trauma due to the violence experienced by its members. Therefore since the Gukurahundi violence was meted out in communities, communal healing of memories could be crucial in a situation like this, where collective traumatization has taken place. As one scholar observed, “Men, women, and children in traumatized communities must heal together, if they are to heal at all, because their lives are bound up with one another” (Pintar, 2000, p. 64). Even in situations where it is not possible for members of victim and perpetrator groups to reconcile or forgive each other, it is still highly desirable that those who have experienced violence and suffering be given an opportunity to heal for their own sakes so they can move on with their lives (Villa-Vicencio, 2004, p. 202). Healing is necessary, not just for the relief of wounded individuals and communities, but for the prevention of future violence that might be caused by survivors taking revenge. Healing is multidimensional and multifaceted, so holistic healing processes need to address both the causes of the pain and the resultant symptoms. The socio-political context is a vital element in the recovery process, and healing should utilize the various individual, political, social, and cultural responses to a traumatic situation and its aftermath (Hamber, 2003, p. 78). In addition, people need to feel safe if healing is to occur. Where their lives are still under threat and the environment around them continues to remind them of their traumatic experiences, complete healing will be difficult to attain (Staub, et al., 2005, p. 302). Research Methods A participatory action research (PAR) approach was used for this research because it provided for both knowledge production and action. The PAR included the participants who were in charge of the research process, with the first researcher (the author) acting as a facilitator. An invitation was extended through the ZPRA Veterans Trust (ZVT) for volunteers to take part in the research, which involved no monetary reward and required long-term commitment. The research findings were based on the experiences and attitudes of nine ZPRA ex-combatants (three females and six males) and three peace studies students from Solusi University who were acting as interns with ZVT. Ethical clearance for the research project was granted by the Durban University of Technology’s ethics committee. The participants’ involvement was confidential and no individual has been identified in reporting the research. The research consisted of six dialogue sessions and two actions: a Tree of Life (TOL) workshop and the writing of the participants’ life stories (participants underwent a half day story writing workshop). A review of the TOL workshop was done two weeks after the workshop. The dialogue sessions were held between January 2012 and May 2014. These