About the Psychosocial Support and Children's Rights Resource Center (PST CRRC)

The Psychosocial Support and Children's Rights Resource Center (PST CRRC) began in 1993 as a special program under the Peace, Conflict Resolution, and Human Rights Program of the Center for Integrative and Development Studies of the University of the Philippines (UP CIDS PST).



Elizabeth Protacio-de Castro, PhD and June Pagaduan-Lopez, MD, faculty members of the University of the Philippines and recipients of the Lisl and Leo Eitinger Award for the Human Rights of the University of Oslo, spearheaded the creation of the PST. Its creation allowed for the mainstreaming and institutionalization of psychosocial trauma and human rights concerns in the academe.

In 2006, the UP CIDS PST took the bold step of becoming a non-stock, non-government organization.

Now known as the Psychosocial Support and Children’s Rights Resource Center (PST CRRC), it continues to engage in research; training; advocacy; networking; and providing up-to-date and relevant materials and resources on psychosocial support and childhood and children’s rights.

The PST CRRC is composed of professionals who have extensive experience in research and training. It counts among its staff experts on qualitative and quantitative research methods, children’s issues, psychosocial support, community organizing and development, and creative (theater arts) training methodologies.

Help us by:
Sharing your skills in documentation and research
Acting as a resource person to groups and visitors from other countries
Co-sponsoring symposia, fora, and discussion groups
Donating books, audiovisual materials, and other related literature
Communicating information regarding our research interests

Our Objectives


  • Undertake research on psychosocial support and children’s and childhood issues that are relevant to policy and program development and implementation;
  • Apply research-derived theories and methodologies in training, program development, advocacy, evaluation, and further research;
  • Explore, identify, assess, utilize, and disseminate alternative forms of intervention to caregivers, communities, children, and survivors of natural disasters, violence, armed conflict, and other similar events;
  • Publish and disseminate its research and findings to the public;
  • Organise conferences, workshops, trainings, or seminars to discuss issues on and formulate policies in providing psychosocial support and children’s rights; and, Provide information, materials, and resources on psychosocial support and children’s rights to direct service providers, academics, students, and the general public.


Activities

Research

PST CRRC’s research program is integrative, holistic, policy-oriented, interdisciplinary, and participatory. It integrates theory and practice and synthesizes thought and action by coming up with policy-relevant researches. It also embarks on holistic research by bringing its psychosocial, political, historical, and economic perspectives into its work. True to its interdisciplinary and participatory thrust, PST CRRC brings together academics from different fields, field practitioners, direct service providers, and communities in all its researches.

Documentation & Publication

PST CRRC is committed to documenting its experiences in the field as well as its partner NGOs and GOs. It maintains membership to the Human Rights Information and Documentation System International (HURIDOCS). It publishes its researches and disseminates it to the wider public. The PST CRRC also maintains a library, which houses up-to-date books, documents, and other reference materials on childhood, children’s issues, children’s rights, psychosocial support, and human rights. The PST CRRC library is open to all interested researchers, students, academics, and other interested individuals.

Networking & Advocacy

PST CRRC is committed to strengthen advocacy and networking with government, NGOs, and international organizations in the Asia Pacific and European regions to help sustain and institutionalize children’s rights and psychosocial support concerns. Furthermore, it shares its researches, develops research expertise, promotes the exchange of resources and materials, and conducts conferences and symposia on issues that affect policies on psychosocial support and children’s rights. It also participates in regional and international fora to enrich the expertise and know-how of its staff.

Training

PST CRRC delivers culturally appropriate training courses, seminars, and workshops on research methodology, documentation, information work, and basic psychosocial help, assessment, and programming to researchers, direct service providers, and other interested individuals and organizations.