Photo Essay: Perspectives from Sierra Leone's Youth
Throughout the 1990s, West Africa witnessed protracted, intertwined, and mineral-fueled conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Although Sierra Leone’s civil war was initially a battle for control of the government and the diamond fields, the conflict soon devolved into acts of brutality against civilians perpetrated by all sides. After several collapsed peace accords and a failed Nigerian-led intervention, a fragile peace was finally established in 2000 by the British military (Keen 2005). The United Nations assisted with the rebuilding of the country and oversaw democratic elections in 2002. In Sierra Leone, the tragedy left nearly 50,000 dead and scarred the minds, and often the bodies, of the living (Hirsch 2001). Since the war, several local and international organizations have worked to rehabilitate and assist war-affected individuals. One such organization is iEARN Sierra Leone, which seeks to empower war-affected youth through creative expression while also providing training in practical skills. As part of a 2007 collaborative effort between iEARN and the Art Department of the University of the South (USA), I taught a “Literacy through Photography” (LTP) course at the iEARN youth center in Freetown, Sierra Leone. LTP was developed by Wendy Ewald as a means for facilitating critical thought and self-expression by enabling students to portray, and reflect upon, their own lives and communities in photography and writing (Hyde 2001). LTP is a form of art therapy, an approach to rehabilitation that uses the creative process to enable catharsis and healing, especially in traumatized populations (Eaton 2007). During iEARN’s
A review of research and methods used to establish art therapy as an effective treatment method for traumatized children
Art therapy uses creative expression to provide individuals with a safe outlet for expressing thoughts and emotions to successfully facilitate recovery from psychological distress. The present study reviews the efficacy of art therapy as a method for treating traumatized children. Published, peer-reviewed literature that focused exclusively on the use of art therapy for treating children who had experienced a traumatic event was included in this review. This study found that art therapy was used successfully in a variety of contexts as a treatment regimen for traumatized children. Several methodological and statistical issues are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided in this review.
Communal Rebuilding After Destruction
Abstract Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the needs of the New York City community are highlighted and understood through Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources theory. The stress theory provides a framework for the social responses observed. Children, critical members of this wounded community and the most vulnerable to traumatization, are discussed. The conceptual development and implementation of the World Trade Center Children's Mural Project, an international arts initiative, is described. The author's personal experience as a survivor is also shared.