Bringing Peace Home Program

Transcription

1 Bringing Peace Home Program Introduction International students who travel to the United States of America (USA) for tertiary education face many acculturation and cultural navigation difficulties in common with other migrants (Chavajay & Skowronek, 2008). In 2008, there were more than 3.3 million tertiary international students worldwide, and more than half of these resided in the USA (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). Previous research has demonstrated that any international student is likely to encounter a range of stressful life changes as a result of being in a new culture, related to issues of language, educational system and expectations, socio-cultural stressors including alienation and loneliness, discrimination, and practical stressors such as financial needs (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). Within the Rotary Peace Fellow student population in North Carolina, there are additional concerns as Fellowship recipients not only navigate the usual migrant stressors, but many also continue to experience stresses associated with their conflict or post-conflict homeland. This may include physical violence, or threats thereof, that have been observed to have significant ongoing negative psychological consequences for migrants (Norris et al, 2011). These may also include issues of contested identities with others from their conflict in the USA, or in their home country, creating tension, lack of unity and identity crises (see Mobasher, 2006). Or they may involve conflict or perceived conflict with US society itself, especially those from countries or faiths considered enemies that may be more targeted or victimized by locals (see Mobasher, 2006). Some Peace Fellows are thus subject to many of the same stressors as asylum seekers and refugees in the USA. According to the Duke/UNC Rotary Peace Center, Rotary Peace Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities. (Rotary, 2012) Peace Fellows can be selected from any country and do not need to be personally impacted by violent conflict, however the Duke/UNC Rotary Peace Center has undertaken selection of Fellows from countries experiencing, or having experienced, conflict in an effort to build and empower local peace-building leadership. This has resulted in an increasing percentage of Fellows arriving in the Unites States for graduate study who have experienced significant conflict and trauma. These students are recognized as migrants by many definitions, despite varying visa statuses, due to their two year minimum stay in the United States, and in reality a high percentage elect to stay in the United States upon completion of their degree. 1

2 The incoming class of Peace Fellows for is expected to include individuals from the conflict contexts of Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Azerbaijan, South Korea and Iraq. The group displays immense diversity in the nature of conflicts potentially experienced, the timeframe and current stage of conflict, the levels of international acknowledgement, and thus the impact on Peace Fellows. These individuals thus have a need for highly individualized interventions in order to address their diverse needs in a culturally appropriate manner, in line with the findings of Fritz et al (2008) who demonstrated the inappropriateness of a homogenized approach to culturally and linguistically diverse international students in the USA (Fritz et al, 2008). A key way to address the needs of this group is through the Duke/UNC Rotary Peace Center itself, utilizing existing resources and connections. The Peace Center is itself ill equipped to provide professional psychological or medical care for Peace Fellows, yet the potential role of the Center and associated individuals in assisting these Peace Fellows is immense, as it is incorporated into the campus lives of both Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, positioned thus to both refer and connect Peace Fellows with services and initiatives associated with both universities and their entities. Beyond this, the Center has the capacity to provide a safe space for Peace Fellows; Can acknowledge trauma if not directly address it; Can provide recognition of the unique context and transnational lives of these individuals; May promote awareness of individuals personal narratives as well as the alternative narratives of others; Provides a context within which diverse, global examples of conflict and resolution are demonstrated; Can offer peer support; and, importantly, can arrange and provide suitable mentoring throughout the duration of the Peace Fellowship. Methodology Development of this program has been based on a triangulation of research methods. The first of these is personal observation, working closely with Peace Fellows both as a peer, and as a Teaching Assistant for the mandatory Conflict Management class. Secondly, it has involved archival research, learning from previous research into the needs of international students, migrants and refugees, as well as assessments of other programmatic responses. Thirdly, it involved interviews with Peace Fellows from conflict and post-conflict zones. A total of six interviews will have been conducted by the end of April Importantly, as I am graduating, I will not be physically here to undertake implementation of this program from August 2013, so am developing it to be as 2

