Dr. Wiola Rebecka: Patriarchal Transgenerational Trauma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Sat May 3, 2025 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM EDT Online, Zoom
The Connection Between Neo-Colonialism, Western Occupation, and Sexual Violence Through Patriarchal Transgenerational Trauma in DRC
*For the public or qualifying practitioners* to earn 2 CEU's.
About this event:
The DRC's history is marked by profound trauma stemming from colonization, resource exploitation, and conflict. The brutal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium during the late 19th and early 20th centuries exemplifies this trauma. Millions of Congolese people were subjected to forced labor, mutilation, and mass killings to extract resources like rubber and ivory. Post-colonial periods continued the cycle of exploitation through neocolonial economic systems, foreign-backed conflicts, and the persistent extraction of valuable resources such as cobalt and coltan. The US is actively participating in genocide of the DRC population.
These exploitative systems have left deep scars on the social fabric of the DRC, contributing to cycles of violence, poverty, and political instability that persist today. The combination of patriarchal oppression and colonial exploitation has created generational trauma, further exacerbated by ongoing armed conflicts and systemic corruption.
This event examines how historical colonialism and modern neo-colonial practices perpetuate patriarchal oppression and cycles of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By exploring the imposition of Western gender hierarchies, the exploitation of resources, and the use of sexual violence as a tool of control, we’ll uncover the deep connections between economic dependency, political instability, and transgenerational trauma. Participants will gain insights into the systemic forces driving inequality and the lasting impact on individuals, families, and communities.
Learning Objectives:
1. Define neo-colonialism, Western occupation, patriarchal trauma, and transgenerational trauma in the context of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
2. Analyze how colonial structures disrupted traditional African gender dynamics and contributed to resource exploitation, forced labor, and gendered violence in the DRC.
3. Explain how economic dependency, political instability, and militarization perpetuate neo-colonial systems and link them to ongoing sexual violence in conflict zones.
4. Explore how sexual violence functions as both a manifestation and perpetuator of patriarchal power and socio-economic control in the DRC.
5. Identify the psychological and social consequences of sexual violence on survivors, their families, and communities, with a focus on the perpetuation of trauma across generations.
6. Discuss the connection between multinational corporations, conflict minerals, and the perpetuation of sexual violence and instability in the DRC.
About the Instructor:
Dr Wiola Rebecka psychologist, psychotraumatologist, researcher and humanitarian worker she is a senior psychotraumatologist in Polish Psychotraumatology Association, she is a researcher dedicated to developing War Rape Survivors Syndrome and an author of the book Rape a history of shame diary of the survivors published in 2021 and translated into Polish in 2024. Alumna member of the WTCI , IPA (International Psychoanalytic Association, APA(American Psychological Association).
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*Qualifying practitioners: WTCI has been recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for NYS licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0102 and creative arts therapists #CAT-0018, by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for NYS licensed social workers #SW-0361, and by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0049.
*Refund policy: Recipients who give notice of cancellation two weeks or more ahead of the date of the event will receive a full ticket-price refund. Recipients who give notice of cancellation one week to thirteen days ahead of the date of the event will receive a refund of 50% of the ticket price. Except in the case of dire emergency circumstances, to be determined by Administration, refunds will not be permitted if notice is given in less than a week of the date of the event start date/time. Service fees will not be refunded.