The SBF/JLI project on cultural adaptation for MHPSS programmes in the Syrian context began in March 2022. At the beginning of the project, the SBF and JLI teams co-developed the project design. Following that, Senior Research Fellow Dr Jennifer Philippa Eggert from the JLI provided a series of research trainings to the JLI team. The project then focused on achieving two main objectives:

1. Preparing a pilot study that includes the three following areas of focus: MHPSS, the Syrian context and culture. The scoping study will soon be available on the hub’s page on the JLI website.
2. Carrying out dialogue sessions on the topics of MHPSS and culture in the Syrian context with key persons from amongst the Syrian MHPSS community in charge of implementing MHPSS programmes on the ground, with a view of identifying their views on the subject of cultural adaptation of MHPSS approaches. This report focuses on the dialogue sessions.

In total, seven dialogue sessions took place, of which four were physical and three online. The sessions, which were conducted in Arabic, were attended by 85 Syrian participants (with some attending more than one session).