The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme in coordination with Ministry of Education (Counseling Unit) held a workshop to coordinate the joint activities in the governmental schools for the school year 2008–2009. The workshop, which took place at the hall of Roots Restaurant, was with participation of heads of counseling sections, schools headmasters, a number of counselors, and members of the Children Committee of GCMHP.
Mohamed El Zeer, the coordinator of the Community Centers, welcomed the participants emphasizing the high needs of children for mental health services resulting from the difficult circumstances and harsh conditions that they are living as a result of the siege. Such effect is clearly seen in the increase in family and school violence between students, which in turn, meant that the school mediation program will be continued for the next year.
In her part, Ms. Zeinab El Wazeer, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education, thanked the Programme for the efforts conducted to benefit the Palestinian community, particularly students in terms of reduction of violence. Ms. El-Wazeer emphasized the significance of mutual cooperation between the Ministry and the civil society organizations, particularly GCMHP in providing services for the students under the difficult conditions that Palestinian children go through of killings, arrests, and siege.
Ms. El Wazeer thanked the counselors for their efforts and roles they play in helping students and encouraging them to work hard and commit to improving the school environment as well as reduction of the level of violence; which ultimately, will facilitate their healthy social and psychological development.
Mr. Ahmad Awad, Director of Counseling Unit at the Ministry talked about the unique relationship between the Ministry and the Programme in terms of provision of services in the schools as well as building the capacities of school counselors and teachers in dealing with the children's problems. Mr. Awad highlighted the significance of the training courses, awareness meetings and workshops for counselors and families as well as receiving cases of children who are in need for intensive intervention.
Mohamed El-Zeer talked about the work plan for children activities with the Ministry for the year 2008 – 2009 that includes training 30 counselors and teachers on school mediation and mechanism of implementation.
Rawya Hamam, Mental Health Worker, at the Gaza Community Center thanked all schools of the Ministry which were cooperative with GCMHP professionals in the implementation of the school mediation program in the period 2005 – 2007. Ms. Hamam emphasized the key program of mediation and presented the mediation concepts, definitions, classifications and the application steps and the most important points to support such program in order to guarantee its success and sustainability.
Mr. Raed El Ran, a Counselor at khaleefa Ben Zaied school, talked about the practical experience in applying school mediation program, stressing the positive changes that were noticed after the implementation of the program in terms of the positive children behaviors and building the confidence and courage of children and their belonging to the school.
At the end of the workshop, the participations were divided into groups to be familiar with each other and to discuss in details the mediation program over the next period as well as distribution of counselors to the targeted schools.
