Eyad El Sarraj
Eyad El Sarraj, a Psychiatrist, was born in April 1944, in Beer Sheva-Palestine, and was forced to move to live in Gaza-Palestine, in 1948. He received his Medical degree in Alexandria-Egypt, and his degree in Psychiatry in London-UK. He is a human rights and peace activist, founder and Chairman of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, and Secretary General of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen's Rights. He is a Member of many local and international health and human rights organizations. His activity in human rights has caused him hardships by both Israeli and Palestinian Authorities. In 1996 he was arrested and tortured for condemning torture and violation of human rights by Palestinian Authorities. Winner of the Physicians for Human Rights Award in 1997 and the Martin Ennals Award for human rights defenders in 1998. Dr. El-Sarraj publishes extensively on issues of peace, civil society, human rights and psycho-politics.

P O Box 1049
El Remal - Gaza
Palestine
Phone 972 8 2824073, 2825700
Fax 972 8 2824072
E-mail eyadsarraj@gcmhp.net
Eyadsarraj1@aol.com

Current Position

• Chairman
  Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP)
  
• Secretary General
  Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights (PICCR)
  
• Awards received Martin Ennals Award 1998.
  
• Physicians for Human Rights Award 1997.
  
• Languages
  
• English And Arabic.
  
• Personal Information

Marital status: Married
" Children: two
" Nationality: Palestinian, British
" Place of Birth: Beer Sheva
" Date of Birth: 27 April 1944
Education

• 1974- 1977 Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, London University on a WHO Scholarship for the Diploma in Psychological Medicine, D.P.M.
  
• 1963-1971 Medical education at the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria, Egypt for the degree of MB, B.Ch.
  
• Primary, Preparatory and Secondary schools in Gaza in the Egyptian Curriculum.
  
• Professional experience 1995, Commissioner General, Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen's Rights.
  
• 1990, Founder, General Director, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme.
  
• 1989-1990, Visiting Research Fellow, Refugee Studies Program, University of Oxford, UK.
  
• 1986-1987, One year Register in Psychiatry Child and Family and psycho-geriatrics, Cornwall, UK. (Study leaves from Gaza).
  
• 1981-1988, Director of Mental Health Services, Gaza.
  
• 1977-1981, Four years specialist in Psychiatry, Department of Health, Gaza.
  
• 1973-1977, Clinical Attachment-Institute of Psychiatry, London-UK.
  
• 1972-1973, 18 months Senior House Officer, Psychiatry, Bethlehem Mental Hospital, Bethlehem, West Bank.
  
• 1971-1972, One year Senior House Officer, Pediatrics, Shifa Hospital, Gaza.
  
• 1970-1971, One year Housemanship, Alexandria University Hospitals.

  Teaching Activities
  

• 1997 Culture, Human Rights and Mental Health Teaching Course at GCMHP, postgraduate Diploma.
  
• 1990- Training Mental Health Workers in GCMHP and Clinical Supervision.
  
• 1982-1985 Teaching courses in Child and Adolescent Mental Health to UNRWA teachers.
  
• 1981- 1988 In service training of doctors, nurses and other mental health workers, Gaza.
  
• 1979-1984 Teaching courses in psychiatry and psychology in School of Nursing Gaza.

  Selected Publications:
  

• They Never Promise Heaven, Reflections on Sept. 11, Grassroots International, Grassroots on line, Volume 5 special eddition.
  
• I will keep them from Harm and Injustice, Dr. Sarraj qouted in Medhunters Magazine, Fall 2002.
  
• The Impact of Terrorism on Palestinaisn in Israel: An Interview with Eyad El Sarraj, by Lenore Meldrum, Journal of Trauma Practice, Volume 1 Numbers3/4 2002.
  
• A challenge We Must Accept, But Democracy means Choosing for Ourselves, Washington Post, June 30, 2002.
  
• Children of Palestine, Eyad El Sarraj, This week in palestine, issue No. 51, July 2002.
  
• The end.. and a new beginning, Eyad El Sarraj, Al Aqsa Magazine, publsihed by Friends of Al-Aqsa, Leicester-England, Volume 4 Number 2 Spring 2002, SAFAR 1423.
  
• Woundes and Madness, Why we've become suicide bombers, Eyad El Sarraj, Time Magazine, 2nd April 2002.
  
• Community Mental Health as practiced by the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Samir Qouta and Eyad El Sarraj, Trauma, War, and Violence, Public Mental health in Socio-Cultural Context, Edited by Joop DE Yong, March 2002.
  
• Bare Chests, Eyad El Sarraj, Fellowship-Magazine of peacemaking published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, New York, May/June 2001.
  
