The NEPC Summer Schools, Linking education research policy and practice will be held at Hotel Plesnik, Logarska dolina, Slovenia , from 21st- 25th July 2008.

The program will include lectures, discussions, workshops, tutorial, group work as well as real example policy discussion delivered by leading authorities in the fields of education policy and planning. Readings from world leaders in the field will complement lectures. Among the most precious gifts to education policy personnel in the NEPC region is access to information. The NEPC Summer School will be both strategic and generous in the supply of background reading. On acceptance, each participant will be provided with a CD Rom of reading material.

Applications are invited from the target audience:

* enthusiastic and ambitious policy makers and implementers at local, national and regional level from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia, former Soviet Union, Turkey and Mongolia.
* Graduate students in education policy from around the globe.

Participants may come from any country within NEPC region while graduate students in education policy courses outside region may also apply. The school will assume that students have diverse backgrounds, however, in order to help reduce the variance in comprehension and participation in the discussion and allow all attendees to participate in the practical exercises applicants should bring a policy or research paper to the seminar (in any language) which contains a discussion of one or more of the five selected themes and be prepared to analyze it on the last day of the seminar. Readings will be divided into required and recommended. Participants will be expected to have read the required readings prior to the beginning of the summer school.

+385-32-441975 (tel and fax)

+385-32-450991 (tel only)

www.cwwpp.org

office@cwwpp.org
The Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace in Vukovar, Croatia, is delighted to announce its fourth annual Summer Program.

The aim of the program is to give the participant an impression of the reality of a post-conflict area and to establish a dialogue between the students and the hosting organizations and to assist the participant in refining his/her academic skills.

Specifically

* The participant should learn the practical aspects of work in a post-conflict area in terms of politics, religion, health (mental and physical), civil society, human rights, economics and reconciliation.

* The participant should learn the positive and negative aspects of the work of governmental organizations, international non-governmental organizations and local non-governmental organizations in general and in one specific case.

* The participant should learn various approaches to the problems of post-conflict areas and be able to evaluate them critically.

* The participant should have some idea of the differences between the theoretical approaches to post-conflict areas as put forward in university courses and the reality of the situation.

* The participant should have knowledge of one specific area of post-conflict areas of his or her choice and should be able to apply that to the specific case of Vukovar.

After successfully completing a course, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

The Summer Program comprises a series of local lecturers and forums offering a platform for discussion on a diverse range of subjects during four week course on post conflict issues, combined with an optional six week project period.

Students and staff will also be offered a recreational program, including excursion, social gatherings and cultural events.

Costs

Costs including a tax-deductible contribution, Internet use, use of office equipment and printing and copying, housing, celebrations and lunches for the intensive period of the course.

Summer Program 2100 Euros/3100 USD

Optional Croatian language course 350 Euros/ 515 USD

Project Period 600 Euros/ 885 USD

Costs for persons from Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and other areas currently in violent conflict and/or post-conflict are 100 Euros/150 USD.These cover only the course contribution and do not cover costs of transportation, housing, health insurance (required) or other costs.

Introducing the CWWPP

The Coalition for Work with Psycho trauma and Peace is a Dutch-registered organization that works on issues of health, civil society, non-violent conflict transformation and (re-) development of society. The Coalition has been in the region since 1995. The CWWPP has had interns and volunteers since 1999. They have stayed for periods ranging from a few weeks up to about six months. This Program in Post-Conflict Studies is part of the development of the Vukovar Field Institute for Post-Conflict Studies. More information about the Institute and other aspects of the CWWPP can be found on the CWWPP website, www.cwwpp.org.

Further information

All information and the application form for the Summer Program are available on the CWWPP website at http://www.cwwpp.org/Documents/Study/2008/Information%20and%20Application%20for%202008%202008%2002%2016.doc

The theme of the meeting is “Truth and Trust After Trauma”. It will bring together practitioners and leading international researchers working in trauma-related areas. A wide range of topics will be addressed: from basic research in neurobiology and traumatic memory, to the consequences of early and complex traumatization, epidemiology, new treatment options, community interventions, prevention and policy making. Of special interest will be recommended best practice when working with diverse populations exposed to a variety of traumatic events such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, disasters, traffic accidents, organized violence, aid work or military service.

A series of pre-conference workshops will provide half-day training and skills building program on specific topics related to traumatic stress starting on the 5th June 2007.

