Passive Healing of the Aftermath of Intractable Conflicts‪.‬

Intractable conflicts (hereafter 'conflicts') are prevalent worldwide (Coleman, 2000; Kriesberg, 2000). These conflicts cause severe, wide-scale, negative damage, both material and psychological, to the parties involved (Coleman, 2000; Lira, 2001; Staub & Bar-Tal, 2003). A major aspect of the psychological damage of conflict is the parties' formation of a psychological repertoire of conflict. This repertoire is composed of three elements: A collective memory of the conflict, an ethos of the conflict, and an emotional orientation to the conflict--all of which contain negative and antagonistic content towards the rival (Bar-Siman-Tov, 2004; Bar-Tal, 2007). While some conflicts reach the resolution phase whereby a peace agreement is signed by the parties, research suggests that a peace agreement does not ensure sustainable peace. That is because the psychological repertoire of the conflict must also be addressed and improved in the post-conflict phase so that its elements (i.e., memories, beliefs and emotions) will become less negative, and hopefully positive, toward the rival party. Such an improvement can ensure the proper implementation of a peace agreement, reconciliation, and stable peace between the parties (Bar-Siman-Tov, 2004; Lederach, 2000; Montville, 1993; Staub, 1998). Without such an improvement in the psychological repertoire, its antagonistic elements may cause the parties to reactivate the conflict and may jolt the social climate in the national and the international arena (Bar-Tal & Bennink, 2004; Kriesberg, 2000).