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- Constructive internal #dialogue on collective trauma encourages individuals to think critically about themselves, their history & role in conflict, creating potential for social transformation, a culture of #peace, and bilateral dialogue in the name of peace.

- Our engagement with conflict-affected groups is based on ‘healing through doing’ - to activate society’s own resources, involving people in their own recovery by being socially active, accessing opportunities for growth, socialisation and acquiring new knowledge and skills.

- Through self-reflection we develop skills to analyse the other side of the conflict. Parallel work on both sides helps to develop mutual understanding, dispelling the sides' exclusive focus on 'their' own truth, creating space for acceptance of 'the other’s' truth.

- Working with collective trauma involves the opportunity to reflect on and analyse one’s own society and one’s place in it, and to better understand why we feel, think and act in the way we do.

The #Armenian-#Azerbaijani conflict has deep psychological roots & #collectivetrauma passed down the generations became a significant driver of the #conflict. This paper reflects on why it is important to work with collective trauma, how indie Peace strategy & process evolved.

‘This approach opens up many themes for dialogue which are difficult, but are more acceptable through this lens of #collectivetrauma. i.e. the framing & acknowledgement that ‘we have the same pain’ is a very important foundation for discussions’ (dialogue participant)