Living Under Israeli Military Occupation: Trauma Coping and Resilience Among Palestinian Refugee Women – Dr. Lori Rudolph speaks in Columbus, OH

One hour presentation followed by 30 minute Q and A.

Palestinians are the longest-standing refugees in modern history. The special needs of and challenges faced by Palestinian refugee women in particular are varied and complex. Since the onset of the second Intifada or uprising, the political, economic and social situation in Palestine has drastically deteriorated due to an escalation in the Israeli occupation and the resulting collapse of the Palestinian economy. The capacity of Palestinian women to cope with this new situation has been declining, and the number of women dependent on emergency assistance, particularly food assistance, has risen.

Women are subjected to increasing violence and additional responsibilities within their households due to the death, imprisonment or unemployment of male members. The occupation has a particularly strong impact on women residing in Refugee Camps. With many men jailed or restricted in ability to travel, women are increasingly the sole providers for and caretakers of their families.

Dr. Lori Rudolph has been active in promoting a just peace in Israel/Palestine for more than 20 years. Her presentation will explore the ways in which Palestinian women at a refugee camp experience conflict, and the types of survival mechanisms and strategies of resistance they developed. Special consideration will be given to the relationship between armed conflict, trauma coping and resilience from a gendered lens.

She travels to Palestine frequently where she serves as a consultant, trainer, and fundraiser for the Ibdaa Cultural Center’s Women’s Mental Health Project at Dheisheh Refugee Camp and the Union for Social Workers and Psychologists in Hebron and Bethlehem. Lori also taught at Al Quds University, which is in the Palestinian West Bank, as a Visiting Professor in the Community Mental Health Program. She received a fellowship from the Palestinian American Research Center and a grant from New Mexico Highlands University to conduct research on the impact of the Israeli Military Occupation on Palestinian Refugee women. Dr. Rudolph is an assistant professor in Counseling and Guidance at New Mexico Highlands University. She is a member of the Middle East Peace and Justice Alliance and a founding member of New Mexico Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Committee.

Location: Broad Street United Methodist Church, 501 East Broad St., Columbus, Ohio.
For more information, contact michaelgliebert@gmail.com.