Passage

Personal debriefing

Peacebuilders suffer much higher rates of secondary trauma than the normal population, which makes them susceptible to trauma-related occupational illnesses. Regular standard debriefing reduces the likelihood of long-term psychological harm for people who may not have experienced a critical incident requiring crisis debriefing, but who still have a need to process difficult experiences in the often-grueling day-to-day work of building peace.

“For several weeks following that field trip, I had nightmares and dreaded the thought of returning to the field to the work I deeply cherished and had felt so blessed to be doing. I can only imagine now that if there had someone providing care for me then, perhaps it would have been easier to cope with the stress and the tensions that come with this work. ”
— Opata Peter Paul, Program Manager at Finnish Refugee Council - Suomen Pakolaisapu, Kampala (Uganda)

Designed for people in transition

Particularly critical for transitions between intensive field assignments, Passage provides the intentional space for reflection in order to maximize past experience and convert it into sound decision-making for next steps.

Passage is available to individuals, couples, and families. It is particularly important for families with children in transition, who may be moving back to their home country, transitioning to school in another country, etc.

“Keeping a healthy balance in my life as a humanitarian is key, it keeps me from getting frustrated and allows me to overcome cultural differences when coordinating intercultural teams. Each and every one of us has hidden sources of energy to overcome the challenges we all face in the field, but it takes a professional to help you identify them and finally act. ”
— F.S.*, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Cali (Colombia)
 

  • "Debriefing" is originally a military term, where participants went through a debriefing after a mission. They exchanged information on what happened, broadened their experience by viewing it from the perspective of their teammates, discussed how effective the mission was, and came to terms with any problems or emotional issues related to the task.

  • As people we tend to jump from one task or role to the next without taking a breath or slowing down to assess and reflect. This tendency causes us to miss opportunities to grow, to improve, and to learn from our mistakes. We lose hold of the valuable lessons that could be learned through debriefing.

    People building peace are no different. In fact, their high-stress, international lives mean they bear additional logistical, psychological and emotional burdens. Running from one real-world scenario to another, many feel they are constantly playing catch-up without allowing the time and space to truly grow. Though it may feel counterintuitive, the failure to debrief is, in the end, a waste of time.

    In this sense, debriefing helps peacebuilders integrate the present and the future. As they connect the actions of their valuable work with their heart and intellect, they are able to continually integrate their service with their deepest-held values. This integrity of action and belief is at the core of what Petra Peacebuilders aims to restore and reinforce within the valiant people in our sector.

  • The full Passage program is typically conducted over a five-day period, though it may be shortened to three days under extenuating circumstances.

    Like Oasis and its group counterpart Caravan, Passage can be held year-round. Professionally administered stress assessments can be incorporated into the program as desired.

 

* Some names and organizations cannot appear for security reasons.