Trauma and injustice from violent conflict impact all of us, up close and at a distance. Dynamics... more Trauma and injustice from violent conflict impact all of us, up close and at a distance. Dynamics around past trauma and injustice lead to new rounds of conflict. Outrage, pain and silence around injustice and trauma from violent conflict are combustible fuel. The fuel doesn't just blow up on its own. Throughout history, and in our current world scene, government and military state terror tactics readily exploit these dynamics, as do terrorist tactics, to stir new rounds of violence. 1 Grappling with community trauma and issues of accountability throughout society-so that we are less susceptible to such tactics-is of critical importance to peace-making and violence prevention. Take a moment to think about how easily you can unconsciously fall into repeating rounds of conflict, at your own kitchen sink, especially where you've been hurt. Conflicts repeat with partners, family, colleagues or inside your own heart. If life teaches us something as individuals, it may be that just when you think you've worked out how to not fall back into an old pattern, it comes back once more. At the same time, life challenges us to become conscious and grow
War frames our lives. We live, as Billy Bragg (1985) put it, “Between the Wars”; or we live durin... more War frames our lives. We live, as Billy Bragg (1985) put it, “Between the Wars”; or we live during wars, or after wars; or we live in terror of the threat of war; or get passionately aroused into war. We may watch helplessly as TV news shows us events of horror and violence overseas; on 19th June this year New Zealanders watched video on TV3 News of Kiwi troops under fire in Afghanistan, recorded on a soldier’s helmet-cam. Recent events unfolded once more on TVNZ with gut-wrenching inevitability: I watched as two soldiers were killed, and four injured. The survivors probably will return home traumatised. My interest in reviewing The War Hotel was personal: my grandfather fought in the First World War, my father in the Second World War. I served in the Israeli Defense Force, 1965-1967, and soon felt appalled by Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Some of my Jewish extended family perished in Poland during the Shoah. All humanity is touched by war, in varying degrees of separation...
Trauma and injustice from violent conflict impact all of us, up close and at a distance. Dynamics... more Trauma and injustice from violent conflict impact all of us, up close and at a distance. Dynamics around past trauma and injustice lead to new rounds of conflict. Outrage, pain and silence around injustice and trauma from violent conflict are combustible fuel. The fuel doesn't just blow up on its own. Throughout history, and in our current world scene, government and military state terror tactics readily exploit these dynamics, as do terrorist tactics, to stir new rounds of violence. 1 Grappling with community trauma and issues of accountability throughout society-so that we are less susceptible to such tactics-is of critical importance to peace-making and violence prevention. Take a moment to think about how easily you can unconsciously fall into repeating rounds of conflict, at your own kitchen sink, especially where you've been hurt. Conflicts repeat with partners, family, colleagues or inside your own heart. If life teaches us something as individuals, it may be that just when you think you've worked out how to not fall back into an old pattern, it comes back once more. At the same time, life challenges us to become conscious and grow
War frames our lives. We live, as Billy Bragg (1985) put it, “Between the Wars”; or we live durin... more War frames our lives. We live, as Billy Bragg (1985) put it, “Between the Wars”; or we live during wars, or after wars; or we live in terror of the threat of war; or get passionately aroused into war. We may watch helplessly as TV news shows us events of horror and violence overseas; on 19th June this year New Zealanders watched video on TV3 News of Kiwi troops under fire in Afghanistan, recorded on a soldier’s helmet-cam. Recent events unfolded once more on TVNZ with gut-wrenching inevitability: I watched as two soldiers were killed, and four injured. The survivors probably will return home traumatised. My interest in reviewing The War Hotel was personal: my grandfather fought in the First World War, my father in the Second World War. I served in the Israeli Defense Force, 1965-1967, and soon felt appalled by Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Some of my Jewish extended family perished in Poland during the Shoah. All humanity is touched by war, in varying degrees of separation...
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