Meaning and mass trauma among first and second generation Greek Genocide Survivors

Abstract

This study will examine meaning, resiliency, coping and post traumatic stress symptomatology among first and second generation Greek genocide survivors of Asia Minor and Pontus of the Ottoman Empire.   Although historical research documents the genocide of the Greeks in the Ottoman Empire, there are no scientific research studies pertaining to the psychosocial and spiritual impact of this tragedy on the Greek populations.

This project is truly a deep service to our ancestors, who in fact through these present day efforts, channel a message to the world community to aid in understanding the affects of war, genocide and the prevention of world division.  This study will replicate a previous study conducted by Dr. Kalayjian et al on the coping, resilience, and meaning of Armenian survivors of the Ottoman Turkish Genocide.

In a groundbreaking move, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) has voted overwhelmingly to recognize as genocides the massacres of Assyrians and Greek populations of the Ottoman Empire between 1914 and 1923.  The Resolution declares the “It is he conviction of the International Association of Genocide Scholars that the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923 constituted a genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks.”  It “calls upon the government of Turkey to acknowledge the genocides against these populations, to issue a formal apology, and to take prompt and meaningful steps toward restitution.”  The resolution also states “the denial of genocide is widely recognized as the final stage of genocide, enshrining impunity for the perpetrators of genocide, and demonstrable pacing the way for future genocides.” www.genocidetext.net/iags_resolution_supporting_documentation.htm.  For other information kindly visit: http://www.greek-genocide.org/press.html and http://www.greek-genocide.org/books.html and http://www.greek-genocide.org/documents.html  and http://www.greek-genocide.org/bibliography.html.

About 100 first and second generation survivors of the Greek genocide will be recruited for this study. First the study will look into selected cases of survivors (born before 1923) who had witnessed the Ottoman Turkish Genocide.  Once this population is exhausted then the study will focus on the decedents.  The theoretical framework of this study will be the meaning theory, resiliency, denial, anger and PTSD in relation to Greek Genocide survivors.

The hypotheses are:

1.   Survivors with low scores in the measure of meaning will score high in PTSD.

2.   Survivors with low scores in the measure of meaning will score high in anger as measured by the Anger State Trait Inventory.

3.   Survivors with high scores in the measure of meaning will score low in anger.

4.   Survivors with high scores in the measure of meaning with score high in resiliency as measured with the resiliency scale.

The demographic section of the study will collect data on age, gender, migration status (year of entry in US or Greece), religious affiliation as well as instruments re meaning, altruism, resiliency, anger and PTSD. Social and clinical implications as well as limitations of the study will be discussed and further directions will be given for future research on genocide survivors.

The research team includes: Drs. Kalayjian, Pipinelli, Ms. Galanis, and Ms. Thasites.

Good intentions are no longer enough. I wanted to support humanity in my own way. Meaningful World was a natural way for me to help the victims of tsunami.

So many systems have failed us and as we transition from failed models, attitudes and behaviors that are polarizing, destructive and failing all around us I could not just sit back, be overwhelmed and do nothing… I am doing something with Meaningful World.

Meaningful World cultivates well-being, relatedness, a deep awareness and understanding how to elevate some of the world's suffering. Our choices impact all living systems and I choose to be an agent of good.