ToWo - Media and Trauma-Healing project - South Africa
"Talking out Walking on" ToWo
Media and Trauma-Healing project - South Africa, Ethiopia, Israel
www.ToWogroup.blogspot.com
Preface
The new Rural South Africa constitution guarantees women's rights and protection. But in practice these ideas have not filtered down to rural areas at all. And indeed the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa has highlighted the plight of women in rural communities.. let alone in surrounding African countries. Often the victims of oppressive practices, malicious superstitions, violence and rape, women have been thrown out of their own houses and led to believe they deserve the abuse they are subjected to and are strongly encouraged to suffer their lot alone and in silence.
"Like any other prejudice, violence against women is a form of discrimination. The law does not tolerate it and it is high time that we educate society not to tolerate it either….. The equality clause .. Gives practical expression to our desire to see a society where women can freely play a decisive role in the development of our people, including their role as leaders in the process of change." Mapisa-Nqakula, RSA Minister of Home Affairs.
The Project
The ToWo project aim is to give the women the opportunity to transcend their past trauma, thereby freeing their creative spirit, educating and allowing them to become the powerful and inspiring women the New South Africa so badly needs.
The project comprises of two components:
1. Video filming - Where women will be taught basic video skills in order to document their personal experiences in their own voice. These short films will be formed into a Dynamic Oral-History Archive, used for lobbying and empowerment.
2. Somatic Experiencing therapy - Simultaneously the women will undergo a
psychotherapeutic body-oriented method, which provides gentle and effective tools for Healing Trauma and Resourcing strength in individuals and communities.
We will be working with rural women movements in South Africa, Ethiopia, and in Israel. Strong, grassroots, women movements that work with poor, indigenous, landless women, advocating women's independent land rights, body rights, and also addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS and its toll and effect in the society.
Our media project proposes to help women break the agonizing oath of silence, to talk out with clarity and courage, paving the way for others to do likewise.
This opportunity to document their personal stories in their own voices, will lead to a sense of self respect and give validity to their lives, their culture and their world. This oral history film archive will then open the channels for community sharing and discussion, and will help to treat and shed the behavioral patterns that trauma and abuse imprint on a woman's nervous system and soul. In addition it will serve as a lobbying tool for social change locally and nationally.
The Traumatic experience narrows the victims' concept of reality and cripples her ability to realize her potential. Untreated Trauma often leads to perpetuating the cycle of aggression
Who are we?
The ToWo (Talking out Walking on) group is a collection of like minded Israeli professionals from a wide range of fields (film, video-art, psychotherapy, osteopathy, theater and movement). We are keen to share these areas of expertise beyond the scope of our everyday lives, with women who would benefit greatly from our experience and collective abilities. And theirs will benefit us.
Life in Israel creates experience in the fields of personal trauma resolution, collective trauma, and the media documentation of such. The group has come together and designed a unique program for supporting African women who have been the victims of trauma. A program that is based in deep listening.
JuDitta Ben-David was originally approached by RWM's director Sizani Ngubane, and later met her on a recent visit to South Africa, in order to discuss a potential documentation and empowering project. Together they formulated the concept that is now the ToWo media / trauma healing project.
Lately we have been contacted by the Musrara school of film, Jerusalem, to join in this adventure with their community involvement dept. and their video therapy dept. In addition they have offered supporting some of their students who will participate and assist in the training camp, as well as with the follow-up editing one.
ToWo Group members are:
Ditta (JuDitta) Ben David MA - ToWo project director, Trauma SE trainer and facilitator, psychotherapist
Keren Dunietz- project senior assistant, producer, and kids coordinator, musician
Gina Ross- Trauma and SE therapy researcher, senior trainer and advisor
Dr. Dafna Sering - Film and Media advisor
Mikki Cohen - Video and film trainer, Media camp visionary
Mazal Galili, Adi Segal, Naveh Antopolsky- video assistants
Efrat Asher Terapeh, Andrea, Mindy Levy - SE therapy assistants
Orly Malessa - film maker ("mirrors"), Sapir graduate.
Rina Pappish - TV and documentary film directorDr. Lila Moore, Dr.- Spiritual film advisor
Current stage of the project
We have found ourselves collaborating with an Ethiopian women theater in Israel, and a non profit volunteer organization: BritOlam; An international Jewish-Israeli volunteer organisation. In South Africa we joined with an AIDS/HIV community center, the WozaMoya in Kwazulunatal.
We have been contacted by a few South African individuals from the film industry, willing to support the project in the ongoing phase.
Detailed plans of the project have been made, and we are starting to raise funds. This coming friday we are having our very first fund raising event in TLV-Jaffo :-))Great musicians and african dancing !
We are in the long act of registering ourselves as a non profit organization in Israel :-( Inshalla..
We have implemented the first phase of the project, Sept-Oct 2007; A training camp in KZN,South Africa, with beautiful women from the Zulu and AmaHlubi tribes. Twelve proffessionals from Israel, USA, and SA in co-operation.
We have been approached by other groups in KZN that have heard of our visit and are keen about bringing the program to their staff and community.
Why do we contact you?
We are looking for collaboration and support. The project needs help with funding for flights, camp residence and board, insurance, and equipment that would remain there after the first camp within the villages for the ongoing phase. A training camp in Israel for the Ethiopian women from which two will join us to Africa.. and the possibility for supervising the process through the first two months.
We need second hand or a donation of video cameras for the rural women.
We are also looking for appropriate connections abroad. We are interested in contacting people who are interested in promoting and supporting projects of this nature financially, as well as with basic practical help.
We are planning to raise 150,000 $ in money and equipment.
We could use help in organizing a Gala evening for the project for example.
+ A more detailed version of the design and the budget can be given upon request.. as well as a presentation and our very first video.
ToWogroup@gmail.com
We would be very happy to hear from you
Thank you!
The ToWo group
ToWoGroup@gmail.com (00972) (0)77-6639903
juditta@the-art-of-breath.org -JuDitta
Keren (00972) (0) 545988899
www.ToWogroup.blogspot.com
