6^th International Congress of the WIAMH

Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 13 - 15, 1999.

The American University in Cairo

This paper suggests a great need for scientific study to elucidate the transition from individual traumatic story to dysfunction of a community. Posttraumatic community impairment is its own entity. It is defined by the disruption in cultural norms, in the sense of collective past, present and future, and in the very expectation of social order, in communities suffering the trauma of war, deprivation and forced displacement. The key to returning to meaningful community life lies in learning how to repair the frayed community fabric.

Key words: Posttraumatic Community Impairment – War