center for psychosocial and crisis action - skopje, r.macedonia school role in social reconstruction...

Center for Psychosocial and Crisis Action - Skopje, R.Macedonia

School role in social School role in social reconstruction of the reconstruction of the community in crisiscommunity in crisis

by Lina by Lina ЌЌostarova Unkovskaostarova Unkovska

04/11/23 Center for Psychosocial and Crisis Action - Skopje, R.Macedonia

Location, time, duration …Location, time, duration …

Country – region (s): Country – region (s): RepublicRepublic of of MacedoniaMacedonia - -

mmultiethnicultiethnic post conflict c post conflict communityommunity (city (city of Tetovo) &of Tetovo) &

five other towns…five other towns…

Time: Time: ProjectProject startsstarts in 2002 - in 2002 - a year after a year after a sa severeevere

interethnicinterethnic conflict betweenconflict between t thehe Albanian Albanian rebels andrebels and

MacedonianMacedonian armedarmed f forcesorces - to end in 2006 - to end in 2006

Place: Place: Seven (all) Tetovo’ elementary Seven (all) Tetovo’ elementary schools & fiveschools & five

schools from The Macedonian Health schools from The Macedonian Health Promoting Promoting

Schools Network, with more schools Schools Network, with more schools joining the projectjoining the project


Research - intervention Research - intervention

questionsquestions

School role in social reconstruction of the community School role in social reconstruction of the community in crisisin crisis

1.1. What is going on in a community of What is going on in a community of prolonged crisis? prolonged crisis? contextual /field contextual /field conditions/ levelconditions/ level

2.2. Where to start to stop the deteriorating Where to start to stop the deteriorating processes imposed by the crisis? Could it processes imposed by the crisis? Could it be the school? be the school? capacity /potentials/ levelcapacity /potentials/ level

3.3. How can the school community activate How can the school community activate development towards positive community development towards positive community change? change? resiliency & competency for action levelresiliency & competency for action level


Immediate individual' versus Immediate individual' versus community' response to community community' response to community

crisiscrisis

1. What is going on in a community of 1. What is going on in a community of prolonged crisis? prolonged crisis?

Individual in crisisIndividual in crisisConsolidateConsolidate

Physiological:Physiological:Basic needs adjustmentBasic needs adjustment

Behavioral: Behavioral: Pro-active, playful, alert, Pro-active, playful, alert,

repetitive,repetitive,regressive, avoiding, regressive, avoiding,

isolative, passive,isolative, passive,withdrawnwithdrawn etc etc

Cognitive:Cognitive:Selective, negating, Selective, negating,

idealizing,idealizing,confabulating, symbolizing…confabulating, symbolizing…

Emotional: Emotional: numb, over-controlling, numb, over-controlling,

impulsiveimpulsiveaggressiveaggressive

Community in crisisCommunity in crisisConflicting /disorganized Conflicting /disorganized

• Threatening life Threatening life conditionsconditions

• Old patterns’ falling Old patterns’ falling apart apart

• Lack of valid Lack of valid informationinformation

• Lack of guidance and Lack of guidance and relevant decision makingrelevant decision making

• New overwhelming New overwhelming eventsevents

• Lack of trust, Lack of trust, collaboration and supportcollaboration and support

• Catastrophic prediction Catastrophic prediction etc.etc.


Individual versus Community Individual versus Community CapacityCapacity

in Prolonged Community Crisisin Prolonged Community Crisis

1. 1. WhatWhat is going on in a community of is going on in a community of prolonged crisis? prolonged crisis?

Individual levelIndividual level

PhysiologicalPhysiological((showshow: endurance, : endurance,

increased capacities for increased capacities for survival, arousal, pro-survival, arousal, pro-

activeactive))

CognitiveCognitive((search forsearch for: structure, : structure,

order, logic, order, logic, understanding & understanding &

meaning)meaning)

Psycho-socialPsycho-social (need for: safe and stable (need for: safe and stable

environment, support,environment, support,belonging, recognition - belonging, recognition -

identity)identity)

Community levelCommunity level

PhysiologicalPhysiological(t(tense, risky, impulsive,ense, risky, impulsive,

unbalanced, disconnected unbalanced, disconnected etc.)etc.)

