Healing the social wounds of war*

Based on a public lecture given at University College London on 2 March 2000.

The healing of those hurt by war can take different forms, ranging from violence and vengeance to psychotherapy and humanitarian aid imposed from outside. This healing has been widely and critically discussed in the literature. Instead, the focus here is more on the way communities try to heal themselves long after the outside world has lost interest. In this context, resisting the oppressor becomes less important than recovery, and the past can matter less than the future.

Key Words:

• Africa
• Civilians
• Memory
• Post‐traumatic stress disorder
• Recovery
• Resistance

Notes

Based on a public lecture given at University College London on 2 March 2000.