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Early Light Foundation

@earlylightfoundation

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Global charity dedicated to the mental health of war-affected children and their families. Host @wartraumaconference. Founder @childtraumaspecialist

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War trauma lives on in nervous systems, in family silences, in a generation that has learned to carry too much. This covening of experts and community will tackle the unanswered questions around how we should treat trauma at scale, effectively, and with cultural integrity?

We welcome you to be part of Early Light Foundation’s inaugural War Trauma Conference 2026!

When? September 19–20, 2026
Where? Amman, Jordan @ the Landmark Hotel, Under the Patronage of HRH Princess Ghida Talal.
Tickets: https://bit.ly/WTC-Tickets

This is a gathering of everyone who refuses to let war’s damage go unanswered. We have a seat here for you!

#WarTraumaConference #Event #MentalHealth #Amman #TraumaHealing taken in Amman, Jordan by @earlylightfoundation

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3 months ago

Early Light Foundation (ELF) is a global charity dedicated to the mental health of war trauma affected children and families in the Middle East and worldwide. Through clinical excellence, capacity enriching, robust research, and community outreach, ELF pioneers innovative, science-driven and culturally-grounded approaches to advance healing from war trauma. Through serving communities impacted by armed conflict and forced displacement, our work seeks to advance access to immediate and high quality clinical mental health services, as well as to long-term community strength and wellbeing across cultures and generations.

Our flagship programme, Healing for Gaza, is an emergency mental health intervention delivering trauma-specialised psychotherapy and psychiatric support to children, families, and frontline workers in active war settings. Our Global Clinic team also offers rigorous clinical supervision, scientific resources and self-care training in Arabic and English for mental health professionals and medical interpreters working in humanitarian crises.

مؤسسة شُروق الأمل هي منظمة خيرية عالمية مختصّة في أُمور الصحة النفسية للأطفال والعائلات المتضرّرة من الحروب في الشرق الأوسط وحول العالم. من خلال الفحص السريري، وتدريب القدرات، والبحث القوي، والتواصل المجتمعي، تُطوِّر مؤسسة شُروق الأمل فهمًا مُبتكرًا مدفوعًا بالعلم ومتجذّرًا بالثقافة. لتعزيز القدرة على الشفاء من صدمات الحروب. تسعى مؤسستنا إلى تسهيل الوصول لخدمات الصحة النفسية عالية الجودة للمجتمعات المتضرّرة من النزاعات المسلحة والنزوح القسري. لتعزيز قوة هذه المجتمعات ورفاهيتها من أجل الأجيال القادمة.

عنوان برنامجنا الرئيسي هو الشفاء من أجل غزة. نتدخل في حالات الطوارئ لتوفير العلاج النفسي المتخصص لعلاج الصدمات، وتقديم الدعم للأطفال والعائلات والعاملين في الخطوط الأمامية في أوضاع الحرب النشطة. يُقدِّم فريقنا الموارد العلمية، والإشراف السريري، والتدريب لرعاية النفس في الأزمات الإنسانية، باللغتين العربية والإنكليزية. by @earlylightfoundation

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5 months ago

James Baldwin’s statement that the children “are always ours, every single one of them”, reminds us that child’s right to safety should never depend on who they are, where they were born or whether the world chooses to recognise their suffering.

Yet Palestinian are too often denied not only protection, but the very recognition of childhood; treated as threats rather than as children deserving safety, dignity and care. In the article The Children Are Always Ours, authors Nadia Ben-Youssef and Cameron Rasmussen challenge the belief that the safety of one people must come at the expense of another. They call instead for collective safety, defined as a paradigm in which any individual’s safety is “directly and deeply interconnected to the safety of others.” They also remind us that not only children deserve care, but so do adults, which is our moral calling as humanitarians.

At Early Light Foundation, we believe that the healing of children cannot be separated from that of their parents and community, and mental health cannot be separated from the conditions in which people are forced to survive. Trauma therapy, as evidenced in our flagship programme Healing for Gaza, when offered with dignity and cultural resonance, can help restore identity, connection, agency and hope. Yet lasting healing also requires safety, justice and the possibility of a future.

Children are the minimum measure of our morality. Our vision must reach further: safety and dignity for everyone.

Inspired by Ben-Youssef and Rasmussen’s “The Children Are Always Ours: Palestinian Freedom, Abolitionist Social Relations, and Collective Safety” (2025).

#HealingforGaza #EarlyLightFoundation #PalestinianChildren #CollectiveSafety #ChildMentalHealth

⁨ يذكّرنا قول جيمس بالدوين أن الأطفال "أطفالنا دائمًا، كلّ واحدٍ منهم بلا استثناء" بأن حقّ كل طفل في الأمان يجب ألّا يتوقّف يومًا على هويته، أو مكان مولده، أو على ما إذا كان العالم يختار الاعتراف بمعاناته أم لا.

