Healing, Reconciliation, Forgiving and the Prevention of Violence after Genocide or Mass Killing: an Intervention and Its Experimental Evaluation in Rwanda

This article describes a theory–based intervention in Rwanda to promote healing and reconciliation, and an experimental evaluation of its effects. The concept of reconciliation and conditions required for reconciliation after genocide or other intense intergroup violence are discussed, with a focus on healing. A training of facilitators who worked for local organizations that worked with groups of people in the community is described. The training consisted of psycho–educational lectures with extensive large group and small group discussion, as well as engagement by participants with their painful experiences during the genocide, with empathic support. The effects of the training were evaluated not on the participants, but on members of newly set up community groups they subsequently worked with. Two types of control groups were created: treatment controls, groups led by facilitators we did not Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 24, No. 3, 2005, pp. 297-334