Norwac - The Norwegian Aid Committee

Thursday 13^th of October 2011 staff, parents and board members in Maarouf Saad Foundation in Saida, gathered for strategic plan launch. An evaluation of the schools and health centres was performed in 2010, funded by NORWAC. The follow up of the evaluation report was workshops and interview with teachers, social workers, psychotherapist and parents. A baseline with recommendations was launched on Thursday. On the image: Staff, parents and invited guests outside Maarouf Saad Cultural Centre in Saida.

Friday 16^th of September 2011 hundreds of people demonstrated in the streets of Beirut to remember the 29th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Palestinian refugees by Israeli-Backed Phalangist Militias in the Sabra and Shatila Camps during the Lebanese Civil War in 1982.  The attacks on Sabra and Shatila are considered one of the most atrocious on innocent lives in modern history (www.adc.org)

Left image: When will justice and peace come to the families of the massacre victims and the Palestinian refugees?

Right image: Foreign activists by the grave yard in Shatila camp

It gives us great pleasure to announce the fifth Annual Conference of the National Institution of Social Care and Vocational Training - Beit Atfal Assumud  -  Family Guidance Centers. The Conference, is like the four previous Conferences , sponsored by NORWAC.
This year’s conference:  “Social Determinants of Palestinian Mental Health”, will be held on May 10 and 11, 2011, at Le Commodore Hotel, Hamra, Beirut.
The Conference will be addressing social factors as key elements of Palestinian Mental Health, highlighting social determinants such as poverty, gender, conflict, displacement, and war and their impact on the mental health of the individuals and the populations concerned.
This year FGC has chosen to shed light on the social determinants of the mental health of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon as their impact is becoming increasingly evident. FGC hopes that through this Conference the importance of social, economic, political, and environmental factors on the incidence and severity of mental health problems is highlighted. The Conference will also be an opportunity to share experiences and expertise with other professionals working in mental health programs in Palestine in an effort to learn and share knowledge about successful and effective interventions that have been used to address problems faced by children.
The detailed program of the conference is attached here. In the Program you will also find information about whom to contact if you wish to attend. The Conference is free of charge.