Dealing with conflicts after the conflict: European and indigenous approaches to conflict transformation in East Timor

The East Timor conflict appeared to be resolved in 1999 by a referendum; however, the fragile state has experienced various new conflicts over the last years. The indigenous perspective on the postconflict dynamics considers conflicts as caused by disharmony between the world of the living and the dead. Numerous international actors in East Timor have a fundamentally different understanding and try to resolve the tensions in the country through measures such as trauma workshops or poverty reduction programs. The conceptual challenge is an integration of modern and traditional approaches for conflict transformation at the various levels where new conflicts arise.