Day after day, the media report on armed conflicts or wars raging throughout the world. But we hear little about the post-conflict lives of the people affected. It is the traumatised women and men in particular who need help if they are to come to terms with their experiences and take on a new lease on life.

An example from Uganda

A civil war ravaged Uganda for over ten years, leaving people starving and traumatised by the atrocities in its wake. Tens of thousands of children were and are still being abused as child soldiers or “soldier brides”.

Individuals suffering from psychological damage in the aftermath of war lack the strength needed to propel the development of their country. This is why MISEREOR is promoting a trauma treatment programme for war victims, and for women and children who have fallen prey to domestic and sexual violence. The training institute for social workers in Kampala is training a mobile task force of trauma experts who impart their knowledge to people across the country, enabling them in turn to help their families, friends and neighbours in the trauma healing process. Violence against women and children is now on the decline, and a new generation is emerging that can build up a peaceful future.

An example from Guatemala

An estimated 200,000 people lost their lives in the 30-year civil war in Guatemala. Most of the victims were the better educated and politically active males from the Indian population.

The prime perpetrators of the genocide in the early 1980s were the military and the civil patrols it organised. Despite peace agreements and the pledge of compensation for the victims, the Guatemalan state has so far failed to acknowledge responsibility for the atrocities and to indemnify the widows and orphans.

The publication of the human rights report REMHI-Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica by the Catholic Church in Guatemala in 1998 was a major step in grappling with the past; where possible, the report named both the victims and the perpetrators. Since then, MISEREOR has been supporting psychosocial counselling for the families of victims of human rights violations. Furthermore, it is assisting relatives in their search for children and youths who disappeared during the civil war. This helps widows and indigenous women to rebuild social contacts and lays the foundations for reconciliation. Thanks to this support, the women can start regaining control over their lives and securing a livelihood for themselves and their family members in a peaceful environment.