• Bombs and Madness, Eyad El Sarraj, INDEX on Censorship 4 2001 - Britain, Page (7-13).
  
• The Last Tango,, Eyad El Sarraj, Mediterraneans 12, Revue Semestrielle, P 324-327, April 2001.
  
• Resist with Peace, Eyad El Sarraj, Washington Post, March 31, 2001, Page A21.
  
• Gazan Follows in Gandhi's Footsteps, Interview with Dr. Eyad by Tracy Wilkison, Times staff Writter, March 11, 2001 , Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times..
  
• Moshe at the Door, One State Solution, El Sarraj, Ha'aretz, Page (4) Novermber 11, 1999.
  
• Violence, Victims and After-Care: Can Palestinain Expertise Offer aid to Algeria, Eayd El Sarraj, Huam Rights Report, No. 1. 1999, P. (76-79), Norwegian Istititute for Huamn Rights, University of Oslo.
  
• Models of Traumatic Experiences and Children's Psychological Adjustment: The Roles of Perceived Parenting and the Children's Own Resources and Activity, Raija-Leena Punamaki, Samir Quota, and Eyad El Sarraj, Child Development, August 1997, V. 64, Number 4, Pages 718-728.
  
• Mental Health Challenges For the Palestinian Authority: The Psycho-political Legacy of the Intifada, Eyad El Sarraj, The PLO book: Chap 9.fm Page 163.
  
• House Demolition and Mental Health: Victims and Witnesses, Samir Quota, Raija-Leena Punamaki, Eyad El Sarraj, Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1997.
  
• Prison Experiences and Coping Styles Among Palestinian Men, Samir Quota, Eyad El Sarraj, Raija-Leena Punamaki, Peace and Conflict: Journal of peace Psychology, 3(1), 19-36, 1997.
  
• Relationships between Traumatic Events, Children's Gender, and Political Activity, and Perceptions of Parenting Styles, Raija-Leena Punamaki, Samir Quota and Eyad El Sarraj, International Journal of behavioral Development, 1997, 21(1), 91-109.
  
• Experience of Torture and Ill-Treatment and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Palestinian Political Prisoners. Eyad El Sarraj, Raija-Leena Punamaki, Suhail Salmi and Derek Sumerfield, Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 9, No 3, 1996.
  
• Torture and Mental Health: a Survey of the Experience of Palestinians in Israeli Prisons, Eyad El Sarraj, Torture, Human Rights, Medical Ethics and the Case of Israel, Zed Books, New Jersey USA, 1995.
  
• The relation between traumatic experiences, activity and cognitive and emotional responses among Palestinian children, Samir Quota, Raija Leena Punamaki, Eyad El Sarraj, International Journal of Psychology, 1995, 30 (3), 289-304.
  
• The Impact of the Peace Treaty on Psychological Well-Being: A Follow-up Study of Palestinian Children, Samir Quota, Raija-Leena Punamaki, Eyad El Sarraj, Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 19 No. 10, pp. 1197-1208, 1995.
  
• A daring leader of vision, Eyad E l Sarraj, The Jerusalem Post, March 7, 1995.
  
• Turmoil in Gaza Eyad El Sarraj, Breaking the Siege, P.45, Boston, MA, DEC, 94-Jan95.
  
• The PLO-Israeli Handshake: A view from Gaza, Eyad El Sarraj, Mind and Human Interaction, V5, No2, May 1994, pp51-55.
  
• Shaping a Culture of Peace, Eyad E l Sarraj, Palestine -Israeli Journal of Politics Economics and Culture, Autumn 1994.
  
• The Palestinians: An Uprooted People, Eyad El Sarraj, Ahmed Abu Tawahina, Fadel Abu Hein, (Amidst Peril and Pain, The Mental Health and Well-being of the World's Refugees) American Psychological Association, Washington DC.ISBN1-55798-223-6, April 1994.
  
• Peace and the children of the stone, Eyad El Sarraj ,Challenge Vol. IV, No5, Sept, 1993.
  
• Mental Suffering Among Gazans on the Rise, Eyad El Sarraj, Al Fajr, P.5, February 22 , 1993.
  
• Level of Anxiety in Gaza before and after the Intifada, Samir Quota, Eyad El Sarraj, Journal of psychological Studies, V3, No1, pp1-11, Cairo, Egypt, January, 1993.
  
• Palestinians Under Occupation, Eyad El Sarraj, Mental Health Services in the Global Village -Royal College of Psychiatrists-London,1991.
  
• Human Rights Under the Palestinian Authority, Eyad El Sarraj, Journal of Palestine Studies, "Arabic edition" Spring 1997, pp58-67.
  
