To attend in person, please RSVP to Sarah Mancoll (smancoll@spssi.org).
Presented by the Society for the Psychological Study on Social Issues
Featuring Johanna Ray Vollhardt, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Clark University
The United Nations defines genocide as a crime with the intention to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. More than 60 years ago, the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide created important tools for punishing perpetrators of genocidal crimes; however, it failed to prevent genocide in the decades that followed. From Cambodia to Bosnia to Rwanda to Darfur, genocide has continued to devastate nations and peoples around the world. In this congressional seminar, Dr. Johanna Vollhardt of Clark University will provide an overview of what we know about the psychological effects of genocide on victims, perpetrators, and bystanders, such as the experience of collective trauma, acknowledgement versus denial of the events, and the effects of intergroup violence on national narratives and identities. She will also briefly discuss the main psychological processes that can help explain genocide, and describe psychological processes in the aftermath of genocide that may foster healing and help prevent future violence. A social psychologist by training, Dr. Vollhardt has studied various ethnic, religious, and national (minority) groups in the United States, Europe, South Asia, and East Africa.
2045 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
This event will also be livestreamed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/spssi