AFGHANISTAN

AMARTI’S PROJECT OF ART-THERAPIES TRAININGS

.The Afghan people, after more than 20 years of wars, civilian wars, destructions and displacements, have suffered numerous forms of traumas. In 2002 in Kabul, despite the general vivid and lively atmosphere and looks of a joyous reconstruction, many health and mental health professionals, as well as more casual people, will say and affirm very openheartedly and spontaneously that each and every Afghan "are traumatized, and should need psychotherapy". It is also attested by WHO (Dr Azimi, Mental Health section), as well as by regular street pharmacists of Kabul that most adults -men and women- are now consuming large amounts of tranquillizers, despite the general very low level of income.

.Although it may appear -compared to other cases in the world- (study by Jo de Berry, Save the Children, Kabul 2002) that many Afghan children have been culturally benefiting from the strong psychic protection offered by parent's care and religious faith, which seem to have kept them from some most severe psycho-trauma effects (like general chronic anxiety or depression, for ex.)... Dr Temoor Shah, psychiatrist, responsible of the Kabul Mental Hospital services, nevertheless affirms that children's trauma care is an emergengy, with the observation of 10% severe cases amongst several thousands of patients. A most important part of everyday's psychiatric consultations in Kabul reveals traumatic causes related to the former conflicts issues (Med. Prof. R Devillars, french pedopsychiatrist consultant in Kabul, sept 2002).

Working for the future generations

.The long-term reconstruction and future of Afghanistan is and will be, of course, in the hands of it's younger generations. Reconstruction of the human's mental integrity and health is also a guarantee for the long-life of new roads, buildings or governmental structures, as well as of education, gender evolution and culture, which all give better chances for internal peace.

.Non-treated psycho-traumas are and will be a factor of instability, of repressed psychic disorders that may appear not only in the form of depressions and anxiety, but of somatic chronic illnesses, of profound incapacities to figure and build a future etc. Hidden trauma disorders may also re-emerge collectively as violence, social destructuration processes, and repeated or new forms of conflicts and destruction (we can observe many blazing examples of this in the world today). The tranquillizers bought in the pharmacy are just a way of dissimulating psycho-trauma disorders, they only facilitate the here and nowÉLet's remember Pandora's Box story and mythical power.

.It may seem that Afghans have a bright intuition of all these issues when some of them claim -as said above- the general need for trauma-therapy. Our proposal of teaching Arts-therapy in this purpose has generally raised immediate bright interest and warm reactions amongst the health, education and arts professionals. (The promise of artistic healing activities may also touch very special feelings for individuals of a naturally arts-gifted nation having lived through 2 decades of destructions, totalitarism, and the last years taleban repression of artistic life...)

.Arts-therapy has existed in the past in Afghanistan, at least in Kabul as far as we know : this had been introduced and developped in the late 70’s /early 80’s , in the psychiatric hospital services at least... The civil war and then the talebans have destroyed these services -materials and human resources- up to nothing. Mr Salam Akbar, today a professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Kabul and coordinator of the Afghan NGO CRA (partner of this project), is one of these ancient art-therapists, as well as Mrs Alima -also professor inthe FFA- who still occupies the function of art-therapist in the Kabul Mental Hospital despite the complete absence of material means.

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