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U.Va. Psychiatrist Addresses United Nations on Societies Ravaged by Ethnic Conflict

Dr. Vamik Volkan, a University of Virginia psychiatrist with a specialty in international relations, is available for media interviews on the ethnic conflict and societal trauma occurring in Kosovo.

On Friday, April 23, Volkan will be in New York to discuss the social aftermath of ethnic and national conflicts at the United Nations' Eighth International Conference on Health and Environment.

Volkan, who serves as director of the U.Va. Center for the Study of Mind and Human Interaction (CSMHI), has studied the causes of ethnic hatred and the role of psychology in mediating large-scale conflicts since the 1970s. In his 1996 book, Blood Lines: From Ethnic Pride to Ethnic Cleansing, he predicted the current crisis in Kosovo through his analysis of the history and culture of Serbia beginning with the Battle of Kosovo in 1389.

In Kosovo, there is no long term solution other than partition, Volkan says. The Albanian Muslims will need to be relocated closer to Albania leaving Kosovo-Polje to the Serbs.

Additional information on Volkan:

In 1988, he founded CSMHI to continue his study of group dynamics and conflict resolution. Made up of psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, former diplomats, historians and political scientists, the center applies a theoretical and field-proven base of knowledge to issues such as ethnic tension, racism, terrorism and societal trauma.

The Center recently completed a five-year project to reduce ethnic tension in the Baltic Republic of Estonia, which was plagued by social breakdown and ethnic hatred following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Estonia project was funded by the Carter Center, a humanitarian organization founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Volkan is also a member of the Carter Center's International Negotiation Network.

To arrange an interview with Dr. Volkan, please call him at (804) 982-1045. For assistance in reaching Volkan, call Media Relations at (804) 924-5679.

April 15, 1999