Can survivors enjoy life and have greater well being after experiencing the horrors of war? Can they grow from trauma? can they forgive and have hope for the future? what are the consequences of unforgiveness? and why does this matter anyway? The latests official reports about the psychological damage of victims in Colombia show that only 15% of them feel they have successfully reincorporated to their work life after the traumatic experience. An ample body of research shows the effectiveness of evidence based interventions aimed at facilitating these outcomes.

In a country with over 8 million victims, the development and implementation of evidence based programs that facilitate these processes is desperately needed; it would save vast costs to the health system, and set the foundations for societal flourishing.

This should be one of the main priorities of a public agenda that aims at building long lasting and sustainable peace.