Trauma Healing at Kolina village from 24 – 29 March 2012

 Rev. Graham Mark

Secretary of Commission on Justice, Reconciliation and Peace (ACOM)

The commission on Justice, Reconciliation and Peace of the Anglican Church of Melanesia launched “a community based approach trauma Healing and counselling” at Kolina village in the Weather coast in Guadalcanal from 24 – 28 March 2012.

Kolina village was turned into a military base by members of the former “Joint operation” during the past ethnic conflict. A lot of atrocities and human rights abuses were also committed by them in the area at that time which caused the people there to become traumatic. Following its data collection report carried out in the past, the Commission has organised a healing mission to the area.

A team of seven departed Honiara for Kolina early morning 24^th March by outboard motor and arrived at Kolina approximately 10.00am. In the afternoon, members of the team spent time with the people in order to establish from them confidence and trust in preparation for the main program to be launched the next day.   

      

On Sunday 25 March a deliverance service was carried out in the whole village in the morning part, in order to assure members of the community that the village is now a safe space to carry out trauma healing processes and counselling. In the afternoon the group assembled the people for spiritual enrichment to mark the beginning of the mission. The enrichment was based on the theme “I have come in order that you might have life – life in its fullness” (John 10:10). Later in the evening after the church service, a brief introduction of trauma was introduced.      

From Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 of March the whole community including children have participated in the trauma healing processes as listed below:

1.      What is trauma and trauma responses

2.      Wholeness of life in the context of Genesis 1&2

3.      Life in crisis in the context of Genesis 3

4.      Restoration of life in the context of Christology

5.      Petal Flower process

6.      Trauma confrontation

7.      Trauma object process

8.      Memorializing process

These healing processes are important for the people of Kolina who had been deeply affected by trauma for a long period of time unattended. They became vulnerable to post traumatic stress which continues to cause severe impacts to the whole community. In between these processes there was spiritual empowerment through singing and sharing of God’s Word. The integration of spiritual empowerment was important in terms of healing and strengthening the spirituality of the community.

In view of the atrocities and human rights abuse committed in the village, the facilitators divided the people into three groups of men, women and children when they saw as necessary. Individual counselling was also made available to victims of trauma who did not prefer to confront trauma publicly, due to cultural sensitivity or because the trauma object is very sensitive. The participation of the people in both processes was overwhelming.   

On 28 March the trauma healing activity was concluded with a memorializing ritual process by way of candle lights, which was celebrated with Holy Communion service. Later in the evening, a feast was prepared by the people in the village to mark the successful ending of the healing mission. The six days trauma healing and counselling sessions have brought healing and relieve for many lives in Kolina village and others from the nearby villages that came to attend the healing sessions. The Commission will return to Kolina in the near future with another program called “mind set program” as part of its follow up approach.