Mental Health and Human Rights Info HHRI

21/04/2026

Hi everyone! We are excited to share our first newsletter of the year! In this edition, we are honoured to feature a guest contribution from Center Ahalar, an organisation we have been proudly collaborating with to address the urgent mental health needs.

This month, we dive into a critical and timely topic: Ukraine’s veteran mental health needs. As the situation continues, the invisible wounds of trauma require more than just traditional therapy. shares their expertise on why a somatic approach, focusing on the body's physical connection to trauma, is vital for sustainable recovery.

📌You will find in this edition:

▪️The somatic connection: Understanding how trauma is "stored" in the body and why physical regulation is the first step toward psychological healing.

▪️Addressing the crisis: An overview of the unprecedented scale of the mental health challenges facing those returning from the frontlines.

▪️Bridging the gap in MHPSS: How integrating body-based techniques into Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) creates a more holistic and effective recovery path.

We invite you to share this information to help raise awareness about the specialised support needed there.

Link in the first comment 👇🔗

Mental Health and Human Rights Info

15/04/2026

Today marks three years since the outbreak of war in Sudan, underlining the importance of continuous attention to mental health and human rights in conflict settings.

Over the past years, our director Elisabeth Langdal has been working closely on questions related to , , and support for survivors in crisis settings. It is therefore meaningful to be part of the new volume:

📖Resilience in the Shadows: Mental Health of Vulnerable Refugees and Displaced Communities in Africa, edited by Shahla Eltayeb, Unni Marie Heltne and Ragnhild Dybdahl.

The book offers a nuanced picture of mental health among displaced populations in the Horn of Africa, combining research, field experience and practical approaches. A consistent thread is the need for interventions that are both contextually grounded and accessible.

📌Our chapter, “S*xual Violence in Armed Conflicts:
A Psychological and Human Rights Perspective”, written together with Sulaima Ishaq M. Elkhalifa Sharif and HelenChristie, focuses on sexual and gender-based violence in conflict, with particular attention to Sudan. It also presents a manual developed to support helpers, with an emphasis on practical tools and on caring for those in frontline roles.

The volume is well worth exploring for those working in humanitarian, mental health and development fields.

More information about the book and how to buy it 👇
https://lnkd.in/eG7x6-jH

08/04/2026

Di Marco’s book launch on March 26 at Domus Juridica featured an intriguing presentation and panel discussion that introduced his research on male violence against women in Latin America.

A central idea in his work is that these patterns are deeply connected to how love is understood and expressed. This perspective invites reflection on how perceptions of love shape relationships more broadly.

Despite the gravity of the subject, Di Marco’s thoughtful delivery - paired with moments of humor - created a space that was both meaningful and engaging.

Thanks to for inviting us to be part of this launch and by a great group of panelists and

Book link https://tinyurl.com/yh4av8hf

11/03/2026

This past week, the HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival stood as one of the most vital platforms our city has for reflection and change. Every year, MHHRI looks forward to this space where documentary film allows us to reflect on the global challenges we face.

This year was particularly profound. In collaboration with the Universitetet i Oslo (UiO), we were honored to amplify the voices of P4lestini4s, especially the children who have endured unimaginable suffering.

Through the screening of Unfinished Stories and our "Art as Healing" exhibition, we moved beyond the headlines to talk about resilience, empathy, and the power of art.

The situation in P4lestin4 is a humanitarian crisis and beyond, that demands the attention and condemnation of every human being on this planet. As we see this violence extending across the Middle East, our mission remains clear: providing psychosocial support and standing in unwavering solidarity.

🎨The Power of Creativity

A huge thank you to Rasmi Damo for leading the animation workshops. Giving children the tools to tell their own stories is a powerful act of resilience and a practical path toward healing.Thank you to everyone who joined us.

See you in 2027!

08/03/2026

International Women’s Day is a moment to stand in solidarity with everyone who is fighting for women’s rights, all around the world.
From women protesting against gender apartheid in Afghanistan and Iran, to Palestinian and Sudanese women living in the midst of war and conflict, and to those working for peace, freedom and justice in their own communities. In many places, violence and oppression are used to silence women. Yet women continue to organise, defend their rights and work for a more just society.

We stand in solidarity with them, not just today but every day.

Peace, freedom and feminism.
No one is free until everyone is free.
♀️

05/03/2026

Last night we gathered around a film, but what we truly shared were stories that are still unfolding.