The 10th ECOTS will be held in Opatija, Croatia, an exquisite tourist destination located on the beautiful Adriatic coastline. It is the gem of the northern Adriatic and renowned for its pleasant climate, crystal clean sea and gastronomic delicacies. It is less than two hours drive from international airports in Zagreb (Croatia), Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Trieste (Italy). The conference will offer organized coach transportation from Zagreb and Ljubljana airports. Opatija is within driving distance from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Hungary.

The scientific program is not the only reason to participate in this conference! The social program will offer an insight into the local culture, visits to the nearby attractions and entertainment. Pre and post conference tours are organized exclusively for ECOTS participants. The destinations include Venice (Italy), Plitvice Lakes National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage locations), Brijuni Islands National Park and “Wine, Olive and Truffles Tasting Tour”. You can also choose to spend a few relaxing days on one of the thousand Adriatic islands after the conference. The weather in June should be sunny, with daytime temperatures in low twenty degrees Celsius.

For the conference participants the accommodation at discounted prices is guaranteed until 25 March, 2007. However, given the attractiveness of the location and the season, early booking is strongly advised. The hotel prices range from 136 Eur (double room with breakfast) in 5* hotels (95 Eur single room) to 58 Eur double room (41 Eur single) with breakfast in 2* hotels. There is also be a budget private apartment accommodation.

Abstract submission and registration is now open! The submission deadline is 15 December 2006! To submit and abstract and to register you first need to log in the submission and registration system and then follow the instructions provided on the conference web-page at www.ecots2007.com

Please note that you can also download a printable version of the registration form and fax it to +385 1 482 6113 from at www.ecots2007.com

If you have any questions regarding registration, call +385 1 482 6111 or e-mail (secretariat@ecots2007.com).

We look forward to seeing you in Opatija!

Your ECOTS Secretariat

Koncepcija promotivnih večeri sastoji se u izlaganju učesnika (autora, recenzenata, psihologa iz prakse i profesora sa fakulteta, kao i stručnjaka srodnih disciplina) o knjigama koje su na programu i temama/proble mima kojima se one bave.

Ove godine prezentujemo deset novih izdanja Centra za primenjenu psihologiju, u sedam promotivnih večeri, sa oko 30 učesnika. U knjigama su obrađene različite psihološke teme koje su od interesa kako za stručnjake tako i za širu javnost.

Program Ciklusa promocija Centra za primenjenu psihologiju nalazi se u prilogu (attach).

Pozivamo Vas da posetite ove promotivne večeri.

Ukoliko Vas interesuju detaljne informacije, javite se Centru za primenjenu psihologiju DruÅ¡tva psihologa Srbije. Kontakt osoba je Maja Petrović, PR Centra za primenjenu psihologiju DruÅ¡tva psihologa Srbije ( tel: 011/ 32 32 961, tel/fax: 32 39 685, m.tel: 063/ 275 236; e – mail: dps@beotel.yu, dpscpp@sezampro.yu ).

Predavanje ce se odrzati u srijedu, 13.09.2006. godine u 16:00 casova, na Filozofskom fakultetu u Banjoj Luci (sala 44).

Molim vas da ovu poruku proslijedite svima za koje mislite da bi mogli biti zainteresovani.

Srdacan pozdrav,

Igor Krnetic, psiholog

Univerzitet u Banjoj Luci

Filozofski fakultet

Odsjek za psihologiju

website http://www.cwwpp.org

The newsletter of the Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace

1 July, 2006

This Update can also be found on the CWWPP website, www.cwwpp.org.

THE CWWPP HAS MOVED OUR HEADQUARTERS

On 27 June, 2006 the CWWPP moved its headquarters one street further in Vukovar. The new address and telephone numbers are: M. Drzica 12, 32000 Vukovar. The +385-32-441975 telephone and fax number remains the same. The +385-32-444662 number is replaced by +385-32-450991. All e-mail addresses remain the same.

STUDYING WITH THE CWWPP IN 2007

The CWWPP has announced its program for studying in 2007. In addition to the two and a half month Summer Program which lasts from mid-June until the end of August, 2007, there will be an Introductory Course in Post-Conflict Studies to be given twice, first from mid-January to mid-April, 2007 and again from mid-September to mid-December, 2007. There is also the possibility of assistance for Masters and Doctoral students. More information is available on http://www.cwwpp.org/Study.htm.

