The power of we : how collective processes allow healing after mass atrocity - reflections from the field

Abstract

In 2024, the Global Learning Hub for Transitional Justice and Reconciliation convened partners, AJAR, the Berghof Foundation, CSVR, and Dejusticia in a collaborative workstream on Collective Healing. Through a joint process of learning and reflection, the team examined diverse country experiences to inform more transformative approaches to transitional justice, reconciliation, and peacebuilding. Drawing on institutional reflections and field-based practices from CSVR in South Africa and AJAR in the Asia-Pacific region, the resulting publication highlights the value of community-based interventions. It emphasises that healing must go beyond individual therapy and legal mechanisms, advocating for culturally grounded, community-led strategies that foster resilience, dignity, and intergenerational dialogue. The work also surfaces persistent challenges, such as systemic violence and complex trauma, while positioning collective healing as a crucial component of meaningful, long-term transitional justice.