The International Conference in Review
Over 250 delegates and speakers from across the world travelled to Belfast for the international conference which has been called 'groundbreaking'. For the first time in Northern Ireland, the conference brought together faith communities and health professionals to discuss how a more holistic approach to trauma recovery could be explored and developed.
Peter McBride, Chair of the Journey Towards Healing Committee and Niamh Group Chief Executive explains, "When the Journey Towards Healing Committee first came up with the concept for this conference over two years ago, we knew it would be challenging but we also knew that this dialogue needed to take place and we felt the time was now right to make it happen."
"The health perspective and the faith perspective on dealing with trauma do not have much chance for contact and thus one of the aims of the conference was to create dialogue, debate and discussion. I was encouraged and inspired by the conversations and discussions that took place during the conference - speakers and delegates alike openly shared their experiences of individual, community and societal trauma and trauma recovery."
Colleen Brown, Journey Towards Healing Programme Coordinator reported, "In addition to hosting 7 speakers, the conference included 37 parallel sessions where 55 presenters brought a wide range of views and experiences to the conference, helping us explore the many different kinds of trauma and integrated approaches to healing. Many delegates shared that, listening to the range of presenters and speakers, they truly felt part of a global community of people in this work."
For many, two of the many highlights of the conference, were the addresses by the keynote speakers, Fr. Michael Lapsley and Dr. Kaethe Weingarten:
Fr. Michael Lapsley, an Anglican priest who lost both hands and the sight in one eye after receiving a letter bomb during South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, travelled from South Africa to make an address at the conference. Fr. Lapsley leads trauma recovery workshops throughout South Africa and many countries around the world affected by conflict. His moving speech talked about how his faith helped him deal with his own personal trauma and how he was able to move 'from victim, to survivor, to victor'- the path towards flourishing health and wellbeing, despite the scars that remain.
Dr. Kaethe Weingarten, professor of Clinical Psychology at Harvard Medical School also spoke at the conference about the effects of witnessing chronic community violence. Kaethe's work focuses on the idea of 'witnessing' violence, rather than only looking at it from the perspective of victim or perpetrator. Kaethe has worked with groups in South Africa and Kosovo on witnessing community violence and during her address spoke about the importance of 'hope' in trauma recovery. Kaethe distinguishes between what she calls 'reasonable' hope and 'unreasonable' hope or 'rainbow hope'. She defines unreasonable hope as 'an impossible dream that pain and trauma can be completely erased'. Kaethe advocates a more moderate and reasonable approach where communities who have experienced chronic community violence can take small steps to begin the process of healing.
The Trauma & Spirituality conference began with a welcome reception at Stormont, cosponsored by the Junior Ministers and Dr. Stephen Farry MLA, where priest of the New England Jesuit Province, Ray Helmick SJ, spoke about his experiences in conflict zones across the globe. This was a welcome back for Ray, who spent most of the 1970s and early 80s working in Northern Ireland. Ray is Professor of Conflict Resolution in the Department of Theology, Boston College, and his address on conflict and the traumatic aftermath of conflict in areas including Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, countries of Former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Turkey, East Timor, and Southern Africa brought an international perspective to the conference from the outset.
The closing sessions on Thursday and Friday of the conference at the Europa were delivered by Professor Michael King and Professor John Brewer. On Thursday afternoon, psychiatrist Michael King presented on his work researching the mental health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people, particularly looking at the traumatic impact that negative perceptions of and behaviour toward LGB people have on their mental health and wellbeing. Sociologist John Brewer delivered the final closing session on the Friday, presenting his research on the role of the churches in the public domain in Northern Ireland, exploring what church leadership did and did not do to provide prophetic and practical leadership during the Troubles.
The closing dinner of the conference on the Friday night at the Harbour Commissioner's Office included presentations by Commissioner Bertha McDougall (CVSNI), and Lord John Alderdice. Commissioner McDougall and Lord Alderdice both spoke about their respective experiences within Northern Ireland to improve services to victims and survivors of the Troubles, through their work across all sectors of Northern Irish society. The next day, delegates had the opportunity to explore different sectors at work within Belfast, as 12 different trauma centres, faith communities and other community-based organisations opened their doors to delegates to host a Northern Ireland Open House.
Exploring all kinds of trauma, Trauma & Spirituality was set against the backdrop of the trauma experienced in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, with footage from the BBC Chronicles exhibition illustrating the devastation and how it has, and still affects, people in communities across Northern Ireland. BBC Archive created an 8 minute clip for the conference, showing the impact of Troubles trauma on people, and the health professionals and faith leaders who supported people in the aftermath of trauma. BBC Radio Ulster also supported the conference through the work of William Crawley, facilitating a panel interview during the conference, and hosting speakers in dialogue on Sunday Sequence, produced by Martin O'Brien. Bert Tosh supported the production of the BBC Morning Service on the final day of the conference, 13 March, via a closing event entitled 'Journey Towards Healing: A Reflection', which was broadcast from the top floor of the Europa Hotel and co-led by long time friends, Very Rev. Dr. John Dunlop and Ray Helmick SJ, joined by conference delegates.