SITUATION IN THE REGION

Unfortunately, since the last writing, the psychological, medical and reconciliation situation has not improved. There are no reliable figures to document the situation. We believe that most official figures contain at least a moderate amount of bias However, from what we hear from colleagues, what we see with our own eyes and from the figures that are available, we believe that the amount of psychological distress as a result of the war continues to increase. This includes suicides, domestic violence, lack of competent and complete medical care, high unemployment rates, and virtually no efforts aimed at reconciliation. Further, funding for democratization continues to diminish. Thus, virtually nothing is being done to make the region fit for integration into the European Union. Because this lack of action, we and others within the community of non-governmental organizations believe that further violence at some point in the future, be it in five, ten or fifty years is inevitable and can only be prevented by substantial injections of long-tem assistance that will address basic problems.

CROATIAN GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS STILL HINDERING NGO’S

Whether or not with specific intent, Croatian government regulations continue to hinder non-governmental organizations (NGO’s). First, when we recently tried to register a newly bought car, we found that we could not, as the central identification number (“maticni broj”) had been abolished for foreign NGO’s. Further, although we and other foreign organizations have been told that we have the legal right to register cars, no one (and we have called quite a few ministries and governmental offices) COULD tell us how to do it, even after five weeks of intensive inquiry. We finally got it solved through the intervention of the Office for International Relations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Another Croatian law still seriously hindering the operation of NGO’s, both foreign and local, is the lack of a law on volunteering, as reported in the previous CWWPP Update. This means that foreigners, except those coming as either “missionaries” or as full-time students, cannot stay in the country for more than 90 days. While we have been told that there is a law that has been put forward by Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor’s Ministry of the Family, Defenders and Inter-Generational Solidarity, no one can tell us when the law will actually be put into the Parliament’s (Sabor’s) schedule. We were told that the law should have been on the books already. Another rumor says that it will be ready for the International Day of Volunteers on 5 December. While we hope for the best, we are still skeptical.

A third area in which Croatian law hinders NGO’s is in regard to taxes. Unlike many other countries, all NGO’s in Croatia are required to pay sales tax at a staggering 22%. Further, there is no regulation on tax-deductible contributions to NGO’s, thus hindering corporate and private donations to NGO’s.

Thus, much needs to change if Croatia is truly serious about encouraging the civil sector.

THE OSCE PROGRESS REPORT ON CROATIA JUNE, 2006 AND THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT ON CROATIA FOR 2005

In June, 2006, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) came out with its semi-annual report on the progress of the country. This report is available on the OSCE website at http://www.osce.org/croatia/ or alternatively on the CWWPP website at http://www.cwwpp.org/Documents.htm#Other%20Orgs. While there has been a great deal of ballyhoo about the large amount of progress that the report supposedly documents, in reality what is said in the report gives rise to only a small degree of optimism. As noted above, Croatia still has a long way to go on many fronts, not the least of them civil society, human rights, reconciliation, discrimination and economic development.

Amnesty International has also come out with its report on Croatia for 2005, which is available at http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/croatia/document.do?id=ar&yr=2006. Unfortunately, this report is also not terribly encouraging.

THE CWWPP IS NOW ASSOCIATED WITH INTERCHANGE

In June, 2005, a number of people from the University of Toronto organized a conference entitled Grassroots Peacebuilding in Action and Dialogue to which a number of people working in the field in various countries were invited. During the past year, this group of people has developed into the organization known as InterChange. The organization is in the stage of registering as an ngo in Canada and will be associated with centers in other countries. It will include joint action, research and education projects for professionals and non-professionals. At present, InterChange will have three centers, one in Toronto , one in Vukovar (to be coordinated by the CWWPP initially) and in Nairobi and will no doubt expand further. We find this an extremely exciting development and are working intensively with InterChange to develop and implement a number of further plans. Those who receive this Update will receive a first newsletter from InterChange later in the year.

THE CWWPP SUMMER PROGRAM 2006 BEGINS

Two students, Peter Locke, studying for his doctorate in Anthropology at Princeton University , USA , and Britt Baillie, studying for her doctorate religion at Cambridge University in the UK , have joined the Summer Program for 2006. The Program continues until 1 September. The Program is similar to the one being offered for 2007 (see www.cwwpp.org/Study). More on their progress will be presented in the next CWWPP Update.

THE CWWPP CELEBRATES PASSOVER WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF OSIJEK

On Sunday, 2 April, 2007 the CWWPP and the Jewish Community of Osijek celebrated Passover in Vukovar. This Pre-Passover celebration was the fourth since the end of the Second World War and included several talks about the project on the Jews of Vukovar financed by the Hanadiv Foundation (see below), a tour of the Jewish graveyard and of the site where the synagogue had been and lunch, during which the Choir of the Jewish Community of Novi Sad and the Jewish Children’s group of Osijek performed and during which several learned men, notably the new Rabbi of Croatia, Eliezer Aloni and Tomislav Halbror of Subotica. Further, the Ambassadors of Israel and The Netherlands and their families were present. Of course, members of virtually all Jewish Communities of the region came to Vukovar for the occasion.

