The War Hotel: Psychological Dynamics in Violent Conflict
Book Details
- Publisher : Whurr Publishers
- Published : January 2005
- Cover : Paperback
- Category :
Reprinting - Category 2 :
Trauma and Violence - Catalogue No : 20994
- ISBN 13 : 9781861564511
- ISBN 10 : 1861564511
Free UK Delivery over £25
Human nature fuels violent conflict. How are we inflamed or silenced to play our part? We are the players as we are pulled apart in the name of justice and loyalty. Past trauma triggers replay. Out of love, and our longing to step beyond the ordinary world, we sacrifice others and ourselves. Warlords and some political leaders use our emotions in terror tactics - in dehumanizing the enemy, torture, disinformation, or stirring fear in order to take power. The manipulation of psychological dynamics to create violent conflict is distressing, but there is hope: if our emotions are the fuel, our awareness makes a difference. Examples draw from the authors work in the Balkans, as well as from Nazi Germany, Rwanda, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Communism and its fall in Europe, South Africa, the USAs treatment of Native and African Americans, Vietnam and the war on terror.
Reviews and Endorsements
'The War Hotel is an ambitious, fascinating exploration of the psychology of conflict, from American street gangs to bloodshed in the Balkans. With Arlene Audergon as guide, the reader takes an enlightening journey to the hidden underside of modern war, and finds a ray of hope that humankind can, indeed, 'break free from the nightmare.'
- Charles J. Hanley, Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press special correspondent, with 30 years of experience covering war zones and co-author of The Bridge at No Gun Ri: A Hidden Nightmare from the Korean War
'From her rich personal experience working in conflict areas, Arlene Audergon not only describes the inner and outer nature of war, but the personal and community developments we must make to find relief, resolution and a wise center in the midst of it all.'
- Arnold Mindell, international conflict facilitator, author of The Deep Democracy of Open Forums and Sitting in the Fire
'This absorbing, inspiring work combines the experience of working in war torn circumstances, cultural sensitivity and Process Work theory. The War Hotel reveals the hidden terror of violent conflict, and offers a revitalizing perspective - that spoke directly to my experience and work with the processes creating so much violence here in DC, and for these turbulent times.'
- John L. Johnson, Ed.D Professor Emeritus, University of the District of Columbia
'With its passion, wisdom and care, The War Hotel means making sense of my own experience of war. Yes, we lived through it, suffered and most of us felt it was just 'happening to us'. Reading this book puts in a frame the confusing and painful experiences in a way we can actually look at it and learn from it - and feel a part of the great jigsaw puzzle of human beings on earth.'
- Tanja Radocaj, Zagreb, Head of UNICEF Office, Croatia
About the Author(s)
Arlene Audergon PhD is a psychotherapist and conflict resolution facilitator. She teaches Process Oriented Psychology in the UK and internationally, and her work has brought her to Croatia, Kosovo, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, South Africa, India, the UK, and the USA. In a long-term post-war project in Croatia, supported by UNHCR, she co-facilitated forums on reconciliation and community building. Arlene is co-founder of CFOR, an organization for community forums on preventive and post-conflict issues, diversity and democracy building. She lives in London, where she also works in theatre.
Customer Reviews
Our customers have given this title an average rating of 5 out of 5 from 1 review(s), add your own review for this title.
michael Studeny on 10/04/2006
(5 out of 5)
The War Hotel is the best book I have read on this topic. It is a comprehensive and in depth account of our experiences around conflicts on the collective and individual level, widely illustrated by historical examples and the author's personal observations and rich experiences. Arlene Audergon's perspective on the topic is challenging and thought provoking, alerting us to the role our basic human needs (e.g. safety and peace) and our personal psyche play in conflict and its perpetuation; and thus bringing world conflicts back "home" to their origins in our "personal kitchens". On many levels it is a sobering account, calling on our awareness - and awareness is the very agent, which as Arlene Audergon demonstrates throughout the book, is a way out of the cycles of violence, and bringing a possibility for transformation. Reading this book offered me a deeper understanding of the hidden dynamics behind my experiences growing up in a communist regime, and also placed the current political scene into perspective. It is a compelling and excellent read for practitioners in the field and for everybody interested in the topic; accessibly written in a clear and compact, yet personal style.
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