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| UKPALMHN Solidarity Space Next meeting: Monday 10 February at 1pm (UK time) This is an open space where people exchange their emotional responses with a view to remaining resilient amidst a constant stream of distressing news. New Zoom link: Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to this meeting. You may want to look at this short video before the meeting #SickFromGenocide https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEgQGsBM304/?igsh=YWI2NHN6cWR4MDFm National March for Palestine Saturday 15 February at 12 noon Assemble in Whitehall, marching on the US Embassy. No to Ethnic Cleansing / Stop Arming Israel https://x.com/PSCupdates/status/1885267092997382461 Update from Child Psychotherapists for Palestine The aims of the group are set out on the website. We actively support the No Child A Target campaign. https://www.instagram.com/no_child_a_target/ We are a diverse group which includes Palestinian and Lebanese child psychotherapists. Recently, we had an announcement placed in the ACP newsletter, inviting more child psychotherapists to join us. Let’s say there hasn’t been a stampede. We have written to the ACP about its declining to comment on the killing of so many thousands of Palestinian children. We have an Instagram account, set up by one of our group. https://www.instagram.com/palestineukchildpsychotherapy We have participated in a podcast and a French radio broadcast about Israel’s Systematic breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The group meets online once a month as the members come from all over the UK and two from the US. We will be contributing to the UKPMHN podcast and already have a contribution ready. One of the members writes poetry and some of their work is on the Child Psychotherapists section of the website. We are planning to mark Palestinian Children’s Day on April 5th with a small launch event in London. We are currently planning this and will be inviting Palestinian colleagues to be our keynote speakers. Teresa Bailey February 2025 Please write to ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like to be put in touch with Teresa.  “Traumatized Generation – One million Gaza children require mental health support An entire generation has been traumatized in Gaza, with one million children requiring mental health and psychosocial support, according to the UN relief chief Tom Fletcher. “The ceasefire has provided a vital reprieve from relentless hostilities for Palestinians,” Fletcher told the UN Security Council on Thursday during a session on the plights of children in Gaza. https://www.palestinechronicle.com/traumatized-generation-onemillion-gaza-children-require-mental-health-support/ UN Press Release about the session: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/a-generation-has-been-traumatized-says-humanitarian-affairs-chief-briefing-security-council-on-plight-of-children-in-gaza-press-release/ UNRWA Situation Report #157 on the Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem The UNRWA report provides detailed information about the provision of psychosocial support. [Search “psychosocial” in the document to find the relevant sections.] UNRWA’s “Back to Learning” programme so far. Between 20 and 26 January 2025, 5,578 children (3,362 boys, 2,216 girls, including 208 children with disabilities) participated in basic literacy and numeracy activities, PSS sessions and recreational activities including arts, music and sports. https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-157-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-jerusalem Over 180 Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons, many show signs of “torture, starvation” Palestinian civil society groups and the Red Cross condemned the “horrific” conditions of the prisoners and urged the international community to hold accountable those responsible. https://thecradle.co/articles/over-180-palestinians-freed-from-israeli-prisons-many-show-signs-of-torture-starvation “A constant state of panic”: how war in Gaza triggered new wave of depression and insomnia among Palestinian refugees from 1967 war The stress of seeing the destruction of their homeland sent rates of mental illness soaring in Jordan’s Jerash camp – and the ceasefire has brought scant relief. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jan/24/palestinian-refugees-jordan-jerash-camp-gaza-grief-depression-mental-illness Scholarships for Palestine (2025) As a University of Sanctuary, Sussex provides an inclusive and welcoming community for displaced people. This includes financial support through a number of scholarships. The Scholarships for Palestine are designed to provide sanctuary through the provision of fully funded Masters scholarships for Palestinian students, particularly those displaced by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/masters-scholarships/view/1801-Scholarships-for-Palestine Hard to Swallow Written by Adam Goren A thought provoking opinion piece on silencing and the complexities involved in the power dynamics within clinical supervision when the supervisor’s lived and clinical experience are of coloniser and the supervisee’s and their patient’s are those of colonised. https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/hard-to-swallow/ This Is Gaza A Channel 4 programme As the Israel-Hamas War destroyed his home and endangered his family, Emmy-winning Palestinian filmmaker Yousef Hammash reached for his only hope: a video camera. This is his powerful story. https://www.channel4.com/programmes/this-is-gaza No Other Land – available on Amazon Prime in the UK Last week we carried an item about the film called No Other Land that has an Oscar nomination for best