The main aim of the manual is to provide those responsible for MHPSS in emergencies with a reference document that can help them in the practical implementation of their activities with a community-based approach. Some of the activities aimed at strengthening the social fabric and helping people overcome their distress described in the manual include sociocultural, artistic, and educational programs and workshops, sport and play, rituals and celebrations, counselling and clinical and social support for those with severe mental disorders. The manual describes ways to integrate mental health and psychosocial support in other activities, like livelihood support, protection of vulnerable cases, and conflict transformation.
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Given the increase in humanitarian and emergency situations related to disease outbreaks and public health emergencies, natural disasters, and refugee situations and violent conflict, UNICEF’s Communication for Development (C4D) Section is increasing efforts to synthesize and learn from these experiences. This allows the team to regularly inform technical support to national and local partners, facilitate cross-regional learning and strengthen its approach to humanitarian action and emergency response.
y unearthing the connections between the literatures on participatory communication and civic engagement with the reality of postconflict peace, this article demonstrates how a communication for development (C4D) approach to engaging citizens in peacebuilding contributes to strengthening the reconstruction process at the end of the violence, while engendering a bottom up process based on dialogue and inclusivity. After offering a brief overview of the peacebuilding contexts, this article presents a theoretical discussion that brings to the surface not only the role of C4D in facilitating citizens participation in government decision making, but also its significance in creating an inclusive peacebuilding process that starts from the community. At the same time, this discussion begins to shed light on the relationship between communication for development and participatory governance.