An Exploration of Trauma Interventions and Building Peace: The Case of South Sudanese Refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

This thesis identifies a gap in peacebuilding theory and practice in terms of sensitivity to trauma and its impact on the survivors of war and other mass violence. In order to understand this gap and how it can be filled, the research focuses on the experiences and perceptions of South Sudanese refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northwestern Kenya. It explores the trauma experienced by the refugees before leaving South Sudan, during their journey to the camp and within the camp, the interventions they have received in the camp to help them to deal with their traumatic experiences, the ways of coping they have developed, and the resilience they portray. It also examines the refugees’ perceptions of peace and explores the possibilities for peacebuilding identified in these perceptions. The research found that a lack of sensitivity to the trauma experienced by the survivors of conflict and mass violence leads to interventions that are at best removed from, and at worst detrimental to the welfare of the survivors. Interventions that take into consideration the complex and multifaceted ways in which the survivors experience and respond to the traumatic events, encourage capacities for resilience in the survivors, engage the creative arts in peacebuilding, and emphasise the centrality of community and relationships, are seen to assist the survivors in recovery from trauma and to facilitate peacebuilding. Further, this research demonstrates the need for continued inquiry in the field of trauma interventions and peacebuilding, to augment ways of building a sustainable peace