Abstract

Societies emerging from a natural disaster, armed conflict or acute social and economic crisis share similar characteristics: insecurity, uncertainty, violence, increase in poverty, displacement of people, loss of life, organized crime, trauma, physical destruction. They also share needs: reestablishing rule of law, stabilizing the economy, rebuilding, conflict mitigation and prevention, integrate traumatic events, inscribing and negotiating memories, strengthening civil society, reconciliation, nation building and identity, etc.

A number of graduate students and researchers in Cambridge from various disciplines are working on post-conflict or post-crisis environments. This interdisciplinary research and discussion group was created in January 2006 in order to bring together these researchers who might not normally meet. They meet regularly at CRASSH in a research colloquium.