Ne-vé-Shalom/Waa-hat i-sal-aam: Using written stories to heal

A life-story study of the bi-national village Ne-vé Shalom/Waa-hat i-sal-aam was conducted for the purpose of writing a book about the community. In the published book (Lieblich 2012), the individual interviews are written as separate narratives about each of the participants. However, the post-publication reactions of the village members indicated that reading each other’s life stories promoted better understanding and empathy, who struggle with deep tensions, splits and disagreements. Reading the ‘other’s’ life story in private may be a preliminary step before a face-to-face dialogue is possible. This proposition is discussed in the framework of different models of conflict resolution and in reference to the author’s own experience vis-à-vis the community. Thus, the reported study adds to our understanding of the wide healing potential of life stories.