Development Studies

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/10564

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    Healing from the horror of war : a study of a post-conflict psychosocial program for refugees in Uganda : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Manson, Tim
    Uganda, a landlocked African nation of 41 million people, currently hosts 1.1 million refugees from surrounding nations including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. Many of these refugees have suffered significant psychological trauma as a result of their conflict experiences and through the process of fleeing from their homes and communities. Tutapona is a non-profit organisation that provides group based psychosocial trauma rehabilitation support among war affected populations. This research report examines the effectiveness of the ‘Grow’ program at empowering refugees. The study was carried out in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda, which is home to 64,000 people from the DRC. Four refugees who had attended Tutapona’s Grow program were interviewed in depth about their experience and subsequent decisions to ascertain the extent to which empowerment had taken place. The research report concludes that Tutapona’s Grow program has achieved a high degree of success at empowering refugees, especially on the individual and relational levels. More broadly, it suggests that psychosocial interventions in post- conflict settings should be more highly prioritized by humanitarian and development actors.
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    A study of the incidence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among emergency relief workers in selected international organizations : prevailing conditions, policies and attitudes to stress-related illnesses in relief organizations : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Small, Alison Mary
    The staff of United Nations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are frequently at the forefront of emergency relief efforts. Such staff, including consultants, often work long hours, are sent at short notice to assignments in the field and often constitute the frontline of assistance in relief work. In the process of providing help to the victims of emergencies, relief workers may themselves be affected by the stress resulting from working in highly emotionally and physically charged situations. Since 1980, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder was officially recognised as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association which may affect those who have been exposed and or experienced repeated exposure to large-scale disasters and emergencies, in particular. Given the multiple stresses involved in providing emergency relief, it is possible that relief workers may be vulnerable to developing PTSD and or other severe stress-related conditions. This study seeks to determine, from among the staff of several UN agencies and NGOs active in this area, the incidence of PTSD. The study also considers how the attitudes, policies and conditions extant in these organisations may exacerbate or alleviate the development of PTSD and provides suggestions, through a review of literature on the subject, on measures which can be taken by these organisations to prevent, minimize or at the very least address the problem.