CognitiveCognitive(disorganized, disoriented, (disorganized, disoriented,

confused, confused, destructive ,meaningless)destructive ,meaningless)

Psycho-socialPsycho-social(threatening and fearful ; (threatening and fearful ;

mistrustful, lack of mistrustful, lack of recognition; isolated, recognition; isolated, identity confusionidentity confusion)


1. What is going on in a community of 1. What is going on in a community of prolonged crisis? prolonged crisis?

Crisis as contradictory process of Crisis as contradictory process of

changechange

IndividualIndividualPro-active - Pro-active - constructive constructive

Adult - ChildAdult - Child

Teacher - PupilTeacher - Pupil

Parent - ChildParent - Child

Community in Community in crisiscrisisPro-active -destructivePro-active -destructive

CommunityCommunity(Unsafe, discriminative, (Unsafe, discriminative, poor – war zone, poor – war zone, collective centers, collective centers, multiethnic)multiethnic)

School School (Authoritarian, (Authoritarian, threatening, threatening, impoverished, chaotic)impoverished, chaotic)

FamilyFamily(Separation, divorce, (Separation, divorce, abuse, neglect)abuse, neglect)


Can it be the school?Can it be the school?

2. Where to start to stop deteriorating 2. Where to start to stop deteriorating processes ? processes ?

IndividualIndividual

Adult & ChildAdult & Child

Parent & ChildParent & Child

CommunityCommunityUnsafe, discriminatory,Unsafe, discriminatory,threatening, chaoticthreatening, chaotic

FamilyFamily(separated; divorced; (separated; divorced; neglectful, abusive, neglectful, abusive,

manipulative, manipulative, depressed) depressed)

Why the school?It is a place of great potential - for learning and growth

It represents all community membersIt offers a structure, sense of belonging, recognition, comparisonsIt provides a framework for regaining the lost control and meaning


Creating new processes of changeCreating new processes of change

3. 3. How can the school change the vicious circle for How can the school change the vicious circle for the better and activate development …?the better and activate development …?

IndividualIndividual

Adult & ChildAdult & Child

Parent & ChildParent & Child

Teacher - Pupil - SchoolTeacher - Pupil - Schoolrestructuring the school community restructuring the school community

leadership – forming the crisis teams with leadership – forming the crisis teams with shared responsibilities; inclusion of all shared responsibilities; inclusion of all

school members with new roles and school members with new roles and responsibilities, creating new school ethos - responsibilities, creating new school ethos -

pupil –teacher participation in the HPS pupil –teacher participation in the HPS projects; continual support; projects; continual support;

school linking and networkingschool linking and networking

Community

New relationships, better informedness,

community participation,

leadership

Family(unified, renewing parental roles and responsibility; sense of belonging, meaning, caring,)


Deciding on conceptual framework …Deciding on conceptual framework …Is it a health promotion?Is it a health promotion?

3. How 3. How can the school start stimulating development can the school start stimulating development towards positivetowards positive

community change?community change?

Need or Right based Programs

Democratic instead of Moralistic

Development versus Intervention


Need or Right Based Program ?Need or Right Based Program ?

Deciding on conceptual framework…Deciding on conceptual framework…

• determination of needs vary according to the situation, individual and environment

• address symptoms

• welfare, charity – short term provision /filling gaps/

• voluntary – private initiative

• partial goals /as possible/

• providing services

• basic human /children/ rights are universal /the same everywhere/ - public, moral and legal responsibility, duty

• address root causes

• legal entitlements, claims, equality, freedom - long term goals

• mandatory – political, moral

• all children (are entitled to )

• empowering


Democratic versus Moralistic approachDemocratic versus Moralistic approach

Deciding on conceptual framework …Deciding on conceptual framework …

• Looking for potentials - not for deficits

• Conditions are subject to change - not the person, or behavior…

• Promotion instead of correction• Active (interactive) versus passive

(one sided, directed)• Social-cultural instead of

individualistic• Holistic (all inclusive) versus

exclusive /marginalization, labeling…/

• Empowering not threatening


Development versus InterventionDevelopment versus Intervention

Deciding on conceptual framework …Deciding on conceptual framework …

What makes the difference ? What makes the difference ?

