Citation

Fourie JA. Ethn. Health 2000; 5(3-4): 283-289.

Affiliation

Department of Physiotherapy, Health Science Faculty, University of Cape Town, South Africa. jafourie@uctgsh1.uct.ac.za

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11105270

Abstract

My journey embarks with our daughter Lyndi's death at the Heidelberg Massacre in December 1993 and follows the tortuous route of the criminal trial at the end of 1994, through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Hearings in October 1997, to the discovery that there is no formal provision made by the TRC for counselling of Amnesty Seekers. My concern is for those who have received a militarist socialisation and are now being released into a society already burdened with one of the highest 'political' death rates in the world. What is the way forward? Current local models of dealing with trauma for survivors may be helpful in debriefing for those granted amnesty. However, a large-scale effort is necessary to bring about reconciliation and healing in our broken society, some suggestions are made in this regard.

Language: en