Thank you to everyone who came and filled the room with attention, reflection, and care.

A special thank you to HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival and for making the evening possible, and for creating a space where difficult conversations can take place.

We are deeply grateful to our panel:
Nora Sveaass, psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Oslo, who guided the conversation with knowledge and sensitivity;
RasmiDamo, brother of filmmaker Nidal Damo, who shared reflections rooted in lived experience;
and Helen Christie, clinical psychologist and advisor at MHHRI, for her thoughtful insights on trauma, resilience, and the ways violence shapes lives across generations.

Together they reflected on how war affects people, families and communities, and on how stories, art and dialogue can help us understand, hold, and perhaps begin to heal some of the wounds that violence leaves behind.
Our gratitude also goes to the entire team behind for the courage to share painful realities so that others may understand — not only with the mind, but with the heart.

Thank you as well to for a powerful poem that was far more than words. It opened another space of understanding and touched everyone in the room.

And finally, thank you to Rasmi Damo for the inspiring animation work that he continues to do with children, offering care, creativity and hope where trauma has tried to take root.

Some stories remain unfinished.
But evenings like this remind us that listening, witnessing and standing together are also part of how healing begins.

03/03/2026

HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival has officially kicked off! From now until March 8th, you can find films at Vega and Cinemateket.

This year, MHHRI is hosting three special events in collaboration with the at the Department of Psychology (UiO). All our events are held at Cinemateket.

🎥 Unfinished Stories: Screening & Panel
Wednesday, March 4th | 18:00 – 19:45

Unfinished Stories follows filmmaker Nidal Damo in Gaza as the war repeatedly interrupts the narratives he tries to capture, culminating in his own family’s loss.

After the screening, we will hold a panel discussion exploring the psychological and generational consequences of continuous violence.

Get your tickets here 👇
https://humanfilm.no/film/unfinished-stories/

🎨 Art as Healing: Palestinian Children’s Mental Health
Exhibition | Running until Sunday, March 8th
Location: 2nd Floor, Cinemateket

This exhibition presents stories and illustrations developed through psychosocial work with Palestinian children in Bethlehem. The installation explores how art and storytelling can support children living in conflict, inviting visitors to reflect on resilience and the emotional worlds of children growing up amidst violence.

🎞️ Creative Workshop for Kids: How to Make an Animated Film
Solidarity Hub (UiO) & MHHRI in collaboration with Rasmi Damo and Fekra France

We invite children aged 10–12 to an animation workshop to learn how to tell powerful stories through visual media.

▪️Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday
▪️Time: Approx. 17:00 – 19:00
▪️Location: 2nd Floor, Cinemateket

See you at the festival – let’s turn stories into solidarity!

02/03/2026

📌 Invitation to a seminar on ’s recently published book, Taking Lives: Narratives of Latin American Femicide Perpetrators.

The book brings together six years of research conducted in Latin American countries, based on interviews with men convicted of / . It explores the narratives through which perpetrators account for their actions, and the broader social and gendered frameworks that shape these accounts.

📆 Date: Thursday, 26 March
🕓 Time: 16:30
🏨Venue: Domus Juridica, University of Oslo (Auditorium 2)

The event will consist of a presentation of the book followed by a panel discussion on femicide, narratives, violence prevention, and human rights. The discussion will take an intersectoral perspective, considering the production of violence, intervention, prevention, and policy development. The event will be held in English.

The panel will feature:
▪️Martín Hernán Di Marco (Leiden University)
▪️Nora Sveaass (Mental Health and Human Rights Info)
▪️Anja Emilie Kruse (University of Oslo)
▪️Ingunn Rangul Askeland (Alternativ til Vold)
▪️The discussion will be moderated by Helene Oppen Ingebrigtsen Gundhus (University of Oslo).

The event is open to academics, practitioners, professionals working in diplomatic services, policymakers, journalists, and members of the public with an interest in the topic.

Please register your attendance here 👇
https://nettskjema.no/a/takinglives #/page/1

26/02/2026

Поза виживанням - свідомо обираючи життя: шляхи для відновлення українських ветеранів та їхніх родин

Запрошення на онлайн-вебінар із серії про українських ветеранів

Війна залишає глибокі сліди, але вона не має визначати майбутнє.
Запрошуємо вас долучитися до фахової дискусії про те, як перетворити досвід подолання травми на фундамент для нового життя.

