Herinterpretatie van trauma door religieuze gehechtheid: veerkracht en herstel van overlevenden van Boko Haram in het International Christian Centre, Edo-State, Nigeria

The crises involving Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) resulting from terrorism manifest in various forms such as bombings, attacks, abduction, and escape leading to trauma. This requires a nuanced approach by simultaneously acknowledging the reality of trauma and violence, focusing on the individual narratives of young women and children affected by Boko Haram, and on the religious pathways to resilience and recovery at the International Christian Centre, Edo State, Nigeria. The research draws on four phases of fieldwork spanning from 2018 to 2021 among Boko Haram survivors and the management of the International Christian Centre in Edo State and specifically enabled an investigation and documentation of pathways to recovery by exploring an alternative understanding of trauma through the intersections of ethnic, religious, and gender dynamics. An alternative understanding of trauma demonstrates how the process of recovery is influenced by religious dynamics inherent in everyday activities at the Christian Centre, including participation in the Indomie Kitchen, Christian Fellowship, and other religious activities. Internally Displaced Persons respond to, and position themselves within traumatic narratives and recovery practices. Their positioning reflects both vulnerability and agency, shedding light on the intricate relationship between trauma and attachment to God. Through this engagement, survivors reinterpret their traumatic experiences within a framework of religious submission, or attachment to God's will, as evidenced by their adoption of practices such as prayers, the practice of Christian Love and being born-again and their adaptation to new modes of daily life amidst ongoing sufferings. These practices constitute avenues for surviving Boko Haram's trauma and post-traumatic stress syndrome, resulting in gaining agency and resilience, and ultimately leading to recovery.