A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mary Stylidi to discuss a specific aspect of the Syrian refugee crisis that deserves recognition among the international community. While many do discuss the plight of Syrians, the political situation in the civil war, or the journey to other countries, research and news coverage is lacking in terms of what goes in within the refugee camps where countries house Syrians.
Dr. Mary Stylidi, who works in the Greek Ministry of Education, Research, and Religious Affairs, also hold positions as External Expert in Aleppo for UNHCR and Regional Commissioner for Unaccompanied Minor Refugees in Greece on behalf of UNHCR. Her background ranges from occupational therapy to disaster psychology, having worked with vulnerable populations around the world. To put it simply, Mary is an incredible person who is doing some amazing work right now, work that most people would not think to engage in.
In this video, she discusses her research into refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, focusing on an illness within the communities that goes beyond what we know as PTSD. Due to intense trauma adults and children have faced due to conflicts and exacerbated by conditions in camps and lack of support systems, refugees face what Mary calls Human Devastation Syndrome. Watch the video above to learn more about Mary, her research, and what the international business community can do to help.
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