Long - term processes of change … Open ended & Participatory … Playful and exciting … Structured and deliberated within limits… Socially - culturally embedded… Interactive and supportive, encouraging… Life long learning … resilience building… crisis anticipatory & uncertainty open…


Health Promoting School in Crisis Community

School role in social reconstruction of the School role in social reconstruction of the community in crisiscommunity in crisis

Field conditions – Field conditions – under continual changeunder continual change……

Community - daily incidents in the neighborhood Schools – overcrowded, poor, neglected, powerless, Teaching methods (contents) – traditional, didactic, moralistic, irrelevant Teachers – afraid, overwhelmed, demotivated, threatened, underpaid, intolerant, Parents – afraid, hurt, distrustful, angry Children – traumatized, separated, isolated, marginalized


Health Promoting School in Crisis Community - Aims


Aim 1: Aim 1: DDecreasecreasee the feeling of insecurity and the feeling of insecurity and mistrustmistrust among the school community members among the school community members of differentof different ethnic background, by ethnic background, by encouragingencouraging pupils andpupils and teachers for joint participationteachers for joint participation in in the school &the school & community community health promoting health promoting projects projects … …

Aim 2:Aim 2: Empowere schools for linking and Empowere schools for linking and networkingnetworking with other school communities, and with other school communities, and getting out of closed circles of self-destruction getting out of closed circles of self-destruction and isolation …and isolation …


HP School Project Strategy

All schools’ active inclusion in the Project (new school & inter-schools organization & structure)

Continual training, consultation & support monitoring, interactive supervision & evaluation

Linking and networking of all kinds among teachers, pupils, children - adults, school – community (team building, group work, interschool collaboration)



Development Project Structure /interrelated/

Pre-phase – screening & understanding the field

- preparation for change – 6 months

Research and vision phase - redefinition- new perceptions and images – 12 months

Action and change – empowerment - experience of participation in change – 12 months

Linking and networking – creating meanings - getting out of isolation - 18 months

School role in social reconstruction of the community in crisisSchool role in social reconstruction of the community in crisis


Children’s involvement in the project

Preparation - Building safe and stimulating

micro- environments - Creating conditions for democratic

participation and decision making

Five step /S-IVAC/ approach - towards increasing children’s self-confidence and competence for participation in change

School linking and networking



Examples of a safe micro-environment building

Class work Project team work

Inter-schools activities

Multiethnic summer schools



What is a S/P- IVAC approach?

It is a developmental strategy

of involving children as active

participants in the changes,

through the following phases:

S/P - Selection/Preparation

I - Investigation

V - Vision

A – Action

C – Change



Four phases of children’s participation

Selection/Preparation

Investigation

Vision Action



School Linking & Networking - the way out

Linking and creating partnership between the schools of different regions /multiethnic with single-ethnic; rural with urban; local with distant; domestic with foreign/

Children and teachers interschool collaboration on joint health /community/ promoting projects

Involvement of the new IT as a tool for inter school communication, performing, learning & friendship building



Positive changes: in teachers’ new roles – ready to listen, assist and support pupils’ initiatives and actions … in pupils’ competences and commitment as well as in their new position in the schools – increasing participation, tolerance, responsibility & achievements… in school atmosphere - dynamic, visionary, caring…

Weaknesses: lack of linking with system institutions – absence of mechanisms of support and recognition for the schools, teachers and pupils; absence of monitoring and evaluation, and relevant policy decision making; critical absence of interest, or/and understanding for the processes of the school active role in health, social & educational change.

From the evaluation From the evaluation



Project realization and support

The Project was carried out in 2002 - 2006by the Center for Psychosocial and Crisis

Action Skopje, R. Macedonia

In collaboration with The Macedonian Bureau for Development of

Education&

With financial support from The Swiss Agency for Development and

Cooperation


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