The GHS project in the Galilee- Galilee Healing Sisterhood, oh yeah!

The ToWo group have been invited to develop a cross cultural training in the Galilee :-)

We are thrilled. Working in the field where we grew up ourselves is an honour and a challenge.
The baby is the GHS project, Galilee Healing Sisterhood, a 30 week training for women counselors, and mental/social health workers, across all faiths and cultures in the Galilee. That is Druze, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist and more. Dr. Noha Bader from Mghar college in the Eastern Galilee had the delightful idea of importing the Africa model (ToWo project in SA) to the Galilee and remodeling it in accordance with the specific needs of this population and region. Noha and Juditta Ben-David MA have developed the model, and Judy Ben-Et our coordinator has been a great support in moving it forward.

The GHS is a joint venture of the ToWo group, Duroob institute of Yarka, and docuVillage of Maalot-Tarshicha. A multifaith, cross cultural project that trains women in "how to" tools; Tools to shed and deal with trauma from the Somatic Experiencing school, in tandem with tools of creating short life story documentary videos. It is a professional level training !
The GHS promotes mutual understanding and tolerance through creative endeavors, working in small intimate teams, NVC (non violent communication), Mindfulness and Council work (listening circles), education and empowerment of the women participants. The work is practical on many levels, as it gives hands on experience, as well as theory and a wide perspective on the process. It weaves together the subcultures of the society through the sharing and shedding of past fear and trauma imprints, towards creative curiosity, women rights, and joint ventures. The meeting will be held in Arabic and Hebrew. Ms. Itaf Awad has joined the team as a facilitator, and she is a great addition, as a long time facilitator of Council work, NVC, and cross cultural groups. Ms. Vered Osman from docuVillage has joined as the Documentary professional and wow are we lucky. And, to top it all, the container and logistic support the Duroob institute is providing, empowering professionals to understand and respect cultural differences, within their own communities.

We are very excited .. I bet you can hear this..
The interviews for the very first training are beginning !!
So if you are a Mental health counselor, Social worker, Psychotherapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Art therapist, Body oriented Psychotherapist etc. in the Galilee, Western or Eastern.
If you are curious about the training and think you could benefit from such a process,
Please write us:
towogroup@gmail.com  or leave a message at +972-77-6639903

The project could use help for this training ! mmm !
So if you have an inclination to donate money, connect us with funds, and/or help us with work
We would be Obliged :-) Truly Thankful <3 p="p">towogroup@gmail.com - write us for volunteer info,
or donate here ------> (on this page through PayPal)

We would like to be able to offer this training to as many communities as possible in this area, as we believe in its' present and future affects in the larger society.  Women are the weavers of society,  Women are the carriers of culture, and Women are the carriers of healing...
What a better way to facilitate change, understanding, cooperation and acceptance.
For that we need to be able to offer it at a basic flat rate that women can afford paying.
:-)

The interviews for the very first training are beginning !!
towogroup@gmail.com  or leave a message at +972-77-6639903
Juditta & Itaf - for interviews

Donations:  towogroup.resource@gmail.com - Judy Ben-Et
or here, through PayPal....... 

Thanks !

ToWo in Turkey_Earthquake Relief

13 - 15 April 2012


Istanbul
Yeditepe University
Department of Psychology


The Yeditepe University of Istanbul invited us after the earthquake in Van to train mental health workers and the University rescue team.

The Natan Organization is joining the ToWo group to support the project financially and to share the joint experiences from the earthquake in Haiti and Trauma Therapy in Israel and Africa.

Mrs Juditta Ben David MA SEP (ToWo) will lead the course of "Emotional First Aid (EFA) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) for Relief Work", and
Dr. Eitan Shahar (Sapir College/Natan, Israel) will present the workshop "Assisting and Coping in Emergency and Disaster: Individual and Community".

The Workshop is addressed for professionals who were and are involved in the relief work of Van earthquake survivors.