DR. PETER FELIX NATAN MARKUS KELLERMANN VISITS THE CWWPP

Dr. Kellermann, Executive Director of AMCHA, an organization in Israel working with the victims, of the Holocaust, including those of later generations, visited the CWWPP and the region from 18 to 24 May, 2006 . Dr. Kellermann toured the region and spoke with a number of experts and persons from non-governmental organizations and a representative of the Jewish Community of Osijek during his visit.

DR. RYOKO EBINA VISITS THE CWWPP

Ryoko Ebina , the Director of Global Health Communications, www.globalhealthcommunications.com , came to Vukovar again in the spring of 2006 in connection with her work on health promotion. Dr. Ebina gave talks in Osijek and Vukovar on her work on positive mechanisms for dealing with trauma. Plans were made to cooperate and ideas for joint proposals were discussed.

CWWPP COMMEMORATES INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE VICTIMS OF TORTURE

On 26 June, 2006 , the CWWPP commemorated the International Day for the Victims of Torture by holding a demonstration in the center of Vukovar in orange jump suits, seeking to bring attention to the problems of torture victims all over the world. This is particularly important in this region, where many people from all sides were subjected to torture.

CWWPP COMPLETES THE FIRST STEPS IN A PROJECT ON THE JEWS OF VUKOVAR FINANCED BY THE HANADIV FOUNDATION

During the summer of 2005, the CWWPP received a grant of some 7500 GBP from the Hanadiv Foundation of London to begin to investigate the history of the Jews of Vukovar and the surrounding area. This part of what will eventually be a project of five to six years was completed at the end of February, 2006. In that period, we collected 17 interviews with people who remember Jews from before the Second World War (unfortunately, very few returned). We also collected more than 3000 documents and more than 1100 photographs in Vukovar and Ilok. We are very grateful to the Municipal Museums of Vukovar and Ilok for their cooperation. A complete report of the project is available at http://www.cwwpp.org/Projects%20Groups%20Associated%20Organizations.htm#Hanadiv. We intend to continue the project as soon as further funding is secured.

CWWPP RECEIVES GRANT FOR WORK WITH YOUTH IN VILLAGES FROM THE DUTCH EMBASSY OF ZAGREB

The Dutch Embassy of Zagreb has given the CWWPP a grant of slightly more than 11000 Euros under the MATRA Program to work with young people in teaching skills in psychological trauma and civil society. The work fits perfectly into the Strategic Plan of the CWWPP for 2006 (http://www.cwwpp.org/About%20Us-Strategic%20Plan.htm) in terms of re-expanding our work to village level and working from the ground up. The grant period lasts until the end of May, 2007. We shall be reporting on its first phases later in the year.

GROUPS AND CLIENTS

We continue to have about 15 clients and five other groups. The two core groups are progressing quite well. We also are continuing our work with Marimo, the group of the families of schizophrenics in Osijek .

Our work with Bubamara, the group of invalids in Vinkovci has been temporarily suspended because of the highly death of the group’s leader, Kristinka Marticic. We very much mourn Kristinka’s death. She was a brave woman who struggled with infantile paralysis from an early and managed to overcome her disabilities. Our greatest sympathies are with her parents and with her husband, Ivica and with the members of Bubamara who depended on her and who admired her, as did we.

CWWPP PURCHASES A VAN

Thanks partly to the contribution of Jan Sizoo and his wife, Eri, the CWWPP has purchased a nine passenger Volkswagen Transporter van from 1992. This van will be used for the transport of visitors, including students, and staff.

SUPPORT THE CWWPP

The CWWPP would like to carry out many more projects than those for which we have funding. These are required for urgent work in post-conflict areas. For more information on the projects that we wish to carry out, see the Strategic Plan for 2006 at http://www.cwwpp.org/About%20Us-Strategic%20Plan.htm.

To see how to contribute to the CWWPP, see http://www.cwwpp.org/Support.htm.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR FINANCIAL AND MORAL SUPPORT

Charles David Tauber, M.D. Head of Mission and

The Staff of the CWWPP

Prof. Tolya Stoitsova, PhD., D.Sc.

Institute of Psychology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences