Irene Bush has the Psycho-Social Support PSS for young people at terre des hommes schweiz . Irene Bush is now retiring and will remain with terre des hommes schweiz as a consultant. Reason enough to talk to her about the guiding principles of her work, about Justice and a sense of community, the principle of hope and their commitment to young people from North and South in precarious situations.
“My path is not a straightstraighta lot of things have just happened.” When Irene Bush says something, it’s clear and she means it. I meet with my colleague at the office of terre des hommes switzerland at the Laufenstrasse in Basel. After over 20 years of commitment vacates she her workplace these days in order to us as a new pensioner continue in the work with young people with young people.
Irene Bush has contributed significantly to the fact that terre des hommes switzerland has acquired a core competence in the Psycho-Social support of young peopleshort PSS (Psycho social Support). The technical terms solution focussed approach (SFA) belong in the same chapter. Focused approach) and youth participation – words that are not immediately obvious to outsidersin the concrete work with particularly vulnerable young people in southern Africa, Latin America and Switzerland however great miracles on a small scale on a small scale.
Step by step to the goal
With the youngparticipantsend in PSS workshops one thing is particularly important, says Irene Bush“Not being left to their own devices, gaining hope and having the courage to take possible changes into their own hands and implement them step by step..” What sounds simple soundsrequires for you as a specialist much empathy, self-knowledge and openness, so that young people to overcome their paralyzing negativity overcomegain confidence and develop a positive energyenergy.
“The young people come and go and we at terre des hommes switzerland are simply a station in their lives”, says them. “The most important thing, what we can give them is that they can themselves and know how to bring about change and make decisions in a self-determined way. can.”
Using the leeway
Irene Bush, who founded the PSS specialist unit of terre des hommes switzerland has built up, does not preach from the pulpit. Instead, she lives out what she believes in , üeverywhere and at all times. Even with yourself st she applies the motto “think positive”, “think positive”. When asked about her slipped disc, she explains that the first thing to do is to take a close look: Is it even a problem? “You can learn to live with permanent restrictions, as well as possible deal with them.“ Sometimes there is a “framework”, external circumstances that cannot be changed.hessen. It’s worth it the resistance does not. Rather, she is concerned with the “exceptions in the system“ to recognize, says Irene Bush“There are a lot of small Things we can change. We simply have to see them and use the leeway use it.”
“Everyone should have the same opportunities,” says Irene Bush. The recordings are from a workshop that terre des hommes schweiz held with young migrants in summer 2019.
We leave the field of applied case studies and I ask my colleaguewhat she thinksthe Lsolution-orientedn ASFA approach with young people in a fragile situation. “I’m interested in people and I’m interested in what we can do with our lives,” answers Irene Bush. She is “richly blessed by the exchange” with others, tells them. The principle of “achieving something together” moves her personally and is also a strength of terre des hommes switzerland. She is driven by a strong sense of justice. “I have a hard time tolerating injustice and exclusion,” says Irene Bush. “Everyone should have the same opportunities.”
In the air-raid shelter in Jerusalem
What experiences have shaped their values? We delve into her childhood, in the important course is set for life. In the mid-1960s, when Irene was of primary school age, she moved to Israel with her family for a while. “My father became a chef at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem,” she says. The private school run by Catholic nuns, which she visitsis a melting pot of cultures and religions. The family lives in a Jewish neighborhood and here Irene speaks with CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVORSsurvivors: “I didn’t know what the Holocaust was back then, but what they told me made an impression on me.“ During the Six-Day War in 1967 she with others in a narrow Air-raid shelter without a toilet. “There were bullet holes in our house. That leaves its mark.”
In London to the arttrade school
As a young womanog Irene Bush to London to attend the School of Arts and Crafts. “Art has always been a way of expression for me,” she says. She founds e a family and geton Children. You makese training and further education, including in the therapeutic field. Back in Switzerland in Switzerland, leadse she a studio for art therapy in Rheinfelden AG for several yearswhere she until lives today. She works e with people with dementia in a retirement home and in training with the Swiss Red Cross, was seminar leader and supervisor at the Alfred Adler Institute in Zurich.
How did so many very different commitments come about? “I kept slipping into something”, answers Irene Bush. “It just happened that way: I was needed and made myself useful.” We talk about three such “coincidences” in lifeHer commitment to the rights of indigenous people in the USA, for people with HIV/Aids in Switzerland and for disadvantaged young people in Tanzania.