3 self-sustaining as possible, utilizing existing resources, especially human resources, available to the Peace Center. Bringing Peace Home This intervention to assist Peace Fellows from conflict and post-conflict situations takes an asset-based approach to both the Peace Fellows themselves, and the Duke/UNC Rotary Peace Center, building on the strengths and capacities already existent in both. The model will be implemented from August 2013, with the incoming Class 12 of Peace Fellows, and will have three streams, operating concurrently throughout the two-year duration of the Peace Fellowship. The first pillar will begin prior to the Peace Fellow s arrival, in line with research by Ying (2005) that showed outreach for international students should occur immediately prior to, and during particularly the initial months after arrival in order to address the times of most significant need (Ying, 2005). Participation will be optional as Peace Fellows elect whether they feel they come from a conflict or post-conflict area, and whether they wish to participate in this intervention. As appropriate, Peace Fellows may be identified and specifically encouraged to participate should it be determined that they might be in particular need of such an intervention. The first concurrent pillar is to provide a safe space for Peace Fellows to ease their transition into US society, and assist their individual peace-building process. The process of transition often contributes to loneliness, alienation, mistrust, powerlessness, and depression, especially when there is distrust of host country culture or society (Chavajay & Skowronek, 2008), which is a natural assumption for some Peace Fellows given their cultural and historical relationships with the United States. Even where distrust is not a factor, the level of depression associated with social isolation amongst migrants is high (Kim et al, 2012), and the Peace Fellow s transition into their new context may be greatly aided through this ongoing interpersonal contact. The pillar will initially take the form of a buddy, assigned prior to arrival, and maintained throughout their first semester, building on the existing buddying system in place for Peace Fellows. Second year Peace Fellows will be able to elect to be become a more specialized and intensive buddy a Buddy Plus for individuals participating in this intervention. This would involve initial additional training in cultural awareness and orientation about relevant service provision, and be subject to approval by the Rotary Center coordinator. Promoting second year Peace Fellows in this role builds on evidence that those individuals best placed to undertake support or mentoring roles are those with shared experience, be it cultural, linguistic or gender (Warren-Sams, 2001). In this case, the shared 3

4 experience is that of the Peace Fellowship, and moving to the United States to undergo the same program, rather than shared experience of conflict or of a particular conflict. The Buddy Plus will be a point of contact for the incoming Peace Fellow, and help to identify and discuss their needs, helping connect the individual with appropriate services as necessary, be they academic, medical, lifestyle or psychological. The Buddy Plus will also provide one on one peer support, as they continue to undergo the same studies and attend Rotary events along with the incoming Peace Fellow during the first semester of the intervention. This is in line with research conducted by Westwood and Barker (1990), which found positive effects of international student peer-pairing programs in areas of academic achievement, lowering dropout rates and social adjustment (Sakurai et al, 2010). Upon conclusion of this semester, the Peace Fellow may elect to nominate one or two other individuals who can join the Peace Fellow and Buddy Plus in order to create a mentor group. This group will remain with the Peace Fellow for the remaining three semesters, providing a safe space for the potentially stretching or confronting peace-building process that makes up the second concurrent pillar. Fritz et al (2008) demonstrated that ongoing contact with a group such as this is an important way to measure, discuss, and address prejudicial attitudes and perceived discrimination (Fritz et al, 2008). This combination of individual and group support reflects the recommendations of research with Horn of Africa refugee youth in Australia (Griffiths et al, 2009). Preparation for this pillar is provided through provision of two booklets: one for the Buddy Plus and one for the Peace Fellow. This includes detailed information about acculturative stress, and wellness services available in areas as divergent as psychological care to nutritionists and outdoor recreation. The Buddy Plus will also receive Cultural Awareness and Preparatory training in the form of a one-hour session to be conducted in April This pillar has been greatly supported by those Peace Fellows interviewed during project development, whose experiences echoed much of the literature about isolation and culture shock. The second concurrent pillar focuses on conflict awareness and individual preparation for peace work. This will include a formalized group program taught in the second semester of the program, focusing on self-awareness of individual narratives in peace and conflict, and ways that this may impact current and future work as Peace Fellows. This program is being developed in conjunction with the Professor of Conflict Management, who has significant experience in negotiating conflict, having formerly worked as a hostage negotiator and currently a practicing 4

