Thousands of precious lives were lost and victimized in the disastrous Southeastern Iran Earthquake in December 2003. We cannot help but feel deeply sorry for those who lost their homes and properties, whose lives of family members, relatives and friends were taken away forever.
The awareness that the hearts and minds of disaster victims should be cared for attracted a considerable attention from the Japanese society and media after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and was largely taken into consideration for the first time.
It takes days, months, or years for the victims' wounded hearts and minds to heal. In some cases, disaster victims end up carrying the pain for a longer period of time because they are unaware of the fact that their physical or mental malfunction is resulting from the pain in their hearts and minds, and are unable to receive necessary treatment when it is needed.
Understanding how to care for wounded hearts and minds is not just essential for those who directly communicate with the disaster victims, but all of us in the society. Some people may become foster parents and such knowledge may help better communicate with child victims for the first time. Or we could come across disaster victims as our new neighbors, classmates, or colleagues as they try to get back to their ordinary lives after some time from the disaster. Furthermore, it is quite possible that one day we may experience a disaster and carry wounded hearts and minds in ourselves.
Unfortunately, sufficient understanding about disasters and wounded hearts and minds is still unknown to many people in Japan. This could also be assumed about the situation in Iran, after the Southeastern Iran Earthquake in 2003. Based on this circumstance, I decided to pick up the Japanese booklet published after the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, translate it into Persian, make copies and then distribute them for free in Iran, with the aim to help the disaster victims.
Publishing of this booklet was made possible with the support of collaborators who believe that this work is meaningful. I sincerely hope that the use of this will soothe the pain in the hearts and minds of the disaster victims.
English title: Healing the Hearts and Minds of Disaster Victims
Language used: Persian
Document size: A5
Total page: 20 (including front cover)
Publisher: Ikumi Ozawa (International Christian University)
Date published: June 10, 2004
Original texts: Disaster, Hearts and Minds (Disaster Victim Assistance Program), Basic Methods and Manners of Disaster Victim Support (Tokyo Metropolitan General Center of Mental Health Welfare)
Booklet copies are available to be distributed to as many Persian readers as possible, from those who communicate with disaster victims on daily basis to general readers who would like to keep a copy as a reference. However, most part of the booklet is not written for the disaster victims to read. Please remember that showing the content of the booklet to the victims may not be appropriate.
Volunteers are wanted for distribution the copies.
The booklet copies for distribution are almost over and we need no more volunteers. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Responsible volunteers are wanted to distribute the copies in Iran, or any community outside of Iran where Persian is spoken. Please distribute them to a wide range of people from colleagues at work, relatives and friends, as well as anyone else in the community outside of organizations, hospitals, and schools that are already active supporters of the victims.
The publisher will pay for shipping fee for the volunteers in Japan. If you'd like to work as a volunteer, please contact the publisher below. One order includes 50 copies.
Ikumi Ozawa (Ms.) at International Christian University
Fax: 0422-33-3631 (Addressed to "Ikumi Ozawa, Department of JLP")
E-mail: ozawa@icu.ac.jp
Telephone: 0422-33-3343
* Faxes and E-mails are preferred
You can request for receiving free copies.
Since few numbers of copies left, we cannot accept orders any more. However, very limited copies are still available. If you want it, please contact webmaster of "The door to Iran", virastar (). Otherwise, please make a use of the PDF of the booklets. Thank you.
If you'd like to receive a copy for your own use, an order can be made from 1 copy (within Japan only,) however, shipping fee cannot be provided. Ordering process is as follows: (i) Write down your name, mailing address and the number of copies you need on a piece of paper, as they'd be written down on an envelope (it'll be attached to the parcel.), (ii) Stamps needed for shipping (postage as shown below.), (iii) Send (i) and (ii) to the address below with "Booklet request" written on the back of the envelope.
Ikumi Ozawa
International Christian University
Japanese Language Programs
3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8585
Postage
1 copy
¥120
2–3 copies
¥140
4 copies
¥200
5 copies
¥240
6–16 copies
¥390
17–40 copies
¥500
PDF download
PDF of the booklet is welcome to be downloaded and printed out for non-sales purposes only (copyright is protected.) Acrobat Reader (or Adobe Reader) is required for viewing. Printing is best with size A5 papers.
You can download the latest version of the Adobe Reader (Acrobat Reader) here.