National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

Dr Karen Brounéus

Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Research
Clinical Psychologist

Email: karen.brouneus@otago.ac.nz

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Research Areas

Truth and reconciliation processes after intrastate armed conflict; Transitional justice; Psychological health in postconflict peacebuilding; Research ethics; Impact assessment of conflict prevention activities.

Current research

Implications of a Reconciliation Process on Psychological Health and Attitudes toward Coexistence and Reconciliation: The Gacaca Process in Rwanda (Financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

This project has two focal points: One concerns the relation between psychological health (depression and PTSD levels) and attitudes on participating in the gacaca, on trust, coexistence, truth, and healing. We know that many people in postconflict settings suffer from depression and PTSD. Does psychological ill-health affect attitudes toward issues such as trust and coexistence? If so, what implications does this have for relationship- and peacebuilding at the grassroots level? The second focus of the project is to explore similarities and differences between women and men concerning psychological health and attitudes on the above-mentioned issues. Do they differ and if so how? What implications does this have for reconciliation after civil war?

Teaching

Transitional justice and reconciliation processes after internal conflict; reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda; Methods: In-depth interviews and field work ethics; Development and Armed Conflict

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Publications

Doctoral thesis

Brounéus, Karen, 2008. Rethinking reconciliation: Concepts, Methods and an Empirical Study of Truth Telling and Psychological Health in Rwanda. PhD dissertation, Uppsala University. PDF (992 KB)

Articles

Brounéus, Karen, 2008, ’Analyzing Reconciliation: A Structured Method for Measuring National Reconciliation Initiatives’, Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology 14(3): 291–313.

Brounéus, Karen, 2008. ‘Truth Telling as Talking Cure? Insecurity and Retraumatization in the Rwandan Gacaca Courts’, Security Dialogue 39(1): 55–76.

Book Chapter

Brounéus, Karen (2009). 'Reconciliation and Development'. In Building a future on peace and justice: Studies on transitional justice, conflict resolution and development, Eds: Kai Ambos, Judith Large, and Marieke Wierda, Springer: Berlin, Heidelberg.

Reports

Brounéus, Karen, 2003. Reconciliation – Theory and Practice for Development Cooperation. Stockholm: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. PDF (5 MB)

Lundwall, Karen, 2001. ‘Psychological Aspects of Collective Violence and Reconciliation – A Survey of Current Research’, The Current Issues Series #2. Uppsala: Centre for Multiethnic Research, Uppsala University.

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