SEMINAR OF THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE COUNTRIES ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF DISASTERS

Abstract

On 21 and 22 September 2000, the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief and the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of the University of Ljubljana organised a seminar on the psychological aspects of disasters, which took place in the Training Centre for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief at Ig near Ljubljana. 55 researchers and practitioners from 13 central-European countries took part in the seminar. The main objectives of the seminar were: to offer an overview of research in the area of psychological aspects of disasters that has been carried out in CEI and other European countries, to encourage interaction between research psychologists and practitioners in the area of disaster management, and to propose possibilities for further co-operation. The seminar completely accomplished its goals, which were to give an overview of the state of research in the field of psychological aspects of disasters in CEI countries, and to acquaint participants with new findings in the field and establish a basis for further cooperation. It was agreed that similar expert meetings would be organised every two years in interested countries.