International Conference
To provide a local and international context for constructive dialogue and creative thinking about realities connected to 'trauma and spirituality', including the relationships between spirituality, religion, faith, conflict, violence, trauma and healing.
To strengthen relationships, networks and infrastructure between the 'trauma' world and the 'faith' world, in Northern Ireland, and internationally - towards a more integrated approach to trauma recovery and wellbeing.
We are grateful to Kaethe Weingarten and Michael Lapsley - our keynote speakers working internationally in the areas of trauma and spirituality - for the insights they will share with us all. And we are grateful to 50 innovative presenters from all four corners of the world - UK, Ireland, various parts of Europe and the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia - who will offer parallel sessions to challenge and inspire the many different ways to be a part of the journey towards healing, together.
All are most welcome to be a part of the conversation next March! It can only be as rich as the diversity of people, encounters, experiences, questions, connections and ideas present.
With thanks and hope we look forward to seeing you in Belfast...
We encourage delegates to attend the full conference programme, however there are options to attend one day of the conference. Full details of rates are available on the registration page.
| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 16.00 |
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| 19.00 |
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| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 09.30 |
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| 10.00 |
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| 10.15 |
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| 11.15 |
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| 11.30 - 13.00 |
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Please note, as the sessions are running concurrently, it will not be possible to attend every session. Please consider the timings of each session prior to making your selection. For further details on the speaker and an abstract on their presentation, please click the links to expand.
| Time | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.30 - 12.30 |
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| 12.30 - 13.00 |
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| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 13.00 |
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| 14.15 - 15.45 |
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Please note, as the sessions are running concurrently, it will not be possible to attend every session. Please consider the timings of each session prior to making your selection. For further details on the speaker and an abstract on their presentation, please click the links to expand.
| Time | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.15 - 15.15 |
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| 15.15 - 15.45 |
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| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 16.00 |
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| 17.00 |
|
Free time to enjoy an evening in Belfast. Your welcome pack will contain recommendations on various activities that will ensure an enjoyable evening in Belfast. Please go to registration / information desk if you require any inspiration or assistance in planning your evening.
| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 09.30 |
|
| 10.00 |
|
| 10.15 |
|
| 11.15 |
|
| 11.30 - 13.00 |
|
Please note, as the sessions are running concurrently, it will not be possible to attend every session. Please consider the timings of each session prior to making your selection. For further details on the speaker and an abstract on their presentation, please click the links to expand.
| Time | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.30 - 12.30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 12.30 - 13.00 |
|
|
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| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 13.00 |
|
| 14.00 - 15.30 |
|
Please note, as the sessions are running concurrently, it will not be possible to attend every session. Please consider the timings of each session prior to making your selection. For further details on the speaker and an abstract on their presentation, please click the links to expand.
| Time | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details | Event Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.00 - 15.00 |
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| 15.00 - 15.30 |
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| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 15.45 |
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| 17.00 |
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| 19.00 - 23.00 |
|
Further details of all recommended and organised activities available on Saturday 12th March
and Sunday 13th March will be available in October 2010. These will include:
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.
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.
Conference rate includes:
| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 9th March | Welcome Reception |
| 10th March | Full conference programme including refreshments and lunch |
| 11th March | Full conference programme including refreshments and lunch |
| 11th March | Gala Dinner |
| 12th March | Open House visits to Centres throughout Belfast |
| 13th March | Open House visits to Centres throughout Belfast |
Conference rate includes:
| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 9th March | Attendance at Welcome Reception |
| 10th March | Full conference programme including refreshments and lunch |
Conference rate includes:
| Time | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 11th March | Full conference programme including refreshments and lunch |
| 11th March | Attendance at Gala Dinner |
For information on Value Added Tax (VAT) please click to register and download the terms and conditions document from the registration page. Full details for events and activities taking place on 12th & 13th March will be available in October. Registration for organised events on these dates will also open in October.
If you have any queries regarding the registration process or delegate fees, please contact Anne Jamison.
For decades Belfast has been in international news due to political violence known as The Troubles. This violence is known as 'sectarian' as it has been primarily between two different sects of society which have traditionally identified with two different sects of Christianity - Protestant and Catholic. Despite the shorthand of religious language, these identities symbolise much more complex ethnic identities, inclusive of political, religious and cultural dimensions. Today, Belfast is emerging as a beacon of hope for possibilities of a flourishing post-conflict society with a shared future for all citizens. Set against this historical backdrop of community conflict, Belfast's wide range of experience related to 'trauma and spirituality' makes it a fitting setting for the Journey Towards Healing Conference.
For information on getting to Belfast, eating out, activities and nightlife, visit www.gotobelfast.com, the official information website for visitors to Belfast. The Belfast Welcome Centre is located at:
47 Donegall Place, Belfast BT1 5AD (Open Monday - Saturday 9am-5.30pm and Sunday 11am-4pm).
The centre offers visitor information, a bureau de change, gift store, left luggage, internet access and mobile phone fast charging.
For visitor information on Northern Ireland visit www.discovernorthernireland.com
The City Airport is situated just three miles from Belfast city centre. The Airport Express 600 bus service runs from the Airport Terminal to Belfast city centre every 20 minutes (06.00 - 22.05) Monday to Friday. Please check the timetable for services on Saturdays and Sundays. For timetables and fares visit: www.translink.co.uk
A shuttle bus service operates between the Airport Terminal and the adjacent rail halt at Sydenham. A rail service operates every 30 minutes (06.00 - 23.00) Monday to Friday, to Central and Victoria Street Stations. Please check the timetable for services on Saturdays and Sundays. www.translink.co.uk
A taxi from George Best Belfast City Airport to Belfast City Centre will cost approx £6.
Belfast International Airport at Aldergrove is 30 minutes drive from Belfast via the M2 Motorway. The Airport Express 300 service now operates a 24 hour service between the Airport and Belfast city centre with buses departing every 15 minutes for the majority of the day on weekdays. Please check the timetable for services during off peak times and weekends. For timetables and fares visit: www.translink.co.uk
A taxi from Belfast International Airport to Belfast City Centre will cost approx. £25.
The conference sessions will take place at the Europa Hotel, Belfast. There are various accommodation options both at the Europa Hotel and in surrounding hotels.
A number of reduced rate hotel rooms have been reserved for delegates attending the Journey Towards Healing Conference. To view rates and make a reservation please click here.
Other accommodation options such as Bed & Breakfast, Guest House and Hostel establishments are also available in Belfast and can be viewed here.
To enquire or make a reservation for any establishment please contact our dedicated accommodation advisor Sarah Gribben at Belfast Welcome Centre or
telephone +44 (0)28 9023 9026. For all enquiries please quote reference: BLFHEALING2011.
| Company | Website | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
Bus and Train |
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| Translink | www.translink.co.uk | T: +44 (0)28 9066 6630 |
Taxis |
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| Value Cabs | www.valuecabs.co.uk | T: +44 (0)28 9080 9080 |
| Fon A Cab | www.fonacab.com | T: +44 (0)28 9033 3333 |
Car Hire |
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| Argus Car Hire | www.arguscarhire.com | T: 0870 625 1234 |
| Avis Rent A Car | www.avis.co.uk | T: 0844 544 6012 |
| Enterprise Rent A Car | www.enterprise.com | T: +44 (0)28 9066 6767 |