The genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, since 2023, has shaken the international community. For the first time in history, we have witnessed atrocities in such a way that we have been able to follow them live through media channels. This raises the question of the limits of human cruelty, who can carry it out and how it can be stopped, as well as the question of accountability. War violence such as the genocide in Gaza involves not only death and mass destruction, but also lasting trauma that affects individuals and communities long after the fighting has ended. Palestinians, who have endured colonization and genocidal war, are exposed to these traumas, which survivors also pass on to new generations. Refugees who have come to Slovenia because of war bring these traumas with them. However, in the process of integrating into their new environment, they are not provided with adequate psychosocial support to process their traumatic experiences, which is why it seemed appropriate to explore this area.
The master's thesis titled Supporting Children from Palestine with Film and Video Art during a Genocidal War deals with the psychological traumatic experience, trauma related to war events, and the specifics of this type of trauma as they manifest themselves in the context of Palestine. It examines approaches that address this experience in a way that enables individuals and groups to recover and improve their well-being. The research focused on the approach of art therapy through film and video and the important element of it was learning mindfulness and compassion. Empirical research examined how this approach can contribute to improving the well-being of individuals.
In my work with children from Palestine, I used video and film to try to stimulate a process of reflection, self-awareness, compassion for oneself, and compassion for others. Through observation and conversations with the participating children from Palestine living in Slovenia, I tried to determine how the chosen approach affected them, what and how it enabled them to express, and whether it had a positive contribution to their well-being.
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