Дата: 11 березня 2026 року
Час: 11:00 -15:00 (за київським часом)
Формат: Онлайн (платформа Zoom)
Мова: Синхронний переклад (українська/англійська)

Цей чотиригодинний вебінар є результатом міжнародної співпраці між:

✅Центром AHALAR (Україна),
✅Інститутом соціальної та політичної психології (Україна),
✅Solidarity Hub (Норвегія),
✅Університетом Осло,
✅International Forum for Understanding (Велика Британія)
✅Mental Health and Human Rights Info (Норвегія).

Другий вебінар (перший проходив рік тому) зосереджується на конкретних способах, якими ветерани та їхні родини вибудовують життя після травматичного досвіду - від перебування на передовій до тяжких і довготривалих наслідків жорстокого поводження та сексуального і гендерно зумовленого насильства (SGBV) у російському полоні.

Ці переживання формують емоційний світ ветеранів, їхнє відчуття безпеки та взаємини з партнерами, дітьми й громадами.
Розуміння цих впливів є ключовим для створення ефективних, гідних і сталих систем підтримки.

Мета
Як ветерани та їхні родини можуть вийти за межі простого виживання, і що означає «обирати життя» після глибокої травми?

Мета вебінару - знайти відповідь на питання: що означає «обирати життя» після глибокої травми?

🔸Трансформація особистості: як травма змінює ідентичність та повсякденне функціонування ветерана.
🔹Родинна стійкість: механізми подолання вторинної травматизації та відновлення близькості у стосунках.
🔸Подолання стигми: специфіка реабілітації після полону та гендерно зумовленого насильства.
🔹Практичний досвід: реальні кейси ветеранських організацій щодо відновлення сенсів.
🔸Роль громади: як створити середовище, що вчасно розпізнає тривожні сигнали та надає підтримку без осуду.

Цей вебінар об’єднує ветеранські служби, практиків, дослідників, громадські організації та донорів для обміну знаннями, визначення пріоритетів і посилення скоординованих зусиль.

Під час заходу забезпечується синхронний переклад між англійською та українською мовами.

Реєстрація - https://nettskjema.no/a/600475
Інформація про попередній вебінар - https://tinyurl.com/4mkz2zjp

Долучайтеся, щоб разом будувати шлях від виживання до повноцінного життя.

24/02/2026

Four years of full-scale war. Twelve years of resistance.
Today, we stand with Ukrainians everywhere.
24 February 2026 marks four years since russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and more than a decade since the occupation of Crimea. The war has reshaped daily life, fractured communities, and left deep scars that will take generations to heal.

🇺🇦The human cost is immense.
Families have been torn apart. Cities reduced to rubble. Children have learned to fall asleep to air-raid sirens. Millions live with continuous uncertainty, forced displacement, and the psychological weight of fear and loss. But amidst this, the strength of the Ukrainian people, both in Ukraine and across the world, remains unbroken.

🫂Ukrainians everywhere carry this war within them.
Through sleepless nights waiting for news, calls that begin with “Are you safe?”, and the ache of watching loved ones endure bombardment from afar. This emotional burden is real. The mental-health impact is profound. Yet communities continue to support each other, to listen, to hold space for grief, and to transform sorrow into determination.

💙💛Today, and every day, we stand in solidarity
with those surviving under fire, with families separated by borders and war, with caregivers, helpers, and mental-health workers supporting others while carrying their own pain, and with all who continue to defend dignity, rights and life itself.

16/02/2026

Vi har hatt et nytt møte i nettverket for organisasjoner som jobber med gutter og menn utsatt for seksuelle overgrep. Denne gangen besøkte vi Pro Sentret, som fortalte om sitt arbeid i et felt preget av stigma, usynlige grupper og komplekse livssituasjoner.

Samtalen tok opp erfaringer fra oppsøkende arbeid, migrasjon, digitale arenaer, psykisk helse og behovet for lavterskeltilbud der brukerne selv får definere hva de trenger. Felles mål er tydelig: bedre oversikt, tryggere henvisningsveier og mer kunnskap om gutter og menn som sjelden fanges opp i systemet.

Neste møte holdes hos Caritas Norge 21. mai. Send oss en melding dersom din organisasjon har lyst til å være med på møtet eller i nettverket.

Takk til alle som deltok: Pro Sentret Nok. Oslo VOlinjen S*x og samfunn Norsk Folkehjelp Caritas Norge Vake kirkelig ressurssenter mot seksuelle overgrep