Continuous global conflicts affect the lives, safety, health, and well-being of people worldwide. Wars and other global crises have far-reaching and long-term effects on our human experiences, our understanding of justice, and our need for accountability.

Within the past few months, there have been a growing number of civil unrests, brutal attacks, and massacres in our global communities. Raptis (2023) explains that profound disruptions such as war, disaster, death, and mass violence can provoke responses such as stress, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. The effects of these types of traumatic events are ongoing and not only affect physical safety but also food access, clean and safe water, housing, and many other needs.

Understanding the impact that global conflicts have on our communities in Illinois is essential to the work we do in supporting our local areas in Extension. The information below provides resources and materials to enable meaningful conversations with others and is a follow-up to Support Yourself and Colleagues in Times of Conflict, a resource for Extension staff members from December 11, 2023 for approaching conflicts from a trauma-informed approach.

Understand Your Rights

Individual and group identity remain central topics of discussion during global crises or civil conflicts. There are different motivations for these conversations as people try to understand cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds and historical factors that shape people’s experiences. Whether those conversations are taking place in a professional setting or within personal spaces, it is essential to frame interactions from a place of humility with an openness to learn more, avoiding assumptions, especially those based on misinformation.

As an Illinois Extension staff person, you have a right to be treated fairly and participate in spaces free from discrimination. Your community members and program participants also have these rights. Included here is a list of resources that serve as a reminder of individual rights under Title VI which protects individuals from being discriminated against based on race, color, or national origin. In this list of resources, you will also find factsheets that specifically explain that Title VI prohibits discrimination against people of any religion, including individuals who are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, or Buddhist, when the discrimination, for example, involves:

• Racial, ethnic, or ancestral slurs or stereotypes;
• How a person looks, including skin color, physical features, or style of dress that reflects both ethnic and religious traditions; and
• A foreign accent; a foreign name, including names commonly associated with particular shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; or speaking a foreign language.

Resources

• USDA Fact Sheet: Know Your Rights Under Title VI: Protection from Discrimination Based on Actual or Perceived Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics
• United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights
  • The U.S. Department of Education Announces New Tools to Tackle Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Related Forms of Discrimination and Bias
  • Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics
  • Dear Colleague Letter: Discrimination, including Harassment, Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics

Build Opportunities for Civil Dialogue

As part of our Extension work, we provide an inclusive space for our community members to come together and learn reliable, research-based information. As part of this learning process, we provide an opportunity for our community members to participate in civil dialogue. Civil dialogue is:

1. Understanding the importance of respectful conversation in addressing challenging issues.
2. Recognizing that multiple influences affect the way that people think about issues.
3. Understanding and explaining the realms impacting community decision-making.
4. Identifying factors influencing the type of public input that may be appropriate in a given situation.
5. Recognizing situations in which dialogue may be appropriate and when it may not.

Resources

• Michigan State University Extension, Moving from Debate to Dialogue
• Missouri State University, Guide for Facilitating Dialogues: Dialogue facilitators can help provide a safe environment for discussion. This article explains various tips for using the dialogue process and also provides resources to use when facilitating.
• Duquesne University School of Nursing, What are the 6 Principles of Trauma-Informed Care: Trauma-informed care acknowledges any past trauma a person may have experienced. These six principles help guide the work of professionals with this lens.

Talking with Children

Families and other loved ones can provide a sense of safety and belonging. In times of crisis or war, children and youth may look to parents, guardians, or a trusted adult for an increase in these two things. It’s important when addressing the Gaza conflict and other wars with children to provide simple, truthful information that is developmentally appropriate. Create a space for honest conversations and be receptive to the child’s feelings about the conflict. Family stress rises during times of conflict and uncertainty, remember to find time to de-stress and allow children that space as well.

Resources

• UNICEF, How to Talk to Your Children about Conflict and War: Children turn to a trusted adult when they are concerned. Conversations about conflict can be hard for both the adult and the child. UNICEF provides tips on how to approach these conversations.
• Illinois Extension:
  • Helping Teenagers Deal with Disappointment: This blog help adults taking care of teenagers to look for signs of distress within their child and how to cope.
  • Helping Children Cope in Times of Stress (PDF): Health crises, financial stress, disruption to normal daily routines, uncertainty about national issues, and more can cause stress for children and adults. Whatever changes tough times bring, all family members feel the impact.
  • Talking to Your Children about War and Difficult Topics: Review simple steps for having an open conversation about difficult topics with children.
  • 3 Tips for Talking to Your Children about Historical Events: Trying to explain a lived historical event to your child can have some big emotions attached to them. Find tips on how to navigate that conversation.
• University of Illinois News Bureau, Parents Must Interpret War Talk for Kids

Strengthen Connections, Unite Against Hate

In the United States, there is a rise in reported incidents of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Arab racism at schools, college campuses, and communities. There are also documented incidents of violent crimes against people across the country and around the world because of their actual or perceived shared ancestry, cultural identity, and religious backgrounds. Illinois Extension is unequivocally against hateful and discriminatory speech and actions. Each of us has a role in addressing and combating hate in our communities and offices.

5 Ways to Fight Hate and Discrimination (UNICEF)

1. Celebrate other cultures.
2. Call out bigotry and hate speech.
3. Teach children kindness and how to talk about differences.
4. Act in solidarity – and intervene if it’s safe to do so.
5. Support human rights organizations.

 Resources

• UNICEF, USA, 5 Ways to Fight Hate and Discrimination
• Protecting Our Communities Together: Hate Crime Threat Response Guide
• U.S. Department of Justice:
  • Addressing Hate Targeting Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian Communities
• Protecting Places of Worship Through Education and Dialogue

Staff Support Resources

As our world changes with each global conflict, the effects are not just immediate. The long-term consequences of these atrocities against human rights are seen in the people who are killed (including children), the people who remain, the natural environment that is devastated, and the global community’s responsibilities and actions.

Many resources are available to University of Illinois employees for managing during times of conflict. Whether you have direct connections to others in the Gaza conflict zone or the emerging crises in countries such as Haiti, know that these resources are available to you.

• Employee Assistance programs 
• University of Illinois System Non-discrimination Statement 
• Report Discrimination and Harassment
• Navigating Difference Training
• USDA Title VI Complaint Filing Page: Know Your Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
• U.S. Department of Education: Leading Safe, Inclusive, and Nondiscriminatory Learning Environments During the War in the Middle East: Colleges and Universities (YouTube Video)

References

Raptis P. R. (2023). Building resilience by applying trauma-informed practices. Communication Education, 70(3), 301-304.