Select Publications

Books

Gitau LW, 2017, Trauma-sensitivity and Peacebuilding Considering the Case of South Sudanese Refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Springer

Book Chapters

Gitau L, 2022, 'EmbodiMap I: Trauma survival and refugee experience', in Bennett J (ed.), The Big Anxiety: Taking Care of Mental Health in Times of Crisis, Bloomsbury Publishing, London & New York, pp. 166 - 177, https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/big-anxiety-9781350297791/

Gitau L, 2021, 'Defining and Decolonising Spaces in the Western Academy: Like a Laughing Dove', in Martin SB; Dandekar D (ed.), Global South Scholars in the Western Academy: Harnessing Unique Experiences, Knowledges, and Positionality in the Third Space, Routledge, New York, pp. 100 - 107, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003109808

Gitau L; wa Mungai N, 2019, 'African Refugee Women in Australia: Domestic and Family Violence Experience', in Kalunta-Crumpton A (ed.), Violence against Women of African Descent Global Perspectives, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, Maryland, pp. 211 - 228

Journal articles

Bennett J; Kenning G; Wobcke M; Gitau L, 2024, 'Connecting Us Back to Ourselves: Aesthetic Experience as a Means to Growth after Trauma', Social Sciences, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci13010020

Gitau LW; Arop A; Lenette C, 2023, '‘My Dad Was, Is a Soldier’: Using Collaborative Poetic Inquiry to Explore Intergenerational Trauma, Resilience, and Wellbeing in the Context of Forced Migration', Social Sciences, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci12080455

Bennett J; Kenning G; Gitau L; Moran R; Wobcke M, 2023, 'Transforming Trauma through an Arts Festival: A Psychosocial Case Study', Social Sciences, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci12040249

Gitau L, 2022, 'Resistance as resilience: negotiating gendered contours in conflict and trauma', Journal of International Relations and Development, 25, pp. 925 - 945, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41268-022-00265-z

Gitau L; Kenning G; Burgess S; Bennett J; Kuchelmeister V; Neidorf M; Ginnivan N, 2022, 'Pre-Engagement as Method: An EmbodiMapTM VR Experience to Explore Lived Experience of People from South Sudanese Refugee Background', International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, pp. 16094069221123167, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/16094069221123167

Gitau LW; Rhodes P, 2016, 'A Dark Stone in My Stomach: Interventions for Survivors of Mass Violence and Building Sustainable Peace', Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, 11, pp. 37 - 52, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15423166.2016.1230025

Lambourne W; Gitau LW, 2013, 'Psychosocial Interventions, Peacebuilding and Development in Rwanda', Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 8, pp. 23 - 36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15423166.2013.859933

Conference Presentations

Gitau L, 2023, 'Convergence of Arts and Mental Health in Refugee Communities', presented at Community of Practice - African-led Healing Collective, Online, 23 September 2023 - 28 September 2023

Gitau L; Juk A, 2023, 'Culturally diverse Ways to understand mental health and heal trauma', presented at Inner Collective Webinar, Online, 11 May 2023 - 11 May 2023, https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1030563?

Gitau L, 2022, 'Young South Sudanese Community Members Use Poetry to navigate Conflict and Intergenerational Trauma', presented at UNE 2022 International Peace Conference, University of New England, 05 December 2022 - 05 December 2022

Gitau L; Juk A, 2022, '"All I heard was...": Making sense of the impact of conflict through poetry.', presented at Hunar Symposia Art/Conflict, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), 07 November 2022 - 07 November 2022

Gitau L, 2022, 'Mental Health and Cultural Wellbeing', presented at Fibonacci Cultural Wellbeing Forum, Western Sydney University, 29 September 2022 - 29 September 2022

Gitau L, 2021, 'Communicating Hope Our Way: Young South Sudanese Community Members and fEEL', presented at The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) Hope and Empathy in Uncertain Times Symposium, Online, 28 October 2021 - 29 October 2021

Kenning G; Ginnivan N; Gitau L, 2021, 'A virtual visual matrix focussing on the visit', presented at Dementia Lab 2021, Vancouver online, 18 January 2021 - 28 January 2021

Gitau L, 2018, 'Rethinking Interventions for Refugee Survivors of Trauma and Torture', presented at International Peace Research Association (IPRA) Conference, Gujarat Vidyapeeth Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India, 24 November 2018 - 28 November 2018

Gitau L, 2018, 'Towards a Decolonial Approach in Interventions for Refugee Survivors of Trauma and Torture', presented at International Peace Research Association (IPRA), Gujarat Vidyapeeth Peace Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India, 24 November 2018 - 28 November 2018

Gitau L, 2015, 'Peace in My Father's World: Trauma Sensitivity in Interventions for Survivors of Conflict and Mass Violence', presented at 38th African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific (AFSAAP), Deakin University, Australia, 28 October 2015 - 30 October 2015

