Fatima Zohra Karadja
Encyclopedia
Fatima Zohra Karadja is a Vice-President for the African Union
's Economic, Social and Cultural Council
for Northern Africa.
Ms Karadja was born on April 20, 1949 in Algiers
, Algeria
. She is a child therapist, holding a PhD
in psychology
and specialising in working with children affected by trauma. As a member of the African Women Committee for Peace and Development (AWCPD), she has actively engaged civil society organisations in Algeria.
She established a national network of local NGOs for sensitisation and the dissemination of information on sustainable development
and peace building, and a coordinating body, comprising six organisations and six prominent Algerian women, to promote the different mandates
of the AWCPD. She is also in constant communication with her President for his support of AWCPD objectives and activities.
Ms Karadja is the President of the Association Nationale de Soutien aux Enfants en Difficulté en Institution (ANSEDI). ANSEDI has created a psychological and social care unit which provides basic necessities and psychological treatment to victims of violence. The unit focuses on women, especially single mothers, by working to prepare them for their parental role. ANSEDI also facilitates training sessions for women from opposing factions to come together for sensitisation and dialogue on human rights. In collaboration with other organisations, ANSEDI is formulating a strategy to fight against social exclusion by involving at-risk populations in community activities.
Since 1974, Ms Karadja has directed a welcome centre for children separated from their families. The centre provides children with a home until they can be reunited with their families or, where that is not possible, until they are adopted into a family. Based on the same principle, the centre acts a mediator in family disputes and provides support to single mothers that are faced with rejection and stigmatisation from their communities.
At a regional level, Ms Karadja contributed to the creation of a network of North African organisations, representing six African countries. The main purpose of the network is to create a common platform for early-warning mechanisms and conflict resolution. In 2001, during the Paris-Dakar rally, the Government of Morocco decided to organise the rally through the Western Sahara, creating severe tension with the self-proclaimed territory. The network of North African women immediately responded, and coordinated sensitisation meetings with the women of Western Sahara
to encourage them to settle the dispute in a peaceful manner. In this way, the network effectively contributed to the prevention of conflict in the region.
At an international level, Ms Karadja has participated in numerous conferences, including the 1999 AU General Assembly, the Forum for African Women in Algeria, the 2001 and 2002 Civil Society and AU conferences in Addis Ababa, and the World Conference on Peace and Solidarity in 2002. She is also an observer member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
, and a member of the Health Promoters NGO.
Besides her work in the NGO sector, Ms Karadja is heavily involved in academic and scholarly work. She is a professor of psychology and an international consultant on psychology for conflict resolution. In addition she contributes to social science research and monitors different studies on emerging problems in the psychology of conflict.
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
's Economic, Social and Cultural Council
Economic, Social and Cultural Council
The Economic, Social and Cultural Council is an advisory body of the African Union designed to give civil society organizations a voice within the AU institutions and decision-making processes...
for Northern Africa.
Ms Karadja was born on April 20, 1949 in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. She is a child therapist, holding a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and specialising in working with children affected by trauma. As a member of the African Women Committee for Peace and Development (AWCPD), she has actively engaged civil society organisations in Algeria.
She established a national network of local NGOs for sensitisation and the dissemination of information on sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
and peace building, and a coordinating body, comprising six organisations and six prominent Algerian women, to promote the different mandates
Mandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
of the AWCPD. She is also in constant communication with her President for his support of AWCPD objectives and activities.
Ms Karadja is the President of the Association Nationale de Soutien aux Enfants en Difficulté en Institution (ANSEDI). ANSEDI has created a psychological and social care unit which provides basic necessities and psychological treatment to victims of violence. The unit focuses on women, especially single mothers, by working to prepare them for their parental role. ANSEDI also facilitates training sessions for women from opposing factions to come together for sensitisation and dialogue on human rights. In collaboration with other organisations, ANSEDI is formulating a strategy to fight against social exclusion by involving at-risk populations in community activities.
Since 1974, Ms Karadja has directed a welcome centre for children separated from their families. The centre provides children with a home until they can be reunited with their families or, where that is not possible, until they are adopted into a family. Based on the same principle, the centre acts a mediator in family disputes and provides support to single mothers that are faced with rejection and stigmatisation from their communities.
At a regional level, Ms Karadja contributed to the creation of a network of North African organisations, representing six African countries. The main purpose of the network is to create a common platform for early-warning mechanisms and conflict resolution. In 2001, during the Paris-Dakar rally, the Government of Morocco decided to organise the rally through the Western Sahara, creating severe tension with the self-proclaimed territory. The network of North African women immediately responded, and coordinated sensitisation meetings with the women of Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
to encourage them to settle the dispute in a peaceful manner. In this way, the network effectively contributed to the prevention of conflict in the region.
At an international level, Ms Karadja has participated in numerous conferences, including the 1999 AU General Assembly, the Forum for African Women in Algeria, the 2001 and 2002 Civil Society and AU conferences in Addis Ababa, and the World Conference on Peace and Solidarity in 2002. She is also an observer member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is a quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and collective rights throughout the African continent as well as interpreting the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and considering individual complaints of...
, and a member of the Health Promoters NGO.
Besides her work in the NGO sector, Ms Karadja is heavily involved in academic and scholarly work. She is a professor of psychology and an international consultant on psychology for conflict resolution. In addition she contributes to social science research and monitors different studies on emerging problems in the psychology of conflict.