In the midst of external chaos – such as war, social and environmental crises – or internal chaos – such as emotional conflicts – humans reveal a unique ability to exist. This resistance is not only associated with survival extinction, but is also a psychological phenomenon shaped by cognitive and social processes.
This was the theme Education Conversations – Psychology Without Borders: Dialogues with the “B” Side of the Human Worldthis Thursday (27/11), with psychologist Deborah da Silva Nawal, reference specialist for the SUS National Force, from the Ministry of Health.
According to Deborah, the B-side reveals what normally cannot be described in words. It exposes the pain, misery and fissures of a world we insist on believing is globalized, when in fact it remains largely unequal.
“On this less enlightened side, silent stories emerge, lives that do not fit the optimistic discourses and facts that challenge the narrative of constant progress. Side B is therefore an invitation to see what we prefer to ignore – that part of the world that exists, that resists and speaks out, even when no one seems willing to listen to it.”
Deborah da Silva Nawal, psychologist
She also recalled her trajectory during the conversation: She had always been very curious, and when she started the psychology course, she decided from the first semester to practice where she could, because she felt that to become a psychologist, she would need to expand her repertoire around the world.
With a backpack on his back, he completed his residency in northeastern Brazil and then began working in humanitarian aid, caring for people living on the edge of their lives. After sojourning, he entered human life once and for all – and remains there to this day.
“The places I visited were witnessing armed conflicts, social violence and different forms of suffering,” he recalls. “What touched me most was people’s desire to get help.”
Deborah says that the B-side reveals what normally cannot be described in words
She said that during the Ebola epidemic, a father arrived carrying a very weak pregnant woman. That mother just lost her mother. What left a deep impression on her was the look in that man’s eyes: in a context where violence has become so common, one rarely sees such a careful, tender and loving look.
He added: “He asked me to save her, a kind of gravity and sensitivity that was not common in that place among men.”
Deborah says that when bills or laws come along that are too strict and don’t reflect their goal, she knows it’s time to look other ways. “In public health work, the real ‘leader’ is the person whose roof collapsed and who is there, overwhelmed by the water and the necessity of life.”
According to her, in Congo or Sudan, this “leader” is one who returns home from war completely broken. This is a powerful reminder: careers exist for these people – to serve those who truly need them.
The professional also discussed that many countries speak languages that she does not speak, yet are able to take care of people.
He emphasized that “there are no words capable of translating exactly what a person feels – the way he breathes, how he reacts, how he positions himself in space when he is in front of him. It is from this careful observation that the possibilities of helping him emerge.”
She recalled that when she went to Congo in 2009, one of the most violent areas on the border, she spent days and days working morning, afternoon and night. She was the only white woman working in that place, and many women insisted that she serve her.
“I have conducted several interventions with women who had been raped by hundreds of men. Most of them had lost all their social and emotional networks,” he said.
Watch the full interview:
EducaTalks
Educa Talks was born from the commitment of the Centro Universitário Euroamericano (Unieuro), in partnership with Capitals With the dissemination of knowledge that goes beyond the classroom.
In each episode, the project invites inspiring voices to discuss pressing topics such as science, health, technology, the environment, and now humanity.
This initiative strengthens the Foundation’s role as a center for critical thinking and educational innovation in Brazil. In each episode, guests speak in inspiring and informative conversations, connecting experts and the community to topics that directly impact our collective future.
For its first edition, in September, Educa Talks brought on infectious disease specialist Dr. David Oybe to discuss antimicrobial resistance and global health challenges, and following the success of the previous edition, which welcomed federal judge Roberto Carvalho Veloso to discuss climate justice and citizenship in anticipation of COP30.