Lambourne W; Gitau L, 2014, 'Rwanda 20 Years On: Trauma, Transitional Justice and Reconciliation After Genocide', presented at International Network of Genocide Scholars Fourth Global Conference on Genocide, Cape Town, South Africa, 04 December 2014 - 07 December 2014

Gitau L, 2014, 'Beyond Hope: Trauma and Resilience in South Sudanese Refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya', presented at International Peace Research Association (IPRA), Sakarya University, Istanbul, Turkey, 10 August 2014 - 14 August 2014

Gitau L, 2013, 'Blurred by Pain: Trauma Healing and Social Justice for Survivors of Mass Violence', presented at Higher Degree Research Conference on Social Justice, University of Sydney, 27 November 2013 - 27 November 2013

Gitau L, 2013, 'Trauma Healing for Peace and Development: Considering South Sudan', presented at 2nd Annual Interdisciplinary Conference, Catholic University of East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, 25 June 2013 - 29 June 2013

Gitau L, 2012, 'Resilience in Survivors of Mass Violence and Its Contribution to Reconciliation in Post-Conflict Rwanda', presented at 35th African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific (AFSAAP), Australian National University, Canberra, 26 November 2012 - 28 November 2012

Conference Abstracts

Kuchelmeister V; Bennett J; Kenning G; Ginnivan N; Gitau L; Burgess S, 2020, 'EmbodiMap VR. A tangible and immersive body-mapping experience.', in Frameless Journal, Vol.3, Rochester NY, presented at Frameless Symposium, Rochester NY, 19 November 2020 - 20 November 2020, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/27920

Curatorial Outputs

Bennett J; Wobcke M; Kenning G; Kuchelmeister V; Gitau L, 2023, Changing our ways - Festival, exhibited at: Warwick, 20 October 2023 - 22 October 2023

Bennett J; Kenning G; Kuchelmeister V; Gitau L, 2023, Options for Action, exhibited at: The Bank, Sydney, 03 October 2023 - 13 October 2023

Bennett J; Wobcke M; Kenning G; Gitau L; Kuchelmeister V; West R, 2022, The Big Anxiety (Warwick 2), exhibited at: Warwick - Multiple Venues, 29 November 2022 - 30 November 2022, https://www.thebiganxiety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Big-Anxiety-Event-Program_Warwick_V1.pdf

Bennett J; Wobcke M; West R; Kenning G; Kuchelmeister V; Gitau L, 2022, The Big Anxiety Melbourne/Naarm, exhibited at: Melbourne/Naarm, 21 September 2022 - 15 October 2022, https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/the-big-anxiety-melbourne/

Bennett J; Wobcke M; Kenning G; Kuchelmeister V; Gitau L; West R, 2022, The Big Reach, exhibited at: QUT Gardens Theatre, 2 George Street, Brisbane QLD, 26 May 2022 - 28 May 2022, https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/the-big-reach/

Bennett J; Wobcke M; Kenning G; Kuchelmeister V; Gitau L, 2022, The Big Anxiety (Warwick 1), exhibited at: Warwick - multiple venues, 06 April 2022 - 08 April 2022, https://www.thebiganxiety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Big-Anxiety-Event-Program_Warwick_V1.pdf

Creative Works (non-textual)

Bennett J; Kenning G; Kuchelmeister V; Gitau L, 2023, AI Viv: Digital Companion, UNSW AI Symposium, Festival of Care - 5 Venues, Big Trauma Big Change, Future Health Expo, Unconvention, Sydney, 22 November 2023 - 22 April 2023, medium: AI Digital media, at: https://www.events.unsw.edu.au/event/unsw-ai-symposium-2023

Bennett J; Kenning G; Kuchelmeister V; Gitau L, 2023, Changing Our Ways, Changing Our Ways, Warwick Twin Cinema, Queensland, 21 October 2023 - 21 October 2023, medium: Documentary Video

Bennett J; Gitau L; Clark H; Juk A, 2022, Heartsick: Poetry and Mental Health, The Big Anxiety Melbourne, The Big Connect at The Big Anxiety Festival Melbourne 2022, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Footscray, 30 September 2022 - 07 October 2022, medium: Film, at: https://feel-lab.org/research_projects/heartsick-poetry-and-mental-health/

Kuchelmeister V; Bennett J; Kenning G; Ginnivan N; Neidorf M; Gitau L, 2021, EmbodiMap VR, Ongoing experimental development, not a specific exhibition, 01 March 2021 - 31 March 2021, medium: Virtual Reality, at: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/5315851651819402/

Media

Gitau L, 2022, Poetry and mental health: Young South Sudanese community members explore ways to talk about suicide, Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW, Sydney, https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/commentary/poetry-mental-health-young-south-sudanese-suicide

Gitau L, 2020, The Plight of Yezidi Refugees and why my heart bleeds, John Menadue, https://johnmenadue.com/the-plight-of-yezidi-refugees-by-lydia-gitau/


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