Addressing the effects of trauma in conflict and post-conflict settings
The Problem
Despite decades of progress in human rights and conflict prevention, hundreds of millions of people around the world are still vulnerable to trauma due to slavery, trafficking, torture, violent extremism, war, forced displacement, and systemic racism. Today, violent conflicts around the world are at a 50-year high, and more than 82 million people remain forcibly displaced.
Even in the most developed countries, mental health needs vastly outpace the supply of appropriate, evidence-based care. The pandemic has accelerated a global mental health crisis, particularly for those already affected by toxic stress and trauma. In conflict settings and developing countries, access to mental health care and trauma recovery services can be incredibly limited. Still, as more people are impacted by conflict and violence, the need to address trauma in order to prevent health and social crisis grows.
Trauma left untreated can also contribute to continued cycles of violence as individuals navigate a world of heightened threats, dwindling resources, and limited care.
Our Approach
Unaddressed chronic stress and trauma cause adaptations at various nested levels, starting with individual biology and psychology. These changes may be initially adaptive, or in service of successful navigation of danger but can be problematic when they persist after the dangers and threats have passed.
If unaddressed, these adaptations can affect entire social ecosystems, becoming embedded in norms, narratives, and structures, and creating barriers to conflict prevention and resolution.
We conduct research and designs innovations that place stress, trauma, and psychosocial support at the center of how we understand and pursue violent conflict prevention, reduction, and resolution. We strive to understand how the adaptations that trauma produces in individuals and communities influence trajectories of conflict and then intervene on those trauma-related adaptations that jeopardize peace and community cohesion. In this way, we can create enabling environments for sustainable conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.
DIAGNOSE
We research how trauma causes adaptations that affect individual biology and psychology as well as interpersonal and intergroup behavior, and how those adaptations affect social stability and conflict potential.
DESIGN
We design practical trauma-focused psychosocial interventions to improve how communities prevent, resolve, and recover from violence.
REDEFINE
Through original research, policy briefs, talks, and events, we redefine public discourse, philanthropy, policy in order to amplify the role of trauma-focused interventions in peacebuilding and violence prevention.
Our Current and Upcoming Projects
Community Violence and Social Cohesion in Central America
Beyond Conflict has partnered with Glasswing International to support building “trauma-informed ecosystems” across Central America, as part of Glasswing’s Audacious Project. Beyond Conflict is working closely with Glasswing to design tiered training programs and interventions that will be used by more than 100,000 police, hospital, and education personnel in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras over the next 4 years to reduce the impact of trauma and violence in communities in the three countries.
Refugees and Destigmatizing Mental Health in Jordan
The Field Guide for Barefoot Psychology (TFG) is a trauma-focused psychosocial program that uses storytelling, psychoeducation, and self-care exercises delivered across 12-15 sessions by trained peer facilitators to (1) clarify why and how adverse experiences can affect the brain, body, and social behavior, and (2) ameliorate the negative effects of stress and trauma and promote help-seeking behaviors. TFG was externally evaluated by The New School and the University of California for use among refugees in Jordan and has been shown to cause sustainable improvements in mental health stigma, PTSD symptoms, and emotion regulation.
Aiding in the Rehabilitation of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF)
Since 2020, Beyond Conflict has been working with the United States Institute of Peace to develop an action guide for practitioners working in Violent Extremist Disengagement and Reconciliation. The action guide brings together the top minds in the fields of behavioral health, trauma recovery, justice and accountability, and social cohesion to offer an accessible overview of how communities in various settings can safely and sustainably reintegrate those who have participated in extremist violence.
Integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in Central Asia
In 2021, Beyond Conflict partnered with the United Nations Development Program to integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) into preventing and countering violent extremism in Central Asia. Beyond Conflict has been providing technical assistance to UNDP country offices to mainstream mental health and psychosocial support into national extremism prevention agendas and has been accompanying partners through the science-informed design of projects that use psychosocial support as the focus for preventing extremism.