We are delighted to welcome Cristina Finch to the Board of Refugee Trauma Initiative (RTI)
Read MoreAs the crisis continues in Afghanistan, Refugee Trauma Initiative (RTI) express our deep solidarity with Afghans everywhere. Humanitarian crises take huge tolls on people’s mental health. As the Afghan community copes with the distress and loss associated with current events in Afghanistan, we are committed to supporting them through this.
Read MoreWhat world do you dream of living in? This question is not an easy one to answer. We might all have a vague idea of a fairer more beautiful world, but we might find it difficult to imagine what it would look like. Through a creative writing workshop, the Refugee Trauma/Dinami program participants were led to imagine what a better world would look like for them.
Read MoreΜore than 160 Greek and international organizations, academics and other actors from all over Europe urge the Greek authorities to revoke decision to close dignified alternatives in accommodating refugees οn Lesvos.
Read MoreJoint statement of 31 NGOs regarding Moria refugee camp fire
”In these difficult times, it is of outmost importance that respect for human rights is at the centre of the response to the fire at Moria, and that authorities do not resort to use of force or inflammatory language, but take appropriate steps to de-escalate any risk of violence.”
Of all the assumptions this pandemic puts into question, however, one seems unscathed: the family’s central role organizing our society and ordering our lives. Given the importance we continue ascribing to the family amid a global pandemic, it is crucial that we reflect on how we protect and care for families—within the context of COVID-19, and beyond.
Read MoreWe had hoped to mark our fourth anniversary with joy and celebration. Instead we mark it with this sober reflection on the road we still need to travel, from the world we inhabit today to the world we would like to inhabit in another four years.
Read MoreOpen Letter signed by 152 Organizations
“It is beyond dispute that Greece has the sovereign competence to control its borders and to manage any crossings there. Nevertheless, the right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.”
“She is no longer held back by fear, but rather driven by curiosity. And though she may not be able to write as her peers do, she communicates her creativity by drawing out her dreams. She constructs her aspirations by setting up and maintaining functional play spaces—the doctor’s consult, the restaurant, the school, and the lego-bicked construction space—where her and her peers engage in play-based learning. She signals her discipline and rigor by keeping these spaces impeccably organized.”
Read More“ …we made it our mission to tackle this mental health crisis, by providing direct support to refugee families, and by building tools and offering trainings to partner NGOs to help them mainstream mental health considerations into their programming. On the basis of these efforts, we advocate today for humanitarian and development actors worldwide to integrate psycho-social support principles into every aspect of aid delivery..“
Read More“Effectively, Baytna helps displaced families become agents advancing their own inclusion into local communities and helps children become agents advancing their own inclusion into local schools.”
Read More“Today, on International Youth Day, they prepare to leap into adulthood from a tenuous foundation. The strongest foundation they have been able to build over this journey. We, at Dinami, do our utmost to support them in making this step.”
Read More“…In response, we came together to form Refugee Trauma Initiative and bring trauma-sensitive, identity-informed early childhood development to the thousands of refugee children stranded in precarious camps in Greece. This laid the base for Baytna, our innovative, adaptive, and scalable model for early childhood development programming.“
Read MoreSince then, we have supported over 4000 refugees and designed sustainable programmes that will help us reach thousands more. We have offered long-term support to more than 800 children and helped their parents to confront difficult experiences by providing respite, space for self-expression, a sense of value and a community.
Read MoreI have witnessed a major transformation in our group since it started. Session by session, participants start trusting each other and working as a team towards a desired result. They have unlocked their personalities and they are more willing and confident to communicate their thoughts.
Read MoreRTI continues to explore innovative psychosocial support interventions for refugees. At the heart of each one are our four core principles: to allow space for self-expression, provide respite, teach knowledge and skills, and build strong and positive relationships.
Read MoreThe importance of including children’s interests in the educational process is highlighted by most contemporary early childhood curricula. Every child comes from a unique background and has individual needs, interests, experiences, skills, preferences, and their own unique way of learning.
Read MoreWorking as a trainee at RTI I have the opportunity to improve my Greek and my English, and I am learning to communicate professionally with different actors and organisations. I have also learnt that I am good at talking and sharing my ideas in a group.
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