re. current sitation and activities 2025, July 17, 2025 letter from Fr Paul Satkunanayagam PDF Fr-Paul-July-2025.pdf Project work in Batticaloa, Eastern Province, led to a second phase of the Health to Peace approach led to formation of a local NGO called the Butterfly Peace Garden, in Batticaloa in 1995 to provide site-based play program for affected children through a network of schools in both ethnic communities in the district , . [2000 REF].
In the second phase of the Sri Lankan project a community based organization was established in 1996 to provide a ‘zone of peace’ with a holistic creative arts experience ethnically mixed groups of local children. The Butterfly Peace Garden in Batticaloa, Eastern Sri Lanka is an innovative and highly acclaimed program that addresses the need for psychosocial programming in a complex conflict and natural disaster setting.
The work of Paul Hogan … links
In the early phase of developing its trauma sensitive programming I adapted the visual diagram of the genogram into a guided interview utilizing a painted canvas mat and cards to help a child to talk about their lived family experience, and their time at the BPG.
Chase R, Doney A, et al., Mental Health Initiatives as Peace Initiatives in Sri Lankan Schoolchildren. Affected by Armed Conflict Medicine, Conflict and Survival Vol 15, 379-390 (1999)
Paul Hogan http://www.ashoka.org/node/3573
Research to help develop the psychodynamics aspects of the program came with the proviso not to use questionnaires and psychological checklists as they are inimical to the expressive process and the program’s philosophy. In a two year project an activity called the Amma Appa Journey (Mother Father Journey) was designed for children with psychological distress using a genogram-based game depicting the household, presentnand past, with cards and markers on a large canvas mat following a guided enquiry into life and family circumstances (Figure 4). The intension was to facilitate comfortable expression through the creative task and respectful listening. The typical session took one to two hours with a closing process to honor feelings and evoked memories. Twenty. children participated in baseline and follow up sessions in the program evaluation research which included home and teacher interviews, and reported as a case series
A ‘trauma healing’ programme has been developed in a quiet area for personal story telling called the ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’, where innovative games and interview methods are used to facilitate trauma-healing. This involves one-on-one sessions with a trained and attentive counsellor. It combines healing meditations and rituals (earth-centred, universal, cross- denominational), and therapeutic interview techniques based on the child’s genogram (kinship diagram) using cards and markers for events and situations appropriate to the social problems and living in a war zone.
Over years and other pilot projects, the activity evolved into the Life Story Board [2008 REF], as a tool in qualitative research and in counselling and therapeutic applications. Since 2010, this has been his main area of research.
Paul Hogan wrote in a project newsletter
“a quotation from Paul: “ The Butterfly Garden has become a very pleasant place to be, and beautifully suited to its purpose. It’s a great place to hang out and it seems the kids and people of Batticaloa agree. At present we do programs with the kids on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and all day Saturday and Sunday. About 150 children are coming: a third of them Muslim, the rest Tamil, Hindu and Christian, ranging in age from 6 to 18. It is not uncommon for them to have had four or five deaths (by murder, military or other mayhem) in their families quite early in life. Fr. Paul elicits their stories using the “genogram”, a tool designed to help children talk about traumatic experiences. The kids ordinarily comment on the run of genogram cards with calm thoughtfulness, usually replying to Fr. Paul’s questions with a candor that seems remarkable in light of the unspeakable calamities they have experienced. My heart goes out to them. In a way, these children have become my little heroes – they have endured so much, yet still they are ready to laugh and to play.”
Womens program Womens-program.pdf
Wall painting Wall-painting.pdf
Teachers Program Teachers-Program.pdf
Street Drama Street-Drama.pdf
School Program School-Program.pdf
Celebrating Families Celebrating-Families.pdf