ومع ذلك، كثيرًا ما يُحرَم الأطفال الفلسطينيون ليس من الحماية فحسب، بل حتى من الاعتراف بطفولتهم؛ إذ يُعامَلون بوصفهم تهديدًا، لا أطفالًا يستحقون الأمان والكرامة والرعاية. وفي مقالهما "الأطفال أطفالنا دائمًا"، تتحدّى ناديا بن يوسف وكاميرون راسموس by @earlylightfoundation

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a month ago

One day. More moments than one post could hold.

Between the sessions, the smiles and the conversations, a shared commitment took shape: to understand more deeply, care more thoughtfully and keep showing up.

More glimpses from Day 1 of the War Trauma Conference, held under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Ghida Talal.

To our partners, sponsors, speakers and participants, thank you for bringing this gathering to life. 💛

Behind these moments, a rich programme:
• Opening by Dr. Alexandra Chen, Patron Remarks by HRH Princess Ghida Talal, and a keynote by Dr. Samah Jabr
• Plenary: When there is no “Post” to PTSD—What Works, What Doesn’t?
• Panels: Children & War Trauma; Somatics & Spirituality; Language & Interpretation; Men, Torture & Humiliation; Psychometrics & Measurement
• Working Group: Clinical Practice in War Trauma
• Workshops: Defining Terms: Trauma & Neuroscience; Meditation in Arabic; Healing for Gaza; Internal Family Systems (IFS); Multiplying Community Healing

Explore the full conference brochure: https://bit.ly/WTC-Agenda

يومٌ واحد… ولحظات أكثر مما يتّسع له منشور واحد.

بين الجلسات والابتسامات والأحاديث، جمعنا التزامٌ مشترك: أن نفهم بعمق أكبر، ونقدّم الرعاية بوعي أكثر، ونواصل الحضور لمساندة من يحتاجوننا.

لقطات أخرى من اليوم الأول لمؤتمر صدمات الحرب، الذي أُقيم تحت الرعاية الملكية لصاحبة السمو الملكي الأميرة غيداء طلال.

لشركائنا ورعاتنا والمتحدثين والمشاركين، شكراً لأنكم منحتم هذا اللقاء روحه. 💛

وراء هذه اللحظات، برنامجٌ غنيّ بالمعرفة والتجارب:
• افتتاح للدكتورة ألكسندرا تشين، وكلمة لراعية المؤتمر صاحبة السمو الملكي الأميرة غيداء طلال، ومحاضرة رئيسية للدكتورة سماح جبر
• جلسة عامة: حين يستمرّ الخطر، ولا تكون للصدمة «ما بعد»: ما الذي ينجح وما الذي لا ينجح في الرعاية؟
• جلسات حوارية: الأطفال وصدمات الحرب؛ المقاربات الجسدية والروحانية؛ اللغة والترجمة الشفهية؛ الرجال والتعذيب والإذلال؛ القياس النفسي وأدواته
• مجموعة عمل حول الممارسة السريرية
• ورش عمل: تحديد المصطلحات، الصدمات النفسية وعلوم الأعصاب؛ التأمّل باللغة العربية؛ الشفاء من أجل غزة؛ أنظمة الأسرة الداخلية (IFS)؛ توسيع نطاق التعافي المجتمعي
• حفل العشاء

اطّلعوا على كتيّب المؤتمر الكامل: https://bit.ly/WTC-Agenda

#WarTraumaConference #Day1 #Recap #Amman #MentalHealth by @earlylightfoundation

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2 days ago

The room was full. So was the purpose.

Day one of the War Trauma Conference brought people together to listen, question and imagine what care can become.

Under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Ghida Talal, and with our partners, sponsors, speakers and participants, we began a conversation that reaches far beyond the room.

Thank you for bringing your knowledge, your humanity and your hope.

Day 1 featured:
• Opening by Dr. Alexandra Chen, Patron Remarks by HRH Princess Ghida Talal, and a keynote by Dr. Samah Jabr
• Plenary: When there is no “Post” to PTSD—What Works, What Doesn’t?
• Panels: Children & War Trauma; Somatics & Spirituality; Language & Interpretation; Men, Torture & Humiliation; Psychometrics & Measurement
• Working Group: Clinical Practice in War Trauma
• Workshops: Defining Terms: Trauma & Neuroscience; Meditation in Arabic; Healing for Gaza; Internal Family Systems (IFS); Multiplying Community Healing

Many perspectives. One shared commitment to care.
Explore our conference brochure: https://bit.ly/WTC-Agenda

امتلأت القاعة بالحضور، وجمعتنا غاية واحدة.

جمع اليوم الأول من مؤتمر صدمات الحرب أشخاصاً جاؤوا ليصغوا، ويسألوا، ويتخيّلوا كيف يمكن للرعاية أن تصل أبعد.

