Sunday, March 06, 2011

Welcome Dr. Ervin and Laurie Staub to Cambodia!

A dear friend of mine, retired professor Dr. Ervin Staub, is here in Cambodia, with his wife Laurie for the first time!  He has generously offered to meet with interested individuals for conversations, a small intimate gathering which will be hosted by CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education later this week before March 11, exact day and time to be announced. 

I first met Ervin in Stellenbosch, South Africa in December 2009 at a Reconciliation Workshop organized by Folke Bernadotte Academy of the Swedish government and then again this October 2010 in Sando, Sweden.  I have read and re-read and underlined/made copious notes in the book which he gave and signed me for me, The Roots of Evil (with a chapter on Cambodia), and look forward to reading his current release Overcoming Evil, which he says features conversations with me from our time in South Africa.

-        Theary C. Seng, Phnom Penh, Sunday, 6 March 2011

Ervin Staub (back row, 4th from left) with reconciliation experts and practitioners from around the world in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Dec. 2009.

Theary Seng with Dr. Ervin Staub in Sando, Sweden, Oct. 2010.

More photos:




I am Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Founding Director of its Ph.D. concentration in the Psychology of Peace and Violence. I was born in Hungary, where as a young child I lived through Nazism, and then communism. I escaped from there when I was 18 years old, lived in Vienna for two years, and then came to the U.S. I finished my undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota and received my Ph.D. at Stanford. I taught at Harvard and was visiting professor at Stanford, the University of Hawaii and the London School of Economic and Political Science.

I have studied the influences that lead to caring, helpful, altruistic behavior in children and adults, and the development of caring and helping in children. Having studied both “active bystandership,” and passivity in the face of people in need, I turned to a focus on perpetration. I studied the social conditions, culture, psychology of individuals and groups, and social processes that lead to mass violence, especially genocide and mass killing, but also violent conflict, terrorism and torture. I studied the role of passive bystanders in allowing the unfolding of violence. Increasingly I focused on understanding how violence between groups can be prevented, as well as how hostile groups can reconcile, especially in post-conflict settings after violence between them, as well as how positive group relations can be facilitated. I have been concerned with how active bystandership in the service of prevention and reconciliation can be promoted.
-        Dr. Ervin Staub




How can human beings kill or brutalize multitudes of other human beings? Focusing particularly on genocide, but also on other forms of mass killing, torture, and war, Ervin Staub explores the psychological, cultural, and societal roots of group aggression. He sketches a conceptual framework for the many influences on one group's desire to harm another: cultural and social patterns predisposing to violence, historical circumstances resulting in persistent life problems, and needs and modes of adaptation arising from the interaction of these influences. Such notions as cultural stereotyping and devaluation, societal self-concept, moral exclusion, the need for connection, authority orientation, personal and group goals, "better world" ideologies, justification, and moral equilibrium find a place in his analysis, and he addresses the relevant evidence from the behavioral sciences. Within this conceptual framework, Staub then considers the behavior of perpetrators and bystanders in four historical situations: the Holocaust (his primary example), the genocide of Armenians in Turkey, the "autogenocide" in Cambodia, and the "disappearances" in Argentina. Throughout, he is concerned with the roots of caring and the psychology of heroic helpers. In his concluding chapters, he reflects on the socialization of children at home and in schools, and on the societal practices and processes that facilitate the development of caring persons, and of care and cooperation among groups. A wide audience will find The Roots of Evil thought-provoking reading.


Overcoming Evil describes the origins or influences leading to genocide, violent conflict and terrorism. It identifies principles and practices of prevention, and of reconciliation between groups after violence, or before violence thereby to prevent violence. It uses both past cases such as the Holocaust, and contemporary ones such as Rwanda, the Congo, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, contemporary terrorism, and the relations between the Dutch and Muslim minorities, which also has relevance to other European countries, as examples.

The book draws on the author's previous work on all these issues, as well as on research in genocide studies, the study of conflict and of terrorism, and psychological research on group relations. It also describes the work of the author and his associates in real world settings, such as promoting reconciliation in Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo.

The book considers what needs to be done to prevent impending or stop ongoing violence. It emphasizes early prevention, when violence generating conditions are present and a psychological and social evolution toward violence has begun, but not yet immediate danger of intense violence.

The book considers the role of difficult social or life conditions, repression, culture, the institutions or structure of society, the psychology of individuals and groups, and the behavior of witnesses or bystanders within and outside societies. It emphasizes psychological processes, such as differentiation between us and them and devaluation of the "other," past victimization and psychological woundedness, the power of ideas and people's commitment to destructive ideologies. It considers humanizing the other, healing from past victimization, the creation of constructive ideologies and groups and how these help people develop cultures and institutions that make violence less likely.

