The Project on Genocide, Psychiatry and Witnessing
Project Overview

Project Overview

The overall aim of the program is to develop innovative ways to understand and intervene with survivors of genocide through inter-disciplinary research. This program consists of two realms of study: intervention studies and cultural studies. Intervention studies aims to elucidate the scientific basis for helping survivors to recover from trauma and displacement through preventive, family and services approaches. Cultural studies aim to deepen the understanding of the human experience of survivors through ethnography, literary and testimony approaches. The program is currently conducting studies in all of the above areas, and in addition provides teaching, training, and consultation. The Project’s work has resulted in more than 40 publications.

The Project was co-founded in 1994 by Ivan Pavkovic M.D. and Stevan Weine M.D of the Department of Psychiatry. The Project is a group of Bosnians and Kosovar community associates, and interdisciplinary group of faculty associates from the University of Illinois at Chicago and other universities. Funders include the National Institute of Mental Health, the State of Illinois Department of Human Services, the Jewish Federation and family foundations. Collaborators include the Chicago Health Outreach, the Islamic Cultural Center and the Bosnian-Herzegovian American Cultural Center.