A three-day international conference on
addressing conflict related psychosocial trauma opens on Monday in
Rome.

The conference, organised by IOM’s
Psychosocial and Cultural Integration Unit and the General
Directorate for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, will bring together experts, practitioners and
agencies to discuss multidisciplinary approaches and responses to
individual and collective conflict generated trauma.

“Traumatic events have medium and long
term effects” says Natale Losi, who heads IOM’s
Psychosocial and Cultural Integration unit. “If not properly
addressed, they have negative and long lasting consequences on the
psychosocial wellbeing of individuals and groups. Without adequate
psychosocial approaches and practices, trauma prolongs the
victim-aggressor paradigm and perpetuates the cycle of
violence.”

Participants will focus on ways to further
psychosocial responses in the Mediterranean and Balkan regions,
with an emphasis on vulnerable groups, such as women and
children.

For further information, please go to
class="paragraph-link-underlined" href=
"http://www.healingthewar.org" target="_blank" title=
"">www.healingthewar.org or call:

Natale Losi

IOM Rome

Tel: +39 06 87450022

E-mail: "mailto:nlosi@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">nlosi@iom.int

Pippo Costella

Tel: +39 06 87440011

E-mail: "mailto:pcostella@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">pcostella@iom.int

For media accreditation, please email
class="paragraph-link-underlined" href="mailto:IOMRomePress@iom.it"
target="_blank" title="">IOMRomePress@iom.it