By TCN News,
New Delhi: The Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia organized a two-day International Seminar on “Psychology of Trauma: Women and Children in Violent Conflict” from March 13-14, 2013 with the purpose of addressing various aspects of trauma in the context of women and children in Violent conflict.
The Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Najeeb Jung gave his presidential remarks emphasizing the importance of higher education for girls and highlighted the issue of resilience in the context of trauma. He released the Souvenir of the Seminar during the inaugural session and the second issue of the Indian Journal of Psychology.
Outstanding scientist, Prof. M.K. Mandal, Chief Controller RD (Life Sciences), DRDO delivered the inaugural address and the Guest of Honour in this session, Prof. Mustaq Ahmed Margoob, Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, GMC, Srinagar enlightened the gathering on the cultural aspects of trauma and traumatization.
Participants also flew in from Pakistan, Japan and Palestine to attend the seminar on trauma in the context of women and children.
A keynote address session was chaired by Prof. Jitendra Mohan, Emeritus Professor, Punjab University, Chandigarh wherein presentations were made by Prof. Sanjay Hazarika, Director, Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Prof. Mustaq Ahmed Margoob, Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, GMC, Srinagar and Prof. Johan Galtung from Spain (via Skype).
Eminent scholars were invited to present on different aspects of violence and trauma experienced by women and children. In the first invited lecture session Prof. N.K. Chadha, Head of the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Prof. Ashum Gupta, Professor Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, and Prof. A. M. Khan, Head of the Department of Social Sciences, NIHFW, presented their ideas on different aspects of psychological trauma.
In the next session Prof. Shibnath Deb, Head of the Department of Psychology, Pondicherry University, Prof. Daya Pant, Head of the Department of Educational Psychology and Foundation of Education, NCERT, and Dr. Ghassan Abdallah, Director of CARE in Palestine shared their findings on traumatic grief children. On the second day, during the first invited lecture session Prof. Jitendra Mohan, Professor Emeritus, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Prof. Manju Mehta, AIIMS and Prof. Akbar Husain, AMU, Aligarh brought forth significant thought provoking issues. And during the final invited lecture session, Dr. Manoranjan Sahay, Retd. Clinical Psychologist, Delhi and Mr. Shams Khwaja, Adjunct Professor of Law, Constitutional Law Laboratory, Delhi and Los Angeles, discussed constitutional measures and other solutions to dealing effectively with trauma.
Fifteen concurrent scientific sessions including a symposium exploring diverse themes, few of which are: understanding conflict, violence and trauma; women in war/intractable conflict; children in war, conflict and trauma; trauma and mental in women and children; assessment and intervention of trauma victims; PTSD and PTG in children and women; rehabilitation of trauma victims; trauma-spirituality; resilience and well-being; violence against women and so on. Various speakers from different parts of India and the world presented their academic work. The sessions were quite insightful for all the participants and delegates attending the session. The Chairpersons of the sessions meaningfully concluded the sessions, tying together the various presentations.
The Valedictory Session of the Seminar was held at 4 PM in FTK-CIT Main Conference Hall, Jamia Millia Islamia with Prof. Jitendra Mohan, eminent psychologist, as Guest of Honor. The Welcome Address was given by Prof. Waheeda Khan. The Valedictory Report was presented by the Organising Secretary, Dr. Sheema Aleem. Ms Deepika Shrivastava, OSD, Women and Child Development, Planning Commission delivered the Valedictory remarks and urged the younger generation to participate actively in bringing about the much needed social change. Prof. Jitendra Mohan congratulated the organizers on the success of the Seminar and encouraged the participants to take this change forward. Prof. S.M. Rashid, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia gave the Presidential remarks during the valedictory session. He encouraged everyone to look at the experience of trauma in a wholistic manner, instead of in a compartmentalized fashion and address it as psychologists. Prof. Ghassan Abdallah, Director of CARE in Palestine, also shared encouraging remarks such as active involvement of the academic fraternity in redressing the social menace of violence globally. The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Naved Iqbal, Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia.
A Post-Seminar Workshop on “Qualitative Research on Trauma, Suffering and Healing” will also be held on the March 15, 2013. The Workshop will be conducted at the Committee Room, Nehru Guest House, Jamia Millia Islamia. Dr. Kumar Ravi Priya, Associate Professor of Psychology, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India will be the resource person.