The -sponsored workshops in July and August introduced the approaches used by 91短视频鈥檚 for addressing trauma, breaking cycles of violence, and building individual and collective resilience, said STAR lead trainer .

Though the content was condensed and delivered in two- or three-day sessions, the workshops 鈥渁ffirm the power of the integrated STAR curriculum,鈥� Barge said. 鈥淲hen you look at conflict and violence through a trauma lens, it gives people on the ground new perspective and new possibilities.鈥�

Barge facilitated the August training in South Sudan鈥檚 capital city, Juba. She was joined by faculty member and two alumni of , (MA 鈥�06) and (MA 鈥�98), both from Kenya. Shiphrah Mutungi, a Ugandan alumnus of 91短视频鈥檚 , also facilitated.

The introductory workshops, held in Nairobi in July, were led by Ruto and a 2005 CJP grad, of , with input from CJP administrator .

Having experienced violence . . .

Many of the participants had recently returned to South Sudan, after having fled with their families during a December 2013 attempted military coup and related ethnic violence. This upheaval displaced more than 1 million people. The men in the workshop 鈥� almost all were male Foreign Service Nationals 鈥� were from a range of professions, including drivers, guards, program managers, office staff, doctors and lawyers.

In the six months when they were displaced, many had similar experiences of 鈥渞unning, refugee camps, and deaths in the family,鈥� one participant explained.

Many also came to the trainings preoccupied by strong feelings of anger and abandonment towards 鈥渙thers they felt had wronged them, such as the political system, the government and their employer,鈥� said Ruto. 鈥淢ost of them felt that the training would not be sufficient to resolve some of the unmet needs and grievances that had not yet been expressed.鈥�

But after activities and small-group discussions that focused on the impacts of the conflict in their personal and professional lives, workshop participants began to see these events with a new perspective.

Seeing with a new perspective

鈥淭hey realized that traumatic events are caused by multiple events, especially in a situation of war, and that the evacuation they were focused on might not have been the only traumatic event they were experiencing at the moment,鈥� Ruto said.

One participant noted that learning about the cycles of violence 鈥渉elps us understand how we keep hurting each other and why the violence/conflict hasn鈥檛 ended.鈥�

鈥淎s participants learned about more tools and developed more of an understanding of the STAR principles, they became more hopeful about how they could use this training for themselves and their families,鈥� Barge said.

Participants advocated for further exposure of trauma-resilience training beyond the 鈥渇oreign service national鈥� community served by the USAID-sponsored workshops.

More trainings wished for

鈥淭hey do not want their children to experience 21-plus years of conflict and violence, and they see that this training could play a real peacebuilding role in the region,鈥� Barge said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that USAID supports the development of trauma-informed staff, but the positive reaction of the participants and their recommendations to get this training to more people in South Sudan challenges USAID and CJP to do more.鈥�

Generations of South Sudanese have been affected by two civil wars lasting a total of nearly 40 years, encompassing 1955-1972 and 1983-2005. In 2005, a comprehensive peace agreement was signed. South Sudan voted for independence in January 2011 and was declared a sovereign nation six months later. Inter-ethnic warfare, a large refugee population, and internal unrest are among the young nation鈥檚 challenges.

In de-briefing sessions after the workshops, Barge said that (who recently left that role, but stays engaged with South Sudan issues) and other officials expressed optimism about the training. Discussion touched on the potential for longer and more extensive workshops for local and expatriate staffers, as well as STAR trainings for a trauma resource team and USAID employees.

Both Barge and Ruto return to South Sudan in October 2014 to lead follow-up workshops.

It was the first in a new series of practitioner-focused consultations and conferences that will be held each year during the Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI).

鈥淲e wanted to gather the folks who have been using STAR around the world to get their feedback on who鈥檚 using it, what鈥檚 working, and why, and make adjustments as needed,鈥� said
J. Daryl Byler, executive director of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP). 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to set up a process of learning from our alumni and to update our curriculum based on what they鈥檙e learning as they put these things into practice.鈥�

The event also helped to strengthen the network of alumni from around the world who have been trained in STAR since it was first offered in 2001.

