 |
Refugees are a growing international concern yet they are largely ignored as a relevant group who can contribute to conflict resolution. Throughout their experience, refugees are a victim of both direct and indirect violence. This research used the lens of Galtung’s theory of violence to study and document instances of violence experienced by refugees from Burma, Bhutan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia and Rwanda. Interviews with former refugees resettled in the United States were collected in conjunction with the researcher’s autoethnographic data. Upon analysis, the research findings suggest refugees experience significant amounts of indirect violence which should considered as equivalent to the direct violence they encounter. Additionally, former refugees while changed by their refugee experience reveal a resiliency in spite of trauma. Upon being resettled they seek to form a new social identity as new Americans who hold democratic values and ideals. Former refugees because of this perspective can be an asset in hybrid approaches to peacebuilding in their home countries.