One of many questions for reflection during the Morning Service was: "If we fully understood the impact of trauma on the human person, on our relationships, community and society - would we do all that we could to prevent it?"
Bringing the conference to a close, Peter McBride said, "I would like to thank everyone who made this conference possible. The speakers were of outstanding calibre and added unique and often challenging perspectives to the discussion and dialogue on trauma and spirituality. We heard uplifting stories of hope and recovery from trauma and were challenged to look at the failings of the past and consider better ways for faith and health to deal with individual, community and societal trauma in the future."
"This conference brought together two very different perspectives on trauma and through the discussions that took place, we were able to find common ground and learn from each other's experiences to gain a wider understanding of trauma recovery. The enduring message from the conference is hope. Hope that we can continue this journey towards healing and hope that structures and networks can be put in place to support a more holistic approach to responding to - and preventing - trauma in the future."
Co-sponsored by Junior Minister Robin Newton, Junior Minister Gerry Kelly & Dr. Stephen Farry MLA
Speaker: Ray Helmick SJ, Boston, Mass, USA
Presentation title: Readiness to Hear One Another [PDF]
Peter McBride, Chair of Journey Towards Healing and Niamh Group Chief Executive
Including introductory film clip about the trauma of The Troubles, created by BBC Archive.
Dr. Kaethe Weingarten, Cambridge, Mass. USA
Keynote title: Compassionate Witnessing: Creating Moments of Healing for Ourselves and Others [PDF]
To watch Kaethe's keynote address, please click here.
| Time | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details |
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| 11.30 - 12.30 |
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| 12.30 - 13.00 |
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| 14.15 - 15.15 |
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| 15.15 - 15.45 |
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Speaker: Professor Michael King, London, England
Presentation title: Religion and Homosexuality: A Toxic Mix? [PDF]
Peter McBride, Chair of Journey Towards Healing and Niamh Group Chief Executive
Fr. Michael Lapsley, Cape Town, South Africa
Presentation title: From Cape to Cairo: The Search for Meaning on the Journey of Healing [PDF]
To watch Michael's keynote address, please click here.
| Time | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details |
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| 11.30 - 12.30 |
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| 12.30 - 13.00 |
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| 14.00 - 15.00 |
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| 15.00 - 15.30 |
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Speaker: Professor John Brewer, Aberdeen, Scotland and Belfast Northern Ireland
Presentation title: Spiritual Capital & the Role of the Churches in the Public Domain [PDF]
Followed by closing interview facilitated by William Crawley, BBC Sunday Sequence,
with Dr Kaethe Weingarten, Fr Michael Lapsley Professor John Brewer and Peter McBride.
Belfast Harbour Commissioner's Office
Speakers: Bertha McDougall, Northern Ireland and Lord John Alderdice, Northern Ireland
Click on links below to find out more.
> To watch Kaethe's keynote address, please click here.
Kaethe Weingarten, Ph.D., founded and directs the Witnessing Project. She is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, where she has been on the faculty since 1981. She founded and directs the Program in Family, Trauma and Resilience: Integrating Biology, Psychology, Family, and Community Perspectives. She co-developed and taught in the Program in Narrative Therapies at the Family Institute of Cambridge and has supervised at the Victims of Violence Program, based at Cambridge Health Alliance. She is a member of the Kosovar Family Professional Education Collaborative and Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the American Family Therapy Academy.
Her professional activities include teaching nationally and in Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe and New Zealand; service on the editorial boards of five journals; and writing (six authored or edited books; over 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals; and many book chapters.)
She is a Fellow of the Divisions of Family Psychology and the Psychology of Women of the American Psychological Association, from whom she received the 1994 award for Psychotherapy with Women. In 2002 she was awarded the highest honour of the American Family Therapy Academy, the award for Distinguished Contribution to Family Theory and Practice.
Dr. Weingarten's current work focuses on the development and dissemination of a witnessing model to ameliorate the effects of violence following domestic, inter-ethnic, racial, political and other forms of conflict. She has taught this model to hundreds of professionals and used the model in consultation with individuals, couples, families and organisations, as well as with traumatised populations in Kosovo and South Africa.
> To watch Michael's keynote address, please click here.
Originally from New Zealand, Fr. Michael Lapsley trained as an Anglican priest in Australia before moving to South Africa in 1973. He began work as an Anglican chaplain to university students from diverse racial backgrounds. Appalled by what he saw in racially-divided South Africa, Fr. Michael joined the anti-apartheid struggle and became a member of Nelson Mandela's African National Congress.
In 1990, just months after the release of Mandela, Fr. Michael was sent a parcel bomb while in exile in Zimbabwe because of his support for the anti-apartheid cause. In the explosion he lost both hands and an eye. In his personal search for healing after the attack, and his role as chaplain to victims of torture and violence, Fr. Michael grappled with the question of how to deal with memories.