• Spare Thy Neighbor, Eyad El Sarraj, The Jerusalem Report October 26, 1998.
  
• The "Nakba" of Palestine and Human Rights, Eyad El Sarraj, presented at Health and Human Rights Conference, May 15-16 1998, Stockholm, Sweden.
  
• Provision of Mental Health Services Through Network Participation, David Henley, Henrik Pelling, Eyad El Sarraj, presented at The Third International Conference, Health and Human Rights, 13-15 October 1997.
  
• Mental Health of Palestinians in Gaza, Eyad El Sarraj, presented at the Israeli Labor Unions Association "Histadrout", 1997.
  
• Palestinian Children and violence, Eyad El Sarraj, presented at the conference "The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children", Belfast, 2-5 February 1996 organized by Save The Children- Belfast.
  
• The Mental Health Challenges of the Palestinian Authority, Eyad El Sarraj, Presented at the Truman Research Institute, Hebrew University - Jerusalem, October 1995.
  
• Arafat in Gaza a year in the life of the Palestinian Authority, Eyad El Sarraj, presented at the Four Annual International Conference of the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine, Washington D.C, March 1995.
  
• Psychosocial Aspects of the Palestinian Intifada, Eyad El Sarraj, presented at the Truman Institute, Hebrew University-Jerusalem, May 31 1994.
  
• Traumatized Children Under Military Occupation, the Palestinian Experience, Eyad El Sarraj, Fadel Abu Helin, May 1993. "GCMHP"
  
• Palestinian Children Under Siege Psychological effects of Extended Curfews, presented at the 2nd European on stress, Norwijiik1991.
  
• Children of the Intifada - Victims and Heroes, Eyad El Sarraj Presented at the IIIV Congress on Social Psychiatry Washington 27th Oct.,1990.
  
• The Psycho-political situation of the Palestinians Before and After the Intifada, Eyad El Sarraj, Presented the Truman Institute , Hebrew University 1988.

  Selected Conferences

• Children in Conflict and War Regions, Bonn 13-14 March, 2003

• Diving into the deep, towards a mutual understanding, Putten, 28-29 Nov. 2002.

• Transnational Terrorism, Manifestation-Causes-Counterstrategies, International Conference, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Forum Berlin Nov. 25-26, 2002

• War Societies-Society Wars? Socio-psychological Aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 9-11 November 2001, organized by Heinrich Boll Stiftung-Germany.
  
• 27th International Congress of Psychology, Stockholm, Sweden, July 23-28, 2000.
  
• AMAN, Network meeting and the Regional Seminar, Lebanon 21-26 July, 2001.
  
• 17th International Medical Convention, Palestine June 30 - July 7, 2000, "Organized by the National Arab American Medical Association-USA).
  
• Fortifying the Foundation of a Nation: Strengthening Governance in the Palestinian National Authority, Palestine June 25-26, 2000, "organized by Harvard University-USA".
  
• Regional Conflict and Their Resolution, Feb. 24, 2000, Senate Hall, Ben Gurion University, Be'er Sheva.
  
• Workshop on Human Rights and Development, Cairo 7-9 June 1999. "Organized by the UNDP and the Arab Organization for Human Rights."
  
• Liberal Alternatives and the role to the individual in the contemporary Arab world, Belagio- Italy, May 30 - June 2, 1999. "organized by the Washington University".
  
• The First International Conference of the Arab Working Group for Human Rights "Future Vision", Morocco 23-25 April, 1999.
  
• Human Rights and Citizenship in the Mediterranean, Stuttgart 15-16 April 1999.
  
• Egyptian Psychiatric Association conference, Cairo 24-26 March 1999.
  
• The Role of the EU in the Middle East Peace Process and the Promotion of Confidence-Building Measures, 12-13 November 1998, Brussels.
  
• The First Egyptian International Congress on Psychiatric Education for the 21st Century, Sept. 2-4, 1998, Cairo Egypt.
  
• State of Democracy in Palestine, 11 July 1998, Palestinian Council on Foreign Relations.
  
• 50 years of Human Rights Violations Palestinians Dispossessed, 7-10 June 1998, LAW-Jerusalem.
  
• Health and Human Rights, Oslo 15-16, May 1998, Amnesty International, Oslo.
  
• Middle East and Palestine Conference, 4 April 1998, Salaam Children of the Olive Tree, Milan Committee.
  
• Violence in Algeria and the International Community, Oslo, 12-14 March 1998, Amnesty International.
  
• International Symposium on Psychology and Human Rights, 15-17 December 1997, Tunisian Association of Psychology, Tunis, presentation on Human Rights, ethics and community.
  