documentary. The item said that the film does not have any distribution deal in the US. A reader has contacted us through ukpalmhn@gmail.com to let us know that the film is available to rent on Amazon Prime in the UK for £5. She said “I was very pleased because young people I know who are not active watched it and were enraged”. [Note: Amazon is a “pressure” target for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement but it is not a “priority” target. Nonetheless, a “pressure” target does “include boycotts when reasonable alternatives exist”. We will leave you to decide …] About the film: https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/no-other-land-documentary-about-israeli-expulsion-palestinians-gets-oscar-nomination BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS (BDS)A founding aim of the UK-Palestine Mental Health Network is to “encourage our colleagues individually and collectively to consider their response to the Palestinian call for boycott, sanctions and divestment (BDS).” Tower Hamlets council has passed a motion committing to Divest its Local Government Pension Scheme from arms companies producing weapons used in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians https://x.com/PSCupdates/status/1882174170827792747 A 2-minute video about the Tower Hamlets Divestment campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cNqJZ4IiJk  From the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott EVENTS The events listing has been moved to its own page on our website. https://ukpalmhn.com/events/ The comments section of this page is open. If you are organising a relevant event that you would like to be listed on the Events page then please leave the details in a comment: Title, Date, Time (UK or other), Location (online, in-person or both), Brief Description, Link to register. Comments are moderated in accordance with our Content Moderation Policy before posting so your comment will not be immediately visible. We particularly welcome news about events taking place outside of London. ACTIONS You can find an up to date list of actions including petitions, letter writing and social media campaigns on the dedicated Actions page on our website: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ FEATURED ACTION: SICK FROM GENOCIDE The International Consortium of the Palestine Mental Health Networks and Doctors Against Genocide (https://doctorsagainstgenocide.org/) have united in support of the Sick from Genocide campaign. The Emotional Toll of Witnessing Genocide and the Power of Unity is a powerful statement about the background to this campaign. https://www.pgmhn.org/statements/the-emotional-toll-of-witnessing-genocide-and-the-power-of-unity 1. Global social media campaign Monday 17 February to Friday 21 February Throughout the week, we will share powerful content developed by Doctors Against Genocide. We invite you to show solidarity by updating your Instagram logos, sharing campaign materials, and displaying a visual statement of support. (More details to follow). 2. Global “Sick from Genocide” Day Wednesday 19 February DAG and the Palestine Mental Health Networks declare a global day of action. We encourage individuals and organizations to participate in ways that align with their advocacy efforts. Sick Day Protest: Take a sick day—we are sick from genocide. 3. Symposium Friday 21 February a 2pm (UK time) A symposium featuring expert panellists discussing the impact of genocide on mental health. This will be an opportunity to share experiences, build resilience, and learn practical skills for coping. If you are interested in joining, please complete this form and we will send you additional information. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAjfXPK_NaUK5fBlqBgZXkFhOA9kEnfbkENrOysD3fiP888w/viewform 4. Surveys The Chile-Palestine, Palestine-Global, and South Africa-Palestine Mental Health Networks have created two surveys to understand how the genocide in Palestine is affecting the health and well-being of those witnessing it. These surveys are based on symptoms commonly linked to vicarious trauma and those identified in Sick from Genocide, a campaign by Doctors Against Genocide. Impact of the Genocide in Palestine on Health and Well-being (Based on Sick from Genocide) https://forms.gle/ZHYHJdpVNEW3PCmu5 Impact of the Genocide in Palestine on Mental Health Professionals https://forms.gle/AqFYHv8tF5hAqBHbA Your participation helps: Show how deeply the crisis impacts people worldwide. Bring awareness to the urgent mental health implications. Inform advocacy and support efforts. 5. Need support? 5a) Mental health professionals worldwide are offering one free consultation session. To access this service, email info@pgmhn.org with the subject line “Sick from Genocide.” 5b) UKPALMHN Solidarity Space Monday 10 February at 1pm (UK time) (and every Monday at this time) This is an open space where people exchange their emotional responses with a view to remaining resilient amidst a constant stream of distressing news. Zoom link: Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to this meeting. You may want to look at this short video before the meeting #SickFromGenocide https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEgQGsBM304/?igsh=YWI2NHN6cWR4MDFm The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network is one of 24 national mental health networks working under the umbrella of the Palestinian-led Palestine-Global Mental Health Network.The Global-Mental Health Network has recntly grown from 19 to 24 member countries and here is the new mega-logo!  Palestine, Algeria, Australia, Canada Chile Belgium, Brasil Egypt France Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States |
الشبكة البريطانية الفلسطينية للصحة النفسية 