Lecture topics

See also Invited lectures/colloquia listed in Vita, pp-22-35; Presentations on symposia, panels, pp.35-42

Understanding the roots of genocide and mass killing (psychological, cultural, societal).
Preventing genocide and mass killing.

           Societal conditions and culture that are starting points for mass violence.
           The psychology of perpetrators and passive bystanders.
           The role of positive (active) bystanders in preventing violence between groups.
           Heroic helping: rescuers in the Holocaust and in other settings
           Examples for all these topics from the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide,
           Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Argentina and elsewhere.

Reconciliation after genocide, mass killing and intractable conflict.
           Psychological woundedness, healing/ psychological recovery
           Understanding the roots of violence.
           Forgiveness, its constructive and potentially destructive forms
           Creating a shared history
           Significant contact
           The role of justice

Interventions to promote reconciliation and psychological recovery in Rwanda and elsewhere:
           Using elements of an approach in working with people in the community, national and community leaders,
           the media, and in the creation of educational radio programs in Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo.
           Research evaluating the impact of interventions.

Raising caring, helpful, non-aggressive children.
           The prevention of youth violence and bullying.
           Creating caring schools to raise caring and nonviolent children
           Wounded children, healing and altruism born of suffering

The psychology and behavior of bystanders. Passivity, action, moral courage and heroism.

Basic human needs and their role in aggression and altruism.

Cultures of violence and the development of cultures of peace.

Altruism born of suffering: how people who have been victimized by personal violence (e.g. in their families) or by political violence can become caring and helpful.

New lecture topics starting in 2007:

The origins and prevention of terrorism.
           The origins and prevention of contemporary Islamic terrorism.
           Improving relations between Europeans (in particular the Dutch) and Muslim minorities in Europe, to prevent violence and terrorism.

Intractable conflict: origins and resolution.
           The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and approaches to its resolution.