For a good life until the end
In 1978/79, when a delegation from the Lakota–Sioux to participate in a Human Rights Conference comes to Switzerland, Irene Bush interpreting on request. Subsequently represents the traditional government of thes Indian tribe for ten years honorary all over Europe. “I accompanied them to Geneva, organized trips to the reserve and did fundraising,”she says she. Ten years later, the same thing happened again in a similar way: When the late 1980s, a delegation HIV-positive and AIDS patients people is coming here from San Francisco for an international seminar organized by Aids-Hilfe Schweiz, is she again for interpreting.
From here it is not far to the Aids-Hilfe in the canton of Aargauwhere she has been involved for seven years. “I was fascinated by working with people who experience marginalization,” says Irene Bush. But she had known: “Isomeday you have to stop, otherwise you’ll be exhausted. So much end-of-life care, so much suffering.”
Equal say for all
There comes across them on a job advertisement from terre des hommes switzerland50 percent association administration, a bread-and-butter job alongside herself-employed activity and the children. “I saw that this was a good thing, as it would e I like to get involved”, she remembers. Back then, in 1999, the terre des hommes switzerland still a smalle organization and “thoroughly grassroots democratic”. “Everything was discussed with everyone”she says with a grin. In between she even even Member of the newly formed management, until a new important task is entrusted to themt is presented to them: Dbecause the Aids-Pandemia hashit hit the African countries south of the Sahara with full force.
The Aids pandemic in Africa
“You can’t even imagine it today,” says Irene Bush“A whole generation simply died away. The children were on the streets or people took in so many AIDS orphans until they couldn’t take any more.” At the beginning it about the But the big question was: if millions of children are left to fend for themselves, this will result in societies that no longer function. That’s why Kurt Madörinmy colleague at the time with terre des hommes switzerland“We also have to do something psychologically.” No sooner said than done: 1998/99 founded dhe development organization in Tanzania the pilot project Humuliza for the psychosocial support of AIDS orphans. Humuliza, which was honored by UNAIDSis until today a partner project of terre des hommes switzerland.
“My experience in HIV/AIDS prevention and supporting the people affected in Switzerland were useful in developing new approaches for the prevention and support of children and young people with HIV and Aids in Tanzania,” says Irene Bush. Bush.
PSS in the North-South context
In the year 2000 went Irene Bush with Kurt Madörin to Tanzania for six weeks. Together with local employees developed she psychososocial workshops appropriate to the context there and leadThese are carried out with young people. “Important for cultural acceptance was the inclusion of Adults from the communities, so that they are the Young people andsupported“, tells them. To this day terre des hommes switzerland not only with with young peoplebut binds also their socials environment environment.
In the years that followed Irene Bush a little detour and works temporarily in the founding team of REPSSI (Regional Psycho Social Support Initiative)the international alliance of four organizations, including terre des hommes switzerland. “REPSSI is committed to developing and disseminating sustainable psychosocial approaches in working with children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa and to advocating for them politically,” she summarizes. During thistime she traveled a lot, she says: “It was very intense.” When terre des hommes switzerland asked her in 2005 whether she wanted to set up a PSS specialist unitshe “accepted immediately”.
Small Stories with a big impact
Looks she the last 15 years with with the PSS, it makes her proudsays Irene Bush: “terre des hommes switzerland has the courage to work in niches and try things out. This makes us more human and gives us innovative strength.”
Radio portrait about Irene Bush broadcast by SWR 2 on 9.10.2020
Meet them former young people of a PSS workshops later at some point she sees how they have progressed on their path, she says. For example, the young woman from Peru who already with 13-year-old as Maid toiled and had to experience exclusion and assaults. To Start of the PSS-Workshops have the girl not even looked her peers in the group in the eye, tells Irene Bush. Later have them then his school-leaving certificate and today, 14 years later, he is the young Peruvian “the best teacher in the world”, sagt Irene Bush“So many great stories come to mind.”
A serious topic with room for exuberance: The photos were taken in South Africa in 2019. Participants in the SFA solution-focused work workshop receive their certificate from Irene Bush (pictured top left).
Giving yourself a voice
Finally, I would like to ask Irene Bush: How measures terre des hommes switzerland the success of PSS and SFA? “A great effect is when young people make self-determined decisions and bring about change”she answers. Teenagers are particularly dependent and vulnerable and “depend on something coming from outside so that it can work from within”.
The greatest compliment in terms of impact measurement – benchmarking in professional development cooperation – came from an SDCemployee, who was in charge of a youth project of terre des hommes switzerland in Tanzania says Irene Bush: “He was struck by how open the young people were. They dared to speak, expressed their concerns and the whole thing made an impact. e not rehearsed, but kam by the young people themselves.”
Text: Anna Wegelin
More about Psycho-Social Support PSS
Photos Samuel Rink