تحت الرعاية الملكية لصاحبة السمو الملكي الأميرة غيداء طلال، وبمشاركة شركائنا ورعاتنا والمتحدثين والمشاركين، بدأنا حواراً يمتد أثره إلى ما وراء جدران القاعة.

شكراً لكل من أضفى على هذا اللقاء علماً وإنسانيةً وأملاً.

تضمّن برنامج اليوم الأول:
• االكلمات الافتتاحية: الدكتورة ألكسندرا تشين، وكلمة راعية المؤتمر صاحبة السمو الملكي الأميرة غيداء طلال، ومحاضرة رئيسية للدكتورة سماح جبر
• جلسة عامة: حين لا يكون هناك "ما بعد" في اضطراب ما بعد الصدمة: ما الذي ينجح وما الذي لا ينجح؟
• جلسات حوارية: الأطفال وصدمات الحرب؛ المقاربات الجسدية والروحانية؛ اللغة والترجمة الشفهية؛ الرجال والتعذيب والإذلال؛ القياس النفسي وأدواته
• مجموعة عمل حول الممارسة السريرية
• ورش عمل: تحديد المصطلحات، الصدمات النفسية وعلوم الأعصاب؛ التأمّل باللغة العربية؛ الشفاء من أجل غزة؛ أنظمة الأسرة الداخلية (IFS)؛ توسيع نطاق التعافي المجتمعي

وجهات نظر متعددة، والتزامٌ مشترك بالرعاية.

اطّلعوا على كتيّب المؤتمر: https://bit.ly/WTC-Agenda

#WarTraumaConference #Day1 #Recap #Amman #MentalHealth by @earlylightfoundation

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2 days ago

Conversations about trauma cannot end when a conference does.
At Transform Trauma Oxford 2026, our team shared the work of Healing for Gaza and connected with people thinking deeply about care for communities living through conflict and displacement.
Thank you to everyone who visited our booth, asked questions, shared their perspectives and considered what sustained, culturally responsive support can look like. We leave Oxford with new connections and a renewed commitment to the work ahead.
The conversation continues. So does the care.
Photos courtesy of @masterseventsltd.
#EarlyLightFoundation #TransformTraumaOxford2026 #WarTrauma #TraumaInformedCare #CulturallyResponsiveCare #MentalHealthInConflict #HealingBeyondTheConference by @earlylightfoundation

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5 days ago

Some gatherings end when the room empties.
This one leaves with us.

Held under the gracious patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Ghida Talal, the War Trauma Conference brought together people from different countries, disciplines and lived realities around one urgent question:
What if there is no “post” to PTSD?

We are deeply grateful to Her Royal Highness for lending her patronage and support to a conversation of such profound humanitarian importance.

For two days in Amman, we did not gather to offer easy answers. We gathered to listen more deeply, challenge familiar assumptions and explore what meaningful care can look like when conflict, displacement and loss are not safely in the past.

To every speaker who shared their knowledge and humanity, every participant who listened with openness, and every partner, sponsor, interpreter, volunteer and team member who made this gathering possible: thank you.

Thank you for the questions you asked, the experiences you trusted us with and the connections you carried beyond the conference rooms.

Over the coming days, we’ll be sharing the amazing memories we created together at the War Trauma Conference in Amman, what made these two days so special. We hope to create more opportunities like this — to learn, to heal, and to grow together.

The War Trauma Conference may have concluded, but the conversations, and our shared responsibility, continue.

With deep gratitude,
Early Light Foundation

#WarTraumaConference #WTC2026 #EarlyLightFoundation #TraumaInformedCare #MentalHealth

تنتهي بعض اللقاءات عندما تفرغ القاعة.
أما هذا اللقاء، فيبقى معنا.

برعاية كريمة من صاحبة السمو الملكي الأميرة غيدا طلال، جمع مؤتمر الصدمات النفسية للحرب أشخاصاً من بلدان وتخصصات وتجارب حياتية مختلفة، حول سؤال ملحّ واحد:

ماذا لو لم يكن هناك «ما بعد» لاضطراب ما بعد الصدمة؟

نعرب عن عميق امتناننا لصاحبة السمو الملكي على رعايتها ودعمها لهذا الحوار ذي الأهمية الإنسانية العميقة.

على مدى يومين في عمّان، لم نجتمع لنقدّم إجابات سهلة، بل اجتمعنا لنصغي بعمق أكبر، ونتحدى الافتراضات المألوفة، ونستكشف كيف يمكن أن تبدو الرعاية الحقيقية والهادفة حين لا يكون النزاع والنزوح والفقدان مجرد أحداث آمنة من الماضي.