Doing so will benefit both the university and STAR practitioners, as CJP plans to use this alumni network to implement upcoming contract work, Byler said.

One example is a USAID contract with CJP to provide STAR training to 150 staff in Juba, South Sudan. Five STAR alumni will carry out that training, along with two 91短视频 professors.

Byler said CJP plans to begin three-year cycles of on-campus events around several practice areas, beginning with a consultation and followed by a practitioner conference and a writing and research conference in subsequent years.

In 2015, CJP will host a STAR conference as well as restorative justice consultation, beginning a similar three-year cycle for that field. Discussions are ongoing about other potential focus areas for these events in the future.

In addition to helping CJP to improve its academic curriculum and bolster alumni networks, Byler said the conferences and consultations will encourage more writing and research in these areas where CJP has special expertise.

Holding these new events in conjunction with SPI also will add to the learning environment there, as many participants in the consultations and conferences are expected to also enroll in SPI classes, Byler said. He credited CJP program director Jayne Docherty with the vision to launch the new series of events. 鈥� Andrew Jenner

In April, 2012, Doreen Ruto, MA 鈥�06, trained eight Somali 鈥渕aster trainers鈥� in STAR principles, using curriculum purchased by USAID and adapted for Somali audiences. Since then, Ruto has served as a mentor for this core group of trainers, checking in with each regularly for updates and debriefing them from her home in Nairobi, Kenya.

After that session, those trained by Ruto led a round of STAR trainings in Mogadishu, Somalia, for 32 people from each of the country鈥檚 districts. These people have since begun using the STAR curriculum to teach trauma awareness and healing principles to hundreds more volunteers tasked with leading yet another round of training sessions throughout Somalia.

According to a USAID news release, project leaders estimate they鈥檒l eventually introduce 115,000 Somalis to the STAR curriculum. The project is supported by .

Ruto, who took her first STAR training at 91短视频 in 2001 and has since led numerous trainings elsewhere in Africa, including Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Kenya, said the program鈥檚 principles have been met with great enthusiasm in Somalia and elsewhere.

鈥淚t talks about the reality of what everyone goes through. That鈥檚 the thing I really like about STAR,鈥� Ruto said. 鈥淚t combines a broad spectrum of disciplines that resonates with everyone, from different cultures, different religions, and different academic backgrounds.鈥�

Ruto spends most of her time working in Nairobi, Kenya, with her non-profit organization, .

She added that the impact of the STAR trainings and curriculum spreads far beyond the scope of whatever project they鈥檙e associated with, because trauma resilience, , , , and other STAR principles have such wide relevance.

鈥淭hey are applicable in people鈥檚 personal lives, in their households,鈥� said Ruto.

A USAID news release quoted a participant in the ongoing STAR project in Somalia named Ahmed, who reconciled with his estranged brother after the training:

鈥淸Trauma] affects the mind, soul and the human brain 鈥� I think it is what kept us apart for the last three years,鈥� Ahmed said. 鈥淭his training is changing my life and has given me happiness. I am really grateful to be lucky enough to participate in this training.鈥�

For a related story, see 鈥�.”

Dr. Laura E. Powers, agriculture and food security advisor with the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Dr. Laura E. Powers, agriculture and food security advisor with the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will speak 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, in Suter Science Center room #104.

She will focus on the challenges related to preventing nutritional and economic crises before chronic food insecurity becomes acute in African settings, drawing from her experience with USAID.

Dr. Powers believes the primary challenge in the agricultural sector is "to provide emergency relief that can lead to sustainable improvements in productivity without heightening conflict or encouraging dependency on foreign aid."

The program is open to everyone free of charge. Refreshments will be served 15 minutes prior to the start of the program.

The seminars are made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter endowment in biology, named for the late Dr. Suter, professor emeritus of biology who taught at 91短视频 1948-1875 and was premedical advisor.

Learn more about 91短视频’s efforts on sustainability, creation care, and building green.

For more information on the science seminar, contact Dr. Roman J. Miller, at 540-432-4412.