POST CONFLICT TRAUMA HEALING AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP IN SOME COMMUNITIES OF THE NORTHERN SENATORIAL ZONE OF PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
Abdurrahman Muhammad Nayabo
Volume 11 Issue 1
Abstract
Trauma healing may have an impact in people’s lives in a number of ways which will be valuable to an individual. Considering Nigeria and plateau state in particular is faced with lots of conflicts, and people are left with trauma which if it is left like that we don’t know what will happen, caused for the study of post conflict trauma healing and social relationship in some communities of the Northern Senatorial Zone of Plateau state, Nigeria. The general objective of the study is to examine the role of post conflict trauma in conflict prevention and peace building in Plateau State which is a determinant of social relationship. The study focused on social identity theory, social conflict theory and action-reaction theory to develop the conceptual framework, it engages these theories in analyzing the data obtained. The study adopted content analysis based on inter-disciplinary research approach of the social sciences and the humanities. Mixed methods of research design were engaged in the conduct of this study, it is a method of research that combines the leading research traditions, quantitative and qualitative methods in a study. Purposeful and Simple random sampling procedure was used to select the samples for this study, while Snowballing sampling procedure was used to select the Faith Based Organizations used for the focus group discussion and the interview, which the participants for the study were purposely selected. The study considered 359 retrieve questionnaires for analysis in the quantitative while 60 participants were used for the qualitative procedures. The study employed the descriptive statistical techniques to analyze the data sourced from the research. About 75% of respondents agreed that post conflict trauma healing can bring about improve social relationship and conflict management while a lesser percentage agreed that it can escalate conflict. In this study the value of trauma healing was assessed in attempt to build opportunities for social reconciliation among conflict affected communities. The aim of trauma healing is to initiate the emergence of safe space for individuals to narrate their personal stories of past traumatic experience in a conflict prone environment. These stories focus on past unresolved issues, grievances and injustice which can generate the desire for revenge in both the individual level and the wider community, prompting cycle of renewed conflict among communities. The study recommends that there is the need to carry out a lot of advocacy programs in the state as many victims of violent conflict do not know much about trauma. In the same vein, both Government and CSOs should ensure that more trauma healing centers are establishes not only in the zone, but across the whole state and Nigeria at large. Keywords: Conflict, Healing, Peace building, Social relationship, Trauma.
Download Paper