• International Conference on Human Rights and the Final Status Issues, 12-15 December 1997, Palestinian center For Human Rights, Gaza - Palestine.
  
• Health and Human Rights, 13-15 October 1997, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza - Palestine.
  
• The Role of Human Rights Organization in Ethnic and National Conflicts, "June 8-9, 1997, The Minerva Center for Human Rights, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
  
• Citizenship and the state in the Middle East, 22-24 November 1996, Oslo, Norway.
  
• 7th Meeting of the International Network of Health And Human Rights Organizations (INHHRO). 8-10 November 1996, Lage Vuursche, the Netherlands.
  
• International Conference on Violations of Medical Neutrality (10 years jubilee of the Johannes Wier Foundation for Health and Human Rights), 8 November 1996, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  
• International conference on Torture, 4-6 October 1996. Stockholm, Amnesty International.
  
• Med Media Review Seminar 23-25 November 1995, Marrakech, Morocco.
  
• Conference of Traumas of Children and Youth in Armed Conflict, 20-21 November 1995. Institute of Social Studies The Hague.
  
• Oslo Seminar on Human Rights and the Peace Process, 10November 1995. Norwegian section of Amnesty International.
  
• The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, Belfast, 2-5February 1996.
  
• 10th Congress European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 17-20 September 1995, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  
• The Fourth Consultative Meeting on the Protection of Human Rights, Stockholm 18-21 May 1995.
  
• Just World Trust Conference, Malaysia 6-7 December 1994.
  
• UNICEF, Regional Consultation on the Manual to help Young Traumatized Children and the Middle East Trauma Casebook on 17-18, 1994 in Amman.
  
• Eleventh United nations North American NGO Symposium on the Question of Palestine, 6-8 July 1994, Toronto, Canada.
  
• International Conference: The PLO and Israel, From Armed Conflict to Political Settlement, 1964-1994. May 29- 31,1994. The Harrys Truman Research Institute the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
  
• Workshop on "the Future of Social Science Research in Palestine," 5-8 May 1994, T he Ford Foundation, Cairo.
  
• The Challenges Facing Palestinian Society during the Transitional Period, 4-5 February 1994, JMCC, Jerusalem.
  
• "Palestina "-20 November 1993, Uppsala, Sweden.
  
• Psychology of the Masses, Strasbourg June 19-20, 1993.European Foundation for Psychoanalysis.
  
• Second International NGO Conference for Peace and Security in the Middle East, Valetta, Malta 4-6 December 1992.
  
• ECCP-NENGOOT Palestine: Development for peace, Brussels 28 Sept.-1Oct, 1992.
  
• The Impact of War and Occupation on Children and Youth, Oslo 23-25 October 1992. The new World Organization of Adult Education.
  Memberships
  
• 1. Secretary General and Board Member of the Palestinian Independent Commission For Citizens' Rights-Palestine (PICCR).
  
• 2. Founding member of the Arab Medical Association -Palestine.
  
• 3. Member of the American Psychiatric Association, Washington -USA.
  
• 4. Member of the World Federation of Mental Health.
  
• 5. Board Member of the Arab Studies Society -Jerusalem.
  
• 6. Member of the International Society of Political Psychology-USA.
  
• 7. Former Member of the Palestinian National Council.
  
• 8. Former member of the Palestinian Delegation to the Bilateral Peace Talks (Washington).
  
• 9. Head of the Mental Health Committee in the Palestinian Health Council- 1994.
  
• 10. Counselor for the "Near and Middle East Region" of the World Association for Social Psychiatry.
  
• 11. Council Member of the Rehabilitation and Research Center for Torture Victims (IRCT)- Denmark .
  
• 12. Board member of the Palestine Center Against Violence-Palestine.
  
• 13. Founding member of the Campaign Against Torture in the Middle East.
  
• 14. Member of the Arab Psychiatric Association.
  
• 15. Point person in the Middle East of the American Psychiatric Association.
  
• 16. Founding member of the International Federation for Health and Human Rights.
  
• 17. Member of the International Federation of Physicians for Human Rights.
  
• 18. Founding member of Palestine Democratic Forum - Palestine..
  
• 19. Member of the Board of trustees of the Palestinian Institute of the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, Miftah" - Palestine.
  
• 20. Founding member of the Palestinian Physicians for Human Rights, Palestine.
  
• 21. Member of the Advisory Board of the Arab Culture Institute - Nazareth.
  
• 22. Secretary General of AMAN-IRCT, Middle East and North Africa Regional Center.
  
• 23. Member of the Movement of Democratic Building.
  
• 24. Vice President of the Palestinian Technology and Education Complex - Gaza "PTEC".