130 KB0 KB200420242023Bolko, IrenaKuhar, MetkaZupančič, Rokštevilka:1letnik:20str. 57-75DOI:10.51936/dswp1546ISSN:1854-0023COBISSID_HOST:198810371URN:URN:NBN:SI:doc-IN8REI9BenFakulteta za družbene vedeMetodološki zvezkiethnic distanceetnična distancaEtnični odnosigradnja miruinteroceptive awarenessinteroceptivno zavedanjepeacebuildingpolivagalna teorijapolyvagal theorypost-conflict societiespostkonfliktne družbePsihične travmetraumatrauma-informed peacebuildingtravmaTrauma-informed approach for bridging ethnic distance in post-conflict societies| a pilot study and intervention evaluation|The article presents a pilot study based on intervention conducted in Croatia in 2022. De-spite intensive peacebuilding efforts, ethnic tensions in post-conflict societies remain high,suggesting that current strategies may be missing critical components. This experimentintegrated recent neurophysiological findings, particularly polyvagal theory, into peace-building intervention. The intervention involved a two-day seminar in Zagreb, wheretrauma-informed, body-based techniques were used to address post-war trauma. Partici-pants learnt to recognise and manage trauma reactions by promoting their interoceptiveawareness and a felt sense of safety. The seminar included both theoretical and experientialcomponents, focusing on the impact of trauma on the autonomous nervous system andinterpersonal dynamics. The study used an experimental design with intervention andcontrol group to investigate the effects of the seminar. Measures included interoceptiveawareness, autonomic reactivity, ethnic distance, perspective taking and mental well-being.The results showed that the participants in the intervention group showed significantimprovements in interoceptive awareness, particularly in not worrying and emotionalawareness subscales compared to the control group. However, ethnic distance scores didnot decrease as expected, highlighting the complexity of changing deep-rooted attitudes.The study faced some challenges, including participant recruitment and the short durationof the intervention, which may have limited its effectiveness. Despite these limitations, thefindings suggest that integrating trauma-informed approaches into peacebuilding effortsholds promise for improving interethnic relations. Future research should focus on longerinterventions and diverse participant groups to better understand the potential of thesemethods in various contextsTEXTznanstveno časopisjejournalsSlovenian National E-content AggregatorNational and University Library of SloveniaUniverza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za družbene vede