How do refugee children deal with war related trauma? And in what way does the Dutch government add to this process through education? Join the discussion on 3 February to discuss whether these efforts contribute to security and stability in the Netherlands.

Lebanon is an interesting case study to answer these questions, due to its geographical location and the refugee influx, as the country hosts around 1 million Syrian refugees. The Dutch government specifically focuses on ‘creating stability’ in the Middle East by investing around 30 million euros per year in education, and by cooperating with various (local) partners, to ensure a peaceful and secure future, locally and eventually internationally. 

Funded by the Knowledge Management Fund, researchers Marije Luitjens and Laura Sofie van der Reijden have spent the last few months investigating this aim for stability through education, more specifically in relation to Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) – one of the other focal points of the Dutch government. The research focuses specifically on educational interventions, such as Basic Literacy and Numeracy (BLN) and psychosocial support (PSS), subsidised by the Netherlands in Lebanon. During the research, the importance of  psychosocial support (PSS) as part of the educational intervention has become apparent, which has been analyzed in relation to PVE. These results will be presented during this event. 

During the panel discussion led by Jasper Wegman, both Marije Luitjens and Laura Sofie van der Reijden, a MFA representative and a mental health specialist will shed light on aspects regarding this important topic. Join us on the 3rd of February to discuss the future of mental health for refugee populations. 

Program

19:00         Doors open for public event: Syrian coffee + sweets

19:15         Start of evening – Chaired by Jasper Wegman

19:30         International trauma-expert Drs. Anne van den Ouwelant on' trauma-processing for refugee children'

19:45         ‘The importance of educational practices for PVE’ by Renet van der Waals, senior specialist Mental Health Psychosocial Support (MFA)

20:00         Marije Luitjens and Laura van der Reijden – ‘Importance of PSS and education for PVE in Lebanon’

20:30         Panel discussion, chaired by Jasper Wegman

20:45         Network opportunity: drinks + bites