Kids in Gaza Get Exposed to the World of Reading to Understand and Address their Symptoms of Trauma
By United Palestinian Appeal, Special for USDR
The American Psychological Association (APA) has granted a nonexclusive license to United Palestinian Appeal (UPA) to translate into Arabic several titles published by APA’s Magination Press® children’s book imprint and to distribute free copies to children and their caregivers living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Books will be distributed by UPA via its school-based “Healing Through Feeling” program in Gaza, which enables Palestinian mental health practitioners to provide kindergartners, their families, teachers and caregivers the awareness needed to understand and address their symptoms of trauma.
“United Palestinian Appeal is very pleased that the APA has agreed to this arrangement to the benefit of children in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” said UPA Executive Director Saleem F. Zaru. “We appreciate APA’s support and are very proud of this program.”
APA Executive Publisher Jasper Simons said the agreement directly supports APA’s mission to advance psychological science to benefit society and improve people’s lives. “Helping children in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank who may be subject to significant stress and trauma is very much in keeping with our mission,” he added. “We are delighted to work with UPA on this initiative.”
Magination Press titles that are included in this partnership are: Healing Days: A Guide for Kids Who Have Experienced Trauma bySusan Farber Strauss, PhD; Imagine a Rainbow: A Child’s Guide to Soothing Pain by Brenda S. Miles, PhD; Jenny Is Scared! When Sad Things Happen in the World by Carol Shuman, PhD; Max Archer, Kid Detective: The Case of the Wet Bed by Howard J. Bennett, MD; and A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma by Margaret M. Holmes.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes more than 117,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit www.apa.org.
United Palestinian Appeal is a non-partisan, non-sectarian American registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and activities in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. It works to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian people and strives to contribute to the long-term socioeconomic and cultural development of Palestinian communities. UPA’s focus areas are health and wellness, education, community and economic development.
Established in 1978, UPA is the oldest Palestinian-American non-profit organization working to support Palestinians. Throughout the years, UPA has allocated over $100 million for projects and programs in support of its mission. For more information, visit www.helpupa.org.
SOURCE United Palestinian Appeal
