Chapter IV
Living Trauma, Eupsychia
'[Peace] … is strangely ephemeral. It is something like breathing; one
only becomes acutely aware of its importance when one is choking.' (William E. Simon)
Chapter 4, ‘Living trauma, eupsychia[i] : The political is personal’, deals with the long-term and ripple effects of violence and includes an investigation into the ways in which previous unhealed traumas impact political events. In addition to showing the depth and width of destruction of a society through war and violence, the question of the long-term impact of trauma on people’s mental and physical health is also raised. As with all previous chapters, the analysis is followed by an inquiry into alternative futures – the range of nonviolent future possibilities, including for healing and post-traumatic growth. Again, events in the former Yugoslavia are provided as case studies. Some experiences of (post) Yugoslav refugees, displaced persons and migrants are also brought into the discussion. The last 'in' section of the book takes place in Australia. The analysis, however, is broader and global, linked to specific themes and current research that best explains the violence–peace dynamics behind these events.
[i] Eupsychia here means: ‘better and improved self/mind’.
Chapter 4, ‘Living trauma, eupsychia[i] : The political is personal’, deals with the long-term and ripple effects of violence and includes an investigation into the ways in which previous unhealed traumas impact political events. In addition to showing the depth and width of destruction of a society through war and violence, the question of the long-term impact of trauma on people’s mental and physical health is also raised. As with all previous chapters, the analysis is followed by an inquiry into alternative futures – the range of nonviolent future possibilities, including for healing and post-traumatic growth. Again, events in the former Yugoslavia are provided as case studies. Some experiences of (post) Yugoslav refugees, displaced persons and migrants are also brought into the discussion. The last 'in' section of the book takes place in Australia. The analysis, however, is broader and global, linked to specific themes and current research that best explains the violence–peace dynamics behind these events.
[i] Eupsychia here means: ‘better and improved self/mind’.