Angola and Mozambique: Healing and Social Integration

Abstract

This case study takes a side-by-side look at the long civil wars in both Angola and Mozambique, and the ways in which religious beliefs and rituals—particularly of indigenous faiths—helped individuals and communities cope with and recover from the traumas caused by these conflicts. This case study addresses four primary questions: What were the causes of post-war trauma in Angola and Mozambique? What religious and indigenous beliefs informed local views of health and healing? What practices and religious rituals were used to overcome trauma? What is the relationship between national level efforts at reconciliation and local efforts of reconciliation and healing? Along with the core text, the case study also features a timeline of key events and list of recommended further readings.