To sign up for the workshop or to assist, contact: towogroup@gmail.com

Natan information
ToWo intro page

Yeditepe University

African Refugees in Israel

Some 35000 African refugees are living now in Israel. Sudanese, Aritherian, and more from the countries around the Strife and Violent conflict in Central Africa.
Their way across has not been an easy one, not only have they fled from violence anxiety and chaos, without much on them, they encounter much hassle and little welcome on their flight across neighbouring countries. Some have even been abducted beaten raped and used as pawns for blackmailing their families and friends left at home and abroad.
Israel is facing a grave and conflictual situation, in understanding how to treat these people upon their enter into Israels' territory. Most of them asking assylum.

Aside from the Goverments efforts and inner politics. Apart from the confusion and misunderstanding in how to deal with the huge sudden influx of foriegners, putting up boundaries yet remembering our heritage as the Jewish people. Wanting to help balanced with the need to keep stability and some means of safety in a tomultous political situation. When you move your attention just a bit from these traumatic vortexes... you might just find a few heartwarming groups and human beings that work with, embrace and support these refugees in Israel.
Hagar and Miriam is such a group, for African women that need help through pregnancy and birth. Assaf is another ngo, supporting the African refugee community in Tel Aviv, with legal aid, every day living beauracracy, providing support groups and short trainings for the people.
We've ToWo group been getting together with these to consult and brain storm a way to share and work in conjuction. Apparently our knowledge from SA and training design could be of out most importance to the work with the African refugees in Israel.

We would appreciate your donations, whether it be money, cameras, tripods, or even just raising awareness and sharing this info with others. These people need help.
The quicker we meet them and allow the traumatic body memories to thaw, the better will their progress will be, they will gather less retraumatic experiences, be able to make clear communicative and productive decisions, and find dignity and self esteem.

Thanks from the Heart

Conference Presentations/ Ireland Israel

The ToWo project was presented in the ESTD conference in Belfast Ireland, April 2010. It was welcomed by some 30 international therapists that watched our video, listened and inquired into the cross cultural issues that have been raised through this trauma therapy project. The feedback was very supportive, some have been interested in learning more of the special design created by ToWo, SE combined with Video and narrative therapy/education. Others showed interest and joined a group studying the basics of SE technique for trauma therapy/emotional first aid, led by Juditta Ben-David.
We are happy to announce that the project will also be presented on a panel in the
Tel Chai college, Israel, 1st July 2010. A conference about Trauma stress and Disaster aid.
All invited :-)

Quotes to resonate with

I can indicate no royal road for bringing about a social revolution

except that we should represent it

in every detail of our lives

Mahatma Ghandi

"We need to learn to trust and act upon our own feelings and experiences,

if we are ever to be free "

feral fawn

"We the indigenous are not part of yesterday, we are part of Tommorrow"

subcommondante marcus/ starhawk

We also hereby want to acknowledge Miri Ben Baruch

for joining our small group with gusto and taking on herself the role of the fund raiser.

Photography, Mindfulness, and Somatic experiencing

after the ToWo project, a workshop for friends and the public. 12th Dec in the Western Galillee, the lovely village of Clil.
Resourcing in Creativity, a full day workshop.
10% of revenues will be forwarded to the ToWo project.

info: 077-6639903
towogroup@gmail.com

We are glad to announce that a prominent Israeli Journal

"Chaim Acherim" has aired a beautiful article about the ToWo project and its director Juditta Ben David. It has come out this month, August 2009, in Hebrew. We shall try and see if we can translate it to English. Our Facebook page is: ToWo dbd, and for more info: ToWogroup@gmail.com

Nurit Tolnai, Hod Shacham and Orna Glass have joined us as contributers, see their Bios.

אנחנו שמחים להודיע על החשיפה היפה שקיבלנו במאמר במאגזין "חיים אחרים" של חודש אוגוסט 2009 שם כתוב גם על
פרוייקט טובו וגם על ג'ודיתה בן דוד המייסדת והמנהלת.
בזמן הקרוב ננסה להעלות מספר קטעים ואולי אף לתרגם את המאמר לאנגלית

הדף שלנו בפייסבוק הוא: ToWo dbd וליצירת קשר ואינפורמציה נוספת : ToWogroup@gmail.com

אנחנו מתחילים לאסוף מצלמות יד שניה וידאו וסטילס ..ותרומות כנדבת ליבכם

We would appreciate greatly your donation !