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Namah A Healing Framework for Collective Trauma

though it is in cold storage. important part in interactions. In an open
forum, people don’t have the time to ponder
Dialoguing with the Other over their answer and deliver it massaged.
They will read others’ emotions real-time
Process Oriented Psychology was conceived and speak from their guts, which is often
by psychologists Amy and Arnold Mindell, the authentic word. Sometimes the word
who started a Process Work Institute in is not spoken, but a person involuntarily
Portland, Oregon, USA. They also travel uses some other channel of communication,
around the world holding Open Forums like a blush or shaking of a leg. This is a
in conflict-zones. Open Forum is a group secondary process that needs to be brought
process where participants belong to one forward and examined. Real-time exchanges
or more communities that need to resolve create the field — an atmosphere made up
an issue or several issues. This technique is of sensations, emotions, unspoken feelings.
elaborated in Mindells’ books — Sitting in And the field brings up time-spirits — roles
the Fire, The Deep Democracy of Open Forums, that need to be represented.
The Leader as Martial Artist, and others. Process
Work has many success stories around the Contention I : Who Belongs to the Nation
world, such as Northern Ireland, South Unit?
Africa, Los Angeles, Israel. It is a kind of
conflict resolution technique that welcomes The historical background of the problem is
people from all strata of society to interact very important to know when trying to resolve
face to face. Even if the participants cannot any conflict. This topic should be brought
articulate their problems in words, there is up during Open Forums. If the participants
space for other channels of communication, don’t bring it up themselves, facilitators need
such as emotional, somatic, spiritual. to. Another topic that needs attention at the
Process work creates a safe space where start, is the psychology of ‘othering’. It is a
people are asked not to be afraid to raise destructive stance — political and personal
issues they have repressed, or of which they — and needs to be kept clearly in mind while
feel ashamed of, or angry, or vengeful, or dialoguing with the perceived ‘other’. In
despondent. Open Forum is a tool for Deep the context of the Partition, the question of
Democracy. It invites marginalised voices identity needs to be addressed. Who belongs
to speak up, and mainstream persons to to the nation unit?
practise deep listening. It even “embraces
the terrorist”, who is often misunderstood, The Indian subcontinent was rich in precious
and unrepresented. Process work is an metals; had many rivers and tropical
invitation to “sit in the fire”, which means plants producing ample food; had a large
to face one’s worst fears, look the opponent workforce, and a sound education system,
in the eye, and discuss uncomfortable complemented by a cultural heritage that
subjects. Because only then can true healing stood the test of time. India was never
begin. There are other reasons a face-to- politically united under one ruler. Pockets of
face encounter is more fruitful than any princely states with ever-changing borders,
other kind of interaction. Time plays an and bigger empires like the Maratha and

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