abuse to present their work.

There will be four thematic streams for papers, parallel sessions, and workshops:

1. Post-conflict reconciliation, reconstruction and re-socialisation 
   Work on a group level, healing societies’ wounds through social interplay, supervision, networking. Caregivers, indigenous healers and therapists from Colombia / Latin America and around the world will contribute to the development of local capacities.

Keynotes, workshops, and parallel sessions in this stream:

• Working with Human ecology, re-establishing harmony between environment and health
• Ethnic approaches to social activism, empowerment, and reconciliation
• Community health
• Psychosocial support to war-affected children, families and communities.
• Health and justice. Support to victims of violence of the armed conflict, reparation programs for war victims, access to social and political justice

2. Implementing Women’s and Girls´ Rights to Mental Health and Freedom from Violence
   Changing behaviour, practices and attitudes and facilitating safe and adequate care

Keynotes, workshops, and parallel sessions in this stream:

• Sexual violence in war and its consequences
• Providing access to essential, safe and adequate multi-sectorial services for affected women and girls;
• Preventing violence against women and girls by changing behaviour, practices and attitudes.
• The role of women in the construction of peace
• Human rights and the family

3. Supporting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)
   Who risk their lives in difficult and dangerous situations, side by side with the families of Los desaparecidos and internally displaced (IDPs).

Keynotes, workshops, and parallel sessions in this stream:

• Providing psychosocial support to families of missing persons
• Support to HRD networks in dangerous and remote areas
• The challenges faced by internally displaced peoples (IDPs)
• The discoveries made by HRDs: what works?
• How to improve the security and protection of vulnerable groups
• Helping the helper

4. Treatment methods after traumatic human rights abuse                
   Mental health care and treatment after traumatic human rights abuse can never be accessible enough. Projects in the fields of psychoeducation, supervision, and the facilitation of effective methods in therapy and psychosocial care of victims of traumatic events and HR abuse will be welcome. The heterogeneity of impacts of trauma and violence on psychological health suggests moving beyond PTSD, to discuss other impacts

Keynotes, workshops and parallel sessions in this stream:

• Remembering the body: somatic imprints of the impacts of violence and how to tackle them in treatment
• Vulnerability factors for the development of PTSD and other stress-related disorders
• Traditional healing and the role of rituals
• Psychological Health – the means of promoting resilience: coping strategies and the installation of hope
• Working with arts and culture in mental health