Remembrance
December is always a stressful month for many people. In my case, it feels like a physical tiredness, a heavy blanket over my body. Interestingly, on the evening of the 17th, the blanket lifts, and the tiredness is gone, as if blown away by a fresh wind.
The 17th of December is not just the day when we remember humanitarian workers worldwide who were killed, injured, or taken and held hostage – this date in 1996 has both a collective and deeply personal significance. On that early Tuesday morning at 3 a.m., now 28 years ago, there was a premeditated attack on the ICRC field hospital in Noyve Atagi, Chechnya (Russia), with the intended purpose of killing as many humanitarian workers as possible. Six of my colleagues were shot in their bedrooms. I was personally lucky to escape with only a bullet wound.
For many, such attacks not only contribute to collective trauma but also have deep and unintended negative consequences for many individuals, both near and far. These consequences range from dealing with direct personal injuries (mental, emotional, as well as physical) to grappling with loss, grief, and guilt.
Personally, I don’t feel that I am particularly well-equipped to deal with death (maybe very few people are). It is a topic often marginalized, and in Western society, it is not well understood, other than the fact that when we die, we lose our physical bodies, and life as we know it ends.
Maybe the poem "Spirits," by Birago Diop, can help us understand death and the dead a bit better. It arises from a culture where “the dead are not dead,” where those who have gone before us become ancestors. In this context, naming them becomes important, acknowledging their achievements and saying THANK YOU for their contributions is necessary.
While remembrance can happen on any day, setting aside a day shortly before the mid-winter solstice, when darkness is longest (in the northern hemisphere), is symbolic. Lighting a candle and tying a white ribbon to a tree become acts of acknowledgment of the achievements of those who have gone before, and yet are still present.
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Christoph Hensch
Author, Keynote Speaker, Space Holder on Ending Burnout Culture in Humanitarian and Human Rights Movements
1 个月This is beautiful Christophe. Honouring the dead, and our grief in the process, is so powerful and healing. And I love you reference to the dead becoming our ancestors, worthy of our gratitude. It reminds me of the book The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller - a wonderful testament to how the ritual of grief and honouring the dead can heal us. And I'm so glad to hear about the launch of your new publication - such important work.
Im Einsatz, mein Wissen und meine Erfahrung einzubringen
2 个月Wunderbar
It's all about the people. Supporting with the best tools.
2 个月Very very good and needed Christoph Hensch and Sébastien Couturier. And thank you for again sharing your tragic story from Dec 17, 1996. Every time I hear about it, I see your evolution of your relationship with that trauma, and your refocus of what value it can bring to others struggling in ways you struggled. For me, the value of peer support is embodied in the concept that others further up the road can give insights to those further back, and sometimes in a fog. I believe these other initiatives are complementary to yours: Duty of Care Alliance: early days of gathering and sharing stories and practices of Duty of Care implementation (good, bad and ugly). Proper Support Recovery Consulting: Working with individual aid workers and organizations to navigate the fog of recovery from traumatic and complex injury. Protect Humanitarians: Advocating for better protection of humanitarian aid workers. And many more. Looking forward to the next edition of The Phoenix!
Formation - Conseil - Accompagnement: Triptyque de prévention des risques psycho- sociaux: Sécurité- santé- Interculturalité: Salariés, volontaires, bénévoles, étudiants, managers
2 个月Merci Christoph de ce témoignage poignant, touchant en mémoire des collègues RC&RC. Oui je crois que ces personnes continuent d'être présents, aux c?tés de celles et ceux engagés auprès des populations en souffrance. La mémoire faut partie du deuil collectif et individuel. Do take care and thank you