MF hosts book launch for post-war novel addressing Guatemalan conflict
"The healing process is not over until the perpetrators of pain are healed and ask for forgiveness," said author Ronald Flores at the launch of his novel Final Silence at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture (MF).
The book is the first post-war novel to address the use of torture in the 36-year Guatemalan conflict, examining the need for recuperation for both victims and perpetrators.
Reflecting on the novel’s inception ten years ago, Mr Flores described the violence endured by the people of his homeland and the steps towards recovery that are gradually developing more than a decade since the war ended.
"Guatemalans are still struggling with the past. Most of our wounds are still open, and there’s still a lot of work to be done. This book continues the debate about that," said Mr Flores, whose novel is published by Aflame Books.
MF Chief Executive Officer Simon Carruth opened the launch of the English translation of Final Silence, detailing the work of the MF with victims of the Guatemalan conflict.
"Torture and other human rights abuses were used extensively during the war as a method of control, leaving thousands of suffering victims," said Mr Carruth. "To aid the country’s recovery following the war’s end, the MF funded a project which sought to rehabilitate the survivors of the war, and particularly the survivors of torture."
More than 200,000 were killed or ‘disappeared’ during the conflict, leaving 100,000 war widows and 250,000 orphans.
Spanning several years, former MF clinical psychologist Judith Zur and her anthropologist husband Dr Sergio Navarrete established the project in the highland region of Rabinal, one of the areas hardest hit by the violence. They aimed to break the legacy of fear and mistrust by training health promoters to care for people suffering from mental health illnesses.
The MF promoted the new service and addressed misconceptions about mental illness though a series of mini-dramas broadcast on local radio, explaining the ongoing trauma that could be experienced as a result of the violence and how the mental health outreach workers could help.
Mr Flores thanked the MF for its dedication to the rehabilitation of torture survivors and for its involvement in launching his novel: "Thank you for the work you do, day in day out. It’s you that helps to keep the hope alive in those who have suffered."
For further details about Final Silence, visit www.aflamebooks.com
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