Spiritan Life No. 15 -- January 2006 -- Torre d'Aguilha -- CONTENTS -- Editorial -- (pg 1) -- First Evangelisation in East Cameroon, Daniel Taba -- (pg 3) -- Missionary contribution to the local church in Zimbabwe, Leo Eke. -- (pg 11) -- Mission today in conflict and post-conflict situations: Angola, Barnabe Sakulenga -- (pg 16) -- The case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Oscar Ngoy -- (pg 21) -- The situation of conflict and post-conflict in Sierra Leone, Gabriel Luseni -- (pg 25) -- Refugee Ministry in Tanzania, Msilanga Vedastus Babu -- (pg 30) -- Ministry to Aids Victims, Festo Adrabo -- (pg 35) -- New Commitments – Taiwan, Jean-Paul Hoch -- (pg 39) -- The Joys and Challenges of the older provinces: Germany, Peter Marzinkowski -- (pg 46) -- Joys and Challenges for the Spirltan Mission in France, Christian Berton -- (pg 53) -- The province of Ireland confronts its Challenges while counting its Blessings, Pat Palmer -- (pg 59)

Background: A war broke out in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992 and lasted until 1995. The war had devastating consequences for people's mental health as they were exposed to several traumatic experiences during the war. Studies show that mental illness is prevalent in war refugees several years after they have experienced war and resettled in a new country. Previous traumatic experiences and the socio-economic conditions that arise after migrating to a foreign country are two factors that increase the risk of mental illness among war refugees. Aim: The aim in this study is to understand war refugees' experiences of social support in Sweden. Method: This is a qualitative interview study with eight war refugees from Bosnia- Herzegovina who fled to Sweden during or after the war in the 90’s. Results/conclusion: The social support mentioned in these eight statements has been categorized in different systems. Additionally, risk- and protective factors have been identified and placed in the systems. The following six systems were identified: family, immediate vicinity, employment, government agency/organization/agencies, professionals and other. Having a supportive and present family was found to increase resistance to various types of risk factors when migrating to a foreign country. Additionally, it was found that socializing with people of the same ethnic background could be both a risk- and a protective factor. Even employment served as a protective factor as the refugees' focus was on work and not their trauma. It was also found that some agencies acted as protective factors and some as risk factors, depending on which refugee was asked. All refugees mentioned specific professionals who helped with interpretation, among other things, these persons acted as protective factors. It was also found that old age, limited language skills and discrimination based on prejudices about Bosnian refugees acted as risk factors. These risk- and protective factors affected the war refugees' mental health and their integration and adaptation to Sweden as a new home country. All in all, we see that Sweden has been a haven for refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina and enabled a second chance for refugees from Bosnia- Herzegovina.

La investigación ha abordado los contactos oficiales y extraoficiales entre España y la Unión Soviética durante el siglo XX, y, especialmente, se ha centrado en la proyección del modelo soviético desplegado por las Asociaciones de Amistad, tales como la Sección Española de los Amigos de la Unión Soviética y la Asociación España - URSS, como un medio de calibrar su impacto en España. Asimismo, se ha prestado atención a las asociaciones de amistad británicas para comparar el relativo éxito de estas asociaciones en los dos países. Las principales fuentes utilizadas han sido los fondos VOKS y SODD, procedentes de los archivos estatales rusos, documentos privados de las Asociaciones y testimonios, los cuales han sido cruciales para comprender estas asociaciones, los problemas que encararon así como sus éxitos y fracasos. Las Asociaciones de Amistad con la Unión Soviética fueron un medio de difundir ideales - el antifascismo y la coexistencia pacífica- defendidos por el gobierno Soviético. Así, estas asociaciones constituyeron un tipo de diplomacia popular. En términos generales, la gente que creía en un modelo diferente al capitalista se unió a estas asociaciones y proveyeron ejemplos de respecto en un mundo multicultural. Debido a ello, su mensaje no es obsoleto en el mundo de hoy. / The research deals with the official and unofficial contacts between Spain and the Soviet Union, focussing particularly on those perceptions of the latter disseminated through the various Friendship societies, such as the Spanish Friends of the Soviet Union and the Spain - USSR Society. As a way of assessing their impact in Spain, a chapter is dedicated to the British Friendship societies, which will compare the relative successes of these societies in the two countries. The main sources utilized have been the VOKS and SSOD files from the Russian Federation archives, private documents of the societies and testimonies, which have been crucial to understanding these associations, the problems they faced, as well as their successes and failures.The friendship societies with the Soviet Union were a way of spreading ideals -antifascism and peaceful coexistence - championed by the Soviet government. As such, these societies were a type of popular diplomacy. Broadly speaking, people who believed in a different model than capitalism joined these associations and they provided examples of respect in a multicultural world. Because of that, their message is not obsolete in today's world.