5 mediator. The mentor group of the first pillar, if applicable, will maintain contact with the Peace Fellow throughout this time, and will also have received training in constructive challenging of prejudice, and how to gently stretch people to recognize the implications or limitations of their own narrative. This does not mean that Peace Fellows will be expected to change their narrative, or even their views, but rather is an opportunity to encourage respect for the competing narratives of conflict held by others, and recognition of the implications of ones own. This pillar is characterized by the creation of a structured curriculum, to be completed by August This curriculum will include seminar-style sessions presenting issues of relevance to this target group as they prepare for their future careers as peace workers. It will also include structured group discussion sessions facilitated by Peace Fellow alumni. Involving Peace Fellow alumni from conflict and post-conflict zones in this way both enhances the program with their experiences and expertise, and also assists in meeting their stated needs of visibility, and maintaining greater connection with the Rotary Peace Center. This program has been responded to positively by Peace Fellows from both the target group and those external to it, with many providing useful advice about content. It is recognized as important for addressing specific contextual experiences of the target group, as well as creating a group element in this otherwise highly individualized intervention. The third pillar aims to both provide Peace Fellows from conflict and post-conflict zones with an opportunity to be heard, and also to contribute to broader community education about conflicts, by telling their story or that of others should they wish. Adding to the cultural and intellectual capital of the host country is an important role of international students globally, serving to increase multicultural awareness and appreciation (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). This pillar also provides an opportunity to enhance the Peace Fellow s cross-cultural self-efficacy and increase interaction with American students and locals, both of which have been demonstrated to minimize acculturation trauma to international students (Zhang & Goodson, 2011). This broader awareness raising can take any form deemed appropriate by the Peace Fellow and their mentor group, and may include such things as contributions of essays to periodical newsletters, creative pieces, film screenings and discussions, and formal guest lectures for various disciplines. The nature of contributions to awareness raising will be discussed with the mentor group, who can both assist in connecting the Peace Fellow with appropriate outlets for their ideas, as well as make sure the Peace Fellow is ready for such an activity and help prepare them for any potential responses from the public, as appropriate. This pillar will operate concurrently throughout the two-year duration of the program, initially bilaterally discussed between the Buddy Plus and the Peace Fellow, and thereafter with the mentor group. This pillar takes the form of a printed booklet and 5

6 page on the Rotary Peace Center website, wherein opportunities for contributing to greater education are itemized, including the nature of the publication/organization/space/event, what forms of contributions they welcome, and relevant contact details. It is envisioned that as individuals become aware of additional opportunities, they will add these to this communal pool of information. This pillar is of particular relevance to those whose conflicts are less recognized, or feel that their context is misunderstood. This area prompted strong reactions from a number of interviewees, who saw a great need for wider education, and had a strong sense that Peace Fellows should be contributing to this education. Limitations This program s limitations should be acknowledged, as are presented here in brief: Firstly, as yet, this program has no monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, though surveys will be developed. This is an area that other Peace Fellows can contribute to in future as this program evolves into communal ownership. Secondly, the program has minimal connections with the community beyond UNC and Duke campuses, limiting the potential impact of educational initiatives. The hope is that this can be somewhat addressed through the local connections of those in the mentor group, though this is no guarantee. Thirdly, this program does not involve spouses, partners or children in its scope, which belies the important influence that these people, and their acculturative stresses, have on the Peace Fellow. Fourthly, there is a possibility this program could reinforce de-legitimization of Peace Fellows from non-conflict contexts, in endeavoring to empower the target group. This must be taken into account given the close, and comparative/competitive group dynamics. And finally, as I will not be physically present, a major threat to this program is that it may dissolve in my absence, should external support wane. I am seeking to ensure this doesn t happen by involving many actors, and attempting to promote the program s importance. Thus far, Fellows who have been interviewed, or told of the program have been highly supportive, as has the Rotary Peace Center itself. Conclusion The three pillars of the Bringing Peace Home program come together to form an inter-dependent intervention, intended to provide for healing of the Peace Fellow s trauma, and encourage personal stretching beyond the single conflict narrative in a safe space. The Peace Fellow will benefit through increased support and ability to connect with professional and lifestyle services and enhanced capacity to raise awareness of their conflict. The broader Durham/Chapel Hill communities will benefit from additional and enhanced education in this area. The Rotary Peace Center s goal will be served by the additional benefit to the conflict or post-conflict 6

