The Human Rights Team was established in 1994 to address the needs of the thousands of ex-political prisoners that were released from Israeli prisons following the signing of the Oslo Accords. In January 1998, the Project for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Human Rights Violations was launched to further concentrate on the support and rehabilitation of victims and on decreasing the prevalence of human rights violations in Palestine. The project name was changed to Project for the Empowerment of Survivors of Human Rights Violations (HRV Project), and entered a new phase in March 1999. The new project phase reflects the current realities of the Gaza Strip. In order to do this, the project target group has been widened and public awareness, training and prevention activities have been substantially increased.

The overall goal of this project is to contribute significantly to eliminating the prevalence and consequences of torture and organised violence in the Gaza Strip.

To reach this goal the projects has three immediate objectives:
1) COPING
2) CAPACITY BUILDING
3) PREVENTION

1) COPING

With its activities GCMHP wants to enable Gazans to cope with their traumatic experiences through public awareness, social support, individual treatment, and research projects.

For this purpose the Project Team conduct the following activities:

Public Awareness

On a bimonthly basis GCMHP's public relations department is issuing the "Amwaj" (Waves) magazine in which articles are published about the activities of the Program, mental health problems and psychosocial phenomena affecting the population. It also includes articles on different psychosocial conditions affecting survivors of human rights violations as well as women and children. The last issue, published in December, had the Al Aqsa Intifadah and its psychological impacts on the children as main topic.

The team members working in this project regularly give TV and Radio interviews, publish articles in Amwaj, local newspapers and on GCMHP's web page and hold public meetings in cooperation with other NGOs on Human Rights issues. Since the beginning of October most of this public meetings were on the psychosocial effects of traumatic experiences (participation of children in the clashes, effects of Israeli shellings). This table shows some of the articles published between the months of July to October:

The Human Rights team also issues appeals regarding Human Rights violations within the Palestinian Territories or in any way related to Palestinians. The video department of GCMHP produces three documentary films per year to be shown in public venues and to be used as training materials.

Social Support

To strengthen the family support of victims of Human Rights violations, as well as the general coping abilities of families affected by torture and organised violence staff members from the Human Rights project conduct an average of 150 home visits per month for physiotherapy sessions and for family counselling.

But the support of victims of Human Rights violations goes beyond medical treatment. For their mental well being it is necessary to strengthen the social networks and support the victims in re-establishing a normal life. Therefore patients are referred to vocational training programmes organised by other NGOs, and human rights organisations and the committee members regularly visit other Human Rights institutions, UNRWA, ministries and vocational training centres to discuss client referrals, to co-ordinate their work to plan joint activities and to follow up cases.

The public relations department represents GCMHP in the PNGO (Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisational - Network) and participates in all the meetings held. Within PNGO several committees have been founded to better facilitate the co-ordination between the different NGOs. GCMHP is represented through the PR Department in three of these committees:

• Human Rights Committee
  
• Rehabilitation Committee
  
• Health Committee for Medical and Health Service providers

  Individual Treatment

  The team members offer regular sessions for cognitive and behavioural therapy and counselling, medical services and physiotherapy to victims of torture and organised violence and refer clients in need of other medical treatment to the relevant institutions. Each month an average of 50 new clients is taken into the therapeutic services of GCMHP's four clinics and currently about five hundred patients per month receive regular therapeutic sessions. Since the GCMHP started in 1990 about 3 600 patients have benefited from our services. Research During the period 1999 to 2002 five research projects were initiated and are scheduled to be completed:

• Prevalence of Stress and related Psychiatric disorders among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
• Trauma Therapy: Process and Effectiveness
• Trauma and the Mental Health of Women in the Gaza Society
• Adolescent development and resilience in the Aftermath of Childhood Trauma
• Trauma and bedwetting

  2) CAPACITY BUILDING

  Through the training of professionals from the health sector, social services and the education sector professional expertise in the areas of mental health and human rights will be strengthened.

  The training department is conducting two-year courses (15 students per yearly intake) leading to a Postgraduate Diploma in Community Mental Health. These courses consist of a combination of theoretical study and practical work in the clinics of GCMHP.

  The students, who started in 1998, have completed their studies over the last months and the graduation ceremony will take place in December 2000.

  The students who started their studies in 1999 have finished their theoretical work and continue now their second year with further theoretical subjects and practical placement under the supervision of a local trainer at the GCMHP's clinics. Group supervision occurs once a week. In addition every Diploma student receives one hour of individual supervision per week.

  Another course started in March 2000. These students are currently continuing their theoretical studies. Among the modules thought over the last months are clinical psychology, child development and field work. For the practical placement the same system as for the second year students applies.

  The Flinders University in Australia has accredited this Diploma as 2/3 of a Masters in disability studies. Some diploma students started to complete their Masters degree with Flinders University.

  The second course the training department is offering is a 4-months training course covering issues of Mental Health and Human Rights for social workers, nurses, school counsellors, general practitioners and physiotherapists on community mental health and multidisciplinary treatment modes.

  In May 2000 the candidates were selected for a mental health and nursing course which has started in June and will be completed in December. 15 nurses are attending in this course. The following is a selection of subjects taught in the theoretical part of this course:

• Mental state examination
• Culture, religion and counselling
• Family counselling
• Community health approach
• Universal characteristics of the families
• The anxious clients
• Nursing application to the anxious clients
• Nursing application to clients experiencing depression

  GCMHP also offers students from other universities and institutions in the Middle East to do short term training at the Programme.

  The Human Rights team offers workshops on different issues related to Human Rights and Mental Health for public and private actors in the health, human rights and social sector; and study days for the staff of GCMHP are organised on a regular basis: e.g. in July a study day was held on "Cognitive behaviour for PTSD" and in September two study days were held on "Cognitive behavioural therapy"

  3) PREVENTION

  GCMHP wants to work towards the prevention of further human rights abuses, and towards building an atmosphere of respect and openness within the Palestinian Society.

  In order to prevent Human Rights violations from Palestinian Police towards the Palestinian population GCMHP is offering courses for the Palestinian Civil Police and the General Intelligence Service on human rights, mental health and other issues related to prison work.

  The last course of this kind was conducted in July and August 2000. The participating police officers received lectures in:

• Personality and the Palestinians in particular
• Mental Health and Human Rights
• Communication and Counselling
• Ethics
• Trauma and Stress
• Psychology of victims
• The role of NGOs on building the society
• Problem solving
• Torture, ethics and conversation
• Counter terrorism

The GCMHP is part of the PNGO (Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisational Network) in both the Human Rights and the Health sector. As an active member GCMHP has been involved in working towards a common front for improving the human rights situation in Palestine and intensifying the networking of Palestinian NGOs as a forum for exchange of information and co-operation.