The book asks what needs to be accomplished to prevent violence, how it can be done, and who can do it. It aims to promote knowledge, understanding, and "active bystandership" by leaders and government officials, members of the media and citizens to prevent violence and create harmonious societies.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh God Ms. Seng again and again!!!!!! an addiction of KI team of her self promote pictures!!!
Ego, selfish, arrogance if you want to pursuit online revolution to change cambodia with Ms. Seng the same like you want to promote Chamteav, Chamtet Bun Rany you will lose supporters....

Anonymous said...

:) go Theary!

Anonymous said...

I regret that Theary Seng continues to abuse KI-Media for her shameless self-promotion.

I also start to realize that because she really has nothing of substance to say, she uses KI-Media to pretend close association with people who are truly intelectuals or heros. She is trying to take their credit.

Anonymous said...

When you hit the tag button “Theary Seng” at the bottom of this article, what you get is pages and pages of posts, most of them having a photo of Theary’s pretty face attached to them, many of them look like adds for cosmetic products often in private and opulent settings.

Which button do I have to click to see photos of all the regular Khmer women heroin mothers who live in the Khmer village and struggle to feed and educate their Khmer children and work their little piece of Khmer land until it is robbed from them, struggling to create a functional family and livelihood in a totally dysfunctional environment? Which button to listen to their voices and to know their thoughts? There are millions of them and I don’t know any of their names.

Same for all the regular Cambodian victims and those activists who speak out without the effortless enjoyment of a foreign citizenship and a law school career to fall back on? I don’t mind if they are less articulate than Theary.

Is Theary’s private life really sensitive information about Cambodia that it should be posted on KI-Media? If so, how come that there is not nearly as much about/from almost anyone of the KI-Media’s choice of Khmer heroes? I think it is for good reason that there is almost nothing about their private lives on KI Media. So why is Theary’s private life seemingly taking place mostly in foreign locations, considered sensitive information about Cambodia?

What is the purpose of posting photos of Theary that look as if they are promoting cosmetic products? I think it is demeaning not just of Khmer but any woman, as if men should only listen to pretty women or those who have applied sufficient amounts of make-up or as if you cannot get them with the strength of your argument than they might be persuaded by your sex-appeal?

If you were a politician, I would understand that you want everyone to vote for you, even people too stupid to understand your argument but who might find your face pretty enough to vote for you. But if you want your words to count, I suggest that you stop your self-promotion and showing off your undeserved privileges. Theary, for me its never become clear what you stand for, except yourself.

Anonymous said...

Heng Soy, did you not just say that those who have something interesting to say get published?

What did you find so interesting about this?

"I first met Ervin in Stellenbosch, South Africa in December 2009 at a Reconciliation Workshop organized by Folke Bernadotte Academy of the Swedish government and then again this October 2010 in Sando, Sweden. I have read and re-read and underlined/made copious notes in the book which he gave and signed me for me, The Roots of Evil (with a chapter on Cambodia), and look forward to reading his current release Overcoming Evil, which he says features conversations with me from our time in South Africa."

Me, I and myself. Theary Seng at her best. Naked self- interest, narcism and pretention in their purest form.

I am a passionate reader of KI but being served this crap will make me re-consider.

Anonymous said...

even nude pictures would be intellectually more stimulating than Theary Seng's useless, shameless, trivial notes.

Its insulting the intelligence and integrity of KI Media and all the readers.

Anonymous said...

Thearible!

Anonymous said...

you post all of these in order to promote yourseves and sell books. The books itself are of evils.
you see the specs in the eyes of the devils but do not see the beams in (beam=sin)your own eyes.
Pride, pride, pride, those prides that kill and continue to kill. Look at Libya now!!!!!
The root of evil is lack of love. Man ways is doom to fail. Only God's way lead to peace.
When as a Christian( it seems she claims as one) will siter Theary Seng understand what God said and apply it to what you write , promote? for peace and justice for your people.

Anonymous said...

go, give it a try, hit the Theary Seng button and you will see pages and pages of meaningless documents related to one single event.

Most of the rest is shameless self-promoting photos and posts she uses to pretend that she is peer to real thinkers.

Please also note that there is hardly anything about Cambodia in these posts. Cambodia and Cambodians are only used as a backdrop. Its on the back of poor Cambodians that she makes her career but these people don't get a mention. They don't seem to have faces. Nothing interesting to say. No need for Theary even to take photos with them.