7 afflicted communities of Peace Fellows, who will return better equipped as leaders in peace-building in conflicts in which they are stakeholders. As Kim (2012) states, reconciliation and peace are of the utmost importance in today s world. Intercultural understanding requires mutual respect, trust and shared mutual commitment to multi-cultural and multi-narrative societies (Kim, 2012). This is a tall order for Peace Fellows who have experienced conflict and its aftermath, have had their lives and perceptions shaped by violence and distrust. The Bringing Peace Home program is intended to further enable Peace Fellows in their pursuit of peace and reconciliation in that most difficult of contexts: their own. 7

8 References 1. Chavajay, P. & Skowronek, J. (2008), Aspects of Acculturation Stress Among International Students Attending a University in the USA, Psychological Report, 103, Fritz, M., Chin, D. & DeMarinisc,V. (2008) Stressors, anxiety, acculturation and adjustment among international and North American students, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32, Griffiths, M., Sawrikar, P. & Muir, K. (2009) Culturally appropriate mentoring for Horn of Africa young people in Australia, Youth Studies Australia, 28 (2) 4. Kim, M.S. (2012) World peace through intercultural research: From a research culture of war to a research culture of peace, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36, Kima, S., Ehrichb, J. & Ficorillia, L. (2012) Perceptions of settlement wellbeing, language proficiency, and employment: An investigation of immigrant adult language learners in Australia, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36, Marshall, G., Schell, T., Elliott, M., Berthold, S. & Chun, C. (2005) Mental Health of Cambodian Refugees 2 Decades After Resettlement in the United States, JAMA, 294 (5) 7. Mobasher, M. (2006), Cultural Trauma and Ethnic Identity Formation Among Iranian Immigrants in the United States, American Behavioral Scientist, 50 (100) 8. Norris, A., Aroian, K. & Nickerson, D. (2011) Pre-migration Persecution, Post-migration Stressors and Resources, and Post-migration Mental Health: A Study of Severely Traumatized U.S. Arab Immigrant Women, Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association,17 (283) 9. Piwowarczyk, L., Keane, T. & Lincoln, A. (2008) Hunger: The Silent Epidemic Among Asylum Seekers and Resettled Refugees, International Migration, 46 (1) 10. Rotary Peace Center, (last accessed 12/8/12) 11. Sakurai, T., McCall-Wolf, F. & Kashima, E.S. (2010) Building intercultural 8

9 links: The impact of a multicultural intervention programme on social ties of international students in Australia, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34, Smith, R. & Khawaja, N. (2011), A review of the acculturation experiences of international students, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35, Warren-Sams, B. (2001) Mentors Confirm and Enhance Girls' Lives, Women's Educational Equity Act Publishing Center Digest, Williams, C. & Johnson, L. (2011) Why can t we be friends?: Multicultural attitudes and friendships with international students, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35, Ying, Y.W. (2005) Variation in acculturative stressors over time: A study of Taiwanese students in the United States, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29, Zhanga, J. & Goodsonb, P. (2011) Predictors of international students psychosocial adjustment to life in the United States: A systematic review, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35,