OBSERVE: Because a new perspective is necessary for coexistence.

Our Perspective

Leaders in the field of research on the relationship between emotions and cognition in extreme situations, we invite you to a perspective that is:

Inclusive

Through studies that encompass the entire spectrum of individuals, we disseminate research results that provide a fair and comprehensive view of reality. Too often, research conducted with populations who have experienced armed conflicts focuses solely on individuals who have developed psychopathology, thereby overlooking the vast majority of the population for whom psychological impacts are very real, even if they do not manifest as psychopathology.

Innovative

By studying the consequences of trauma on individuals' cognitive functions (i.e., their ability to remember, reason, articulate their thoughts, etc.) instead of focusing solely on psychopathologies resulting from trauma, we take a further step in understanding the psychological health of individuals facing extreme situations.

Penetrating

While most studies collect data from refugees living in Western countries, we draw our data directly from the affected populations in Africa, in the very locations where some of the most dreadful armed conflicts are taking place. Thus, our understanding of the issues is rooted concretely in the reality of the populations under study, enabling us to access information of a depth that is challenging to match.

Clear-sighted

While, most of the time, the consequences of armed conflicts are calculated solely in terms of economic, political, or physical health impacts on individuals (famine, disability, deaths, etc.), our work sheds light on the psychological impacts of these conflicts. Less visible but no less important, these impacts must be considered in order to paint an accurate picture of reality in order to support decision-makers and interveners in implementing appropriate actions.

Human

Through the dissemination of our research results, we aim to awaken a healthy curiosity and foster international solidarity, not only towards populations facing armed conflicts and mass violence but also towards anyone who has experienced trauma. By generously and courageously revealing intimate and sometimes extremely painful aspects of their existence, the individuals participating in our studies allow us to learn something about all of us, as human beings. These are areas of the human experience, extreme though they may be, that most of us will not know and into which they have been immersed. This brings us back to our common humanity and is, by extension, an invitation to greater respect for each other.