إلى كل متحدث شاركنا معرفته وإنسانيته، وكل مشارك by @earlylightfoundation

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9 days ago

Oxford finished on Thursday and almost immediately I got on a plane to Jordan. Some people might say that was a silly thing to do and on Friday morning I also thought it was an extremely silly thing to do 😂. I was exhausted. But I knew I wanted to support Alexandra, Mike and the team, and that this conference mattered.

It was the first conference Alexandra and the @earlylightfoundation had ever produced and, as someone who knows how hard conferences are to run, I thought they did an incredible job.

We talk so much about trauma-informed care, nervous system regulation and psychological safety. Being in Jordan reminded me how important it is that this knowledge reaches people living alongside war, displacement and uncertainty every day.

But the experience that affected me most came once the conference was over. On Monday, I travelled with Mike, Alexandra, @bessel_van, @skypeacesong, @lindakthai and Shekufai to Za’atari, a camp for Syrian refugees. At its height, around 160,000 people lived there.

We were told people have around 35 litres of water per person per week for everything. This is what we use in half a day! Some children born there struggle to draw trees because they see so few. Some struggle with stairs because they’ve spent their lives living on one level. Many have never left the camp. It’s heartbreaking.

Then I saw what Mike and his team at Inner Safety Project have created - Music. Art. Photography. Psychoeducation. Group work. Sport. Even a recording studio. All freely available to the children living there. I oscillated between tears & absolute wonder at the love, energy and humanity behind it.

Days earlier I had been in Oxford with thousands of people talking about trauma and healing. Then I was in Jordan watching that knowledge become something tangible. A safe place to go. Someone who sees you.

Being there reminded me why we do what we do, and of our responsibility to keep finding ways for this work to reach the places where it is so deeply needed.

I came home exhausted, humbled, inspired and incredibly grateful that I went. Please check out Mike’s work with the Inner Safety Project here - https://innersafetyproject.org by @earlylightfoundation

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10 days ago

Photos shared in Her Royal Highness @princessghidatalal Princess Ghida Talal’s post. Her presence and support helped bring attention to the profound psychological wounds inflicted by ongoing violence.

I was honored to deliver the opening keynote at the War Trauma Conference 2026, speaking about trauma when there is no “post.”

It was meaningful to see mental health given such a visible place in a space that brought together professionals, humanitarian actors, and decision-makers, as well as young professionals from across the Arab world who are deeply committed to producing knowledge from our own experiences, contexts, and lived realities.

My thanks go to the Early Light Foundation, the King Hussein Cancer Center, and all the partners, organizers, and sponsors for bringing this conference together and creating a space for meaningful exchange.

@azzamfakh
@khcfkhcc
@childtraumaspecialist taken in LandmarkAmman Hotel by @earlylightfoundation

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12 days ago

#repost
@princessghidatalal

It was an honor to serve as patron of the Early Light Foundation’s groundbreaking conference in Jordan. The mission of the Foundation and the fearless work of its leader, Dr. Alexandra Chen, are nothing short of heroic: bringing the world’s attention to the profound wounds that war inflicts on the mind, and to the relentless trauma the people of Gaza continue to endure.

سررتُ كثيرا بافتتاح مؤتمر صدمات الحرب ٢٠٢٦ الذي نظمته
"مؤسسة شروق الأمل" ومبادرة "الشفاء من أجل غزة "، لدعم كل مَن يعاني نفسيّا بسبب الحرب، وذلك من خلال أنظمة متكاملة وخبرات متخصّصة وبيئة آمنة. وتمّ تكريس ذلك اليوم لمساندة أهل غزة في معاناتهم المستمرّة.

#MentalHealth
#الصحة_النفسية by @earlylightfoundation

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12 days ago

Honored to be part of the War Trauma Conference. A gathering where knowledge, compassion, and purpose came together to inspire meaningful change. taken in ATICO Fakhreldin Group by @earlylightfoundation

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13 days ago

What happens to childhood when safety, innocence and the possibility of a future are repeatedly disrupted by war?

Today at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026, Dr Alexandra Chen will explore “unchilding” and the psychological realities of children and families affected by war and displacement. Drawing on her clinical work across Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, she will examine how trauma healing can integrate spirituality, culture, community and meaning-making alongside therapeutic practice.

Her session will consider what happens when grief, fear and uncertainty become part of everyday childhood, and how approaches rooted in spirituality, cultural identity and relational safety can help create pathways towards healing. She will also reflect on the realities of delivering mental health care in contexts shaped by armed conflict, displacement and profound loss.

On “Unchilding”: Spirituality & Healing Trauma in War & Displacement

📅 15 September 2026
🕓 16:30–18:00 UK
📍 The Randolph Ballroom, Randolph Hotel, Oxford

#TransformTraumaOxford #HealingforGaza #EarlyLightFoundation #WarTrauma #MentalHealth by @earlylightfoundation

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19 days ago