The Use of Nature to Address Psychosocial Wellbeing in Children Affected by Conflict

Abstract

Within academic fields little previous emphasis has been placed on the use of nature as a tool for peace-building and reconstruction. The psychosocial state of individuals in conflict scenarios is of paramount importance. Environmental psychology is highly relevant to the peace-building and reconstruction field. Ecotherapy - essentially access to and interaction with nature with the aim of improving psychosocial wellbeing - is well recognised and implemented in Western countries in various spheres but receives scant attention, if not exclusion, in post-crisis reconstruction of traumatised emerging societies. This is particularly pertinent in relation to children, who are responsive to, and benefit greatly from, nature's healing balm. This thesis addresses the current and potential application of nature-based therapy within psychosocial programming for children affected by conflict. It provides a general overview of the situational context of children in conflict scenarios, with specific focus on psychosocial interventions. Critical analysis of current interventions, as well as the use of ecotherapy within Western contexts, provides a correlative examination of nature-based interventions in conflict scenarios.