In 1994, following a long campaign of internal resistance and external opposition - the political system of apartheid ended and a new era of democratic governance began. In a bid to understand and overcome the social and psychological legacy of apartheid, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up in South Africa. It soon became clear however that that only a minority of South Africans would have the opportunity to tell their story before the Commission. It was argued that other opportunities were needed for South Africans to tell their stories and be heard. This need led Fr Michael to establish Healing of Memories workshops with the aim of healing psychological wounds, facilitating reconciliation between racial groups, and opening paths to reconstruction in South Africa.
Since 1998, as Director of the Institute for the Healing of Memories in Cape Town, Fr. Michael has led trauma recovery workshops throughout South Africa and many countries around the world affected by conflict.
Priest of the New England Jesuit Province, Raymond Helmick has worked with conflict and the aftermath of conflict in Northern Ireland, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, countries of Former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Turkey, East Timor, and Southern Africa since 1972. He has served as Associate Director, 1973-81, of the Centre for Human Rights and Responsibilities in London; co-founder of the Centre of Concern for Human Dignity (a joint project of the English and Irish Jesuit Provinces), 1979-81; co-founder and Senior Associate in the Conflict Analysis Center, Washington, D.C., from 1983; and Professor of Conflict Resolution in the Department of Theology, Boston College, since 1984. Ray was educated at Weston College (Jesuit Province of New England), Hochschule St. Georgen (Frankfurt/M.) and Union Theological Seminary (New York). He is author of many books, including Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Religion, Public Policy and Conflict Transformation (Templeton Foundation Press, 1999; co-edited with Rodney Petersen), and A Social Option: A Social Planning Approach to the Conflict in Northern Ireland (London, 1975; co-authored with Richard Hauser).
Michael King completed his medical studies in New Zealand before coming to the United Kingdom to undertake a vocational training in general practice at the Hammersmith Hospital. He subsequently trained in psychiatry and psychiatric research at the Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry and is now Head of the Research Department of Mental Health Sciences at UCL Medical School. He has been interested in the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people for over 20 years and has conducted research into AIDS and HIV; the mental health of LGB people; the history of 'treatments' of homosexuality and the role of psychotherapists with LGB people. He established the Royal College of Psychiatrist's Special Interest Group in Gay and Lesbian Mental Health in 2001 and was the Chair from 2001-2005 and is again the current Chair. Over a similar period he has undertaken research into the role of religious and spiritual beliefs in mental and physical wellbeing. He has pursued this research in clinical and epidemiological cohorts as well as developing and standardising two rating scales for measurement of religious and spiritual beliefs.
John D. Brewer is Sixth-Century Professor of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen and President of the British Sociological Association. He is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (2004), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2008), an Academician in the Academy of Social Sciences (2003) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (1998). He has held visiting appointments at Yale, St John's College Oxford, Corpus Christi College Cambridge and the Australia National University. He is the author or co-author of twelve books and editor or co-editor of a further three. His latest book is Peace Processes: A Sociological Approach (Polity, 2010) and he is currently writing up an ESRC-funded project on the role of the churches in Northern Ireland's peace process. He is Principal Investigator on a £1.26 millions cross-national, five-year project on compromise amongst victims of conflict, funded by The Leverhulme Trust.
Bertha McDougall is widowed with three grown-up children. Her husband Lindsay, a Civil Servant and part time RUC reservist was shot dead in January 1981 while on duty in Belfast. Bertha was appointed in October 2005 as the Interim Commissioner for Victims and Survivors for a period of one year. She now serves as one of three Commissioners for Victims and Survivors in Northern Ireland (CVSNI). Bertha is a Trustee of the RUC George Cross Foundation and is Chairman of the victims' group, Forgotten Families, which was set up to lobby on behalf of pre-1982 RUC widows. Bertha was a primary school teacher for eleven years before being seconded to the Northern Ireland Council for Educational Development where she was a co-ordinator for Education for Mutual Understanding working with schools in cross community projects. She subsequently worked for the Schools Examinations Council. Her last position in education was with the Council for Curriculum Examinations and Assessment.
Born in Northern Ireland in 1955, graduated in Medicine at The Queen's University of Belfast in 1978, and appointed Ireland's first Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy in 1988, John Alderdice is a Fellow and Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, an Honorary Professor in the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, a Visiting Professor at the University of Virginia and an Honorary Affiliate of the British Psychoanalytical Society. To apply his psychological ideas to political conflict, John entered politics. In 1987 elected Leader of the Alliance Party and involved in all the Talks which led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, John was appointed Speaker of the new Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 until 2004 and then a member of the International Monitoring Commission set up by the British, Irish and American governments to monitor security normalisation in Northern Ireland. Appointed one of the youngest ever life members of the House of Lords in 1996, John is, since the formation of the new UK Coalition Government, the Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the Lords. He was from 2005 to 2009 the President of Liberal International, the world-wide federation of liberal political parties and has been the recipient of many honorary degrees and awards for his professional and political achievements.
