Majd's work must go on

My father, Majd Kamalmaz, is an award-winning humanitarian and psychotherapist who has served some of the world's most traumatized communities affected by war and natural disasters. His work came to an abrupt end when he was detained without charge when traveling to Syria to visit elderly family members and to provide mental health support to those traumatized by the war. February 15th 2021 marks four years since his disappearance. We, as his family, miss him terribly as do the communities he was working with and many more are left with little or no support. While we await news of him, we are committed to ensuring that his work supporting the mental health needs of communities suffering trauma around the world continues.  

We want to raise $10,000 by 15th July 2023 to begin our work with Be In Peace, the non-profit charity organization we formed to continue his life’s work, and launch our first pilot project. Please help us to do this by donating today!

My father felt called to serve those around the world in war-torn and disaster affected areas, from Kosova to Lebanon and also in the US in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He worked with local communities providing psychological support and trained local professionals and community groups in a culturally-sensitive way. He also provided funding (often out of his own pocket) so that local psycho-social workers and experts were able to provide much-needed, sustainable mental health support.

"For me, Majd was not only a humanitarian, but also a psychologist, a calm man with a good heart. I met him for the first time in 2000, when I asked him to help me with sessions for women affected by sexual violence in the war in Gjakova, Kosova. We miss him a lot. I would like nothing more in life than to be able to thank this generous man once again for everything he has done for the mothers and sisters of my city.” Shkendije Hoda, Director of the women’s NGO “Gjakova” in Kosova in a message sent to me over 20 years after she worked with my father.

THE CHALLENGE

According to UN Secretary-General, Antonio Gutierres, “there are now 80 million refugees around the world, making this the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in history.” “The overwhelming majority, 84% of the world’s refugees, are hosted in developing regions and their access to quality mental health care was already very limited even before the pandemic. Now ...with coronavirus causing great ..affliction, the need to invest in …mental health … is as critical as ever,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

Most recently, my father worked with Syrian refugees in Lebanon, where “the most common psychological disorders among adult refugees are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. (UNHCR Lebanon). Many refugees who flee to safety have survived physical violence including torture, trauma, and have borne witness to the atrocities of unabated armed conflict. Appropriate mental health support for those with affected by trauma is therefore essential to mitigate immediate and long-term consequences for individuals, families and communities.

THE SOLUTION

My father has helped thousands of survivors of trauma around the world and together with some of his former colleagues, I want to continue his work through Be In Peace, our not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization and:

1)     partnering with local community groups and NGOs to provide training and support on mental health in response to locally-identified need

2)     providing relief of extreme poverty through provision of food and basic needs alongside mental health support

3)     establishing a team of highly qualified volunteer mental health professionals from around the world, who will train local professionals in areas of need identified within the community

4)     supporting peacebuilding and community cohesion to break down barriers and bring people together

Due to COVID-19, we will initially provide much-needed training and support to local psychosocial workers and mental health professionals online.

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members” ~Mahatma Gandhi

My father often shared these inspiring words. Please help us to continue my father’s life mission by donating today to provide mental health and psychosocial training and support to some of the communities in greatest need around the world.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Maryam Kamalmaz