Anonymous said...

I don't think Ervin Staub is the bad guy here. He just happens to be the guy Theary uses for her opportunistic self-promotion.

Anonymous said...

Why did that need to be posted here?

It seems Theary thinks she is considered so insightful that we are all rushing instantly to the bookstore to purchase a book any books that might feature conversations with her.

After all, everyone else has nothing interesting to say.

Anonymous said...

I am always wondering how delusional and in love with herself Theary Seng must be in order to keep thinking anyone wants to read that crap.

Anonymous said...

Theary, if you are not ashamed for yourself then at least you should be ashamed of creating a bad reputation for those you claim are your friends.

As for yourself, I think you have proven sufficiently that you are not interested in what Cambodians think about you.

Anonymous said...

HUN SEN IS CHEY CHETHA II WHO GAVE
KHMER LAND TO YUON IN THIS ERA.
HUN SEN IS AN EVIL MAN IN KHMER HISTORY.
AH CHEY CHETHA II GAVE KHMER LAND TO YUON;
AND NOW AH HUN SEN GIVES THE WHOLE COUNTRY TO YUON.
AH CHEY CHETHA II WAS A TRAITOR.
AH HUN SEN IS A KHMER TRAITOR.

Anonymous said...

"The love of money (riches) and pride (self-love) is the root of all evil." The Bible

It was the pride of Lucifer that started the seed of evil. Cascading forever throughout human history unto this very hour.

Anonymous said...

See KI and Rainsy are Thai, they appear from Bangkok, now you all working for Thai thief to destroy Khmer, Thai will destroy our friend or allian Veit and then sepparete us Khmer before Thai destroy us, now clearly see how dangerous it is, wasn't it right? kill rainsy guy the guy are Thai double agents

Anonymous said...

you are Khmerization or Rainsy it piontless to say that Hun sen unprepair during 2008 while Thai troop walk in into Cambodia, did you see Khmer sodier, you see them right? the enemy was out of number and they do not have reason to make a war yet, we have to starte from somewhere and mame it well kknown to the international or the people first, and no one know where to attack, if you smart you will not comments like ignorance people like this, why you are so good in criticism, are you blind now we controle 100 percent both on battle and on internatioal deplomatic, don't it appear a perfect work for Hun sen he did sofar didn't he?, you think queer rainsy could do that? Sam he could not do it, wasn't it?. only intergrity previal, you KI team and idiot boss Rainsy are totaly work against your own Khmer people mike

Anonymous said...

hey Mike, come and kiss my big big, fat fat (___O___) Man!

Anonymous said...

Heng soy and socheata ,KI you know alote of what is going on in Cambodia and your comments are sound good to SRP supporter I believe you are lives in oversea. You, me and some of our reader in this blog or KI blog are try to make our opinion ben heard, that was good piont but if we forcus too much on nagetive or wrong doing we didn't see or learn the positive from each other, to be fair we must mak it balance betweent Mr. Rainsy and Mr. Hun sen. we know Hunsen did alote of mistake in the past but people can learn from past experiences, now he doing the right thing for our nation. if you are runing your own business or runing the country ero are ineviable, as well as Rainsy runing SRP today. We must gave credit to superior side of our leader both of them. I am very bussy man but I did see KI and some Rainsy supporter are outragest and put their wrong believe on past experience and fale futur vision created by rainsy. in the Past Youn tooke Khmer krom, he arouse anger agianst youn and HUn sen, in the futur he put vision that for us to imagine that all Khmer next generation will have no land for their children he arouse, arouse, and arouse anger against Youn and hun sen, thise kinds of ideosensory very dangerouse used by Hitler and mosuliny, and Rainsy he work for Thai that for real. The thai if they wand to invade our country they put stratergy 5 to 10 years ahead, by first destroy our allian vietnam, then separet us and at last Thai will destroy us now you clearly see Thai supported Ki, and double agent rainsy stratergy are working very well, wasn't it true?. who are the real trator? Rainsy was, wasn't he? Mike

Anonymous said...

hey Mike, just come and kiss my big big, fat fat (___O___), ok?

Anonymous said...

A bunch of jealous peeps! If you find Theary Seng's posting or articles annoying or self promoting, just don't click to read!! Nobody is pointing a gun at you to force you into reading. Dammit!

Anonymous said...

Theary is sooooo beautiful, please more pics of her, every day at least 100.

I love her.

Anonymous said...

This is very KTEARYBLE!

Anonymous said...

Go Theary go!

Don't worry about the people here as there are many more people out there who love you and want to know more about your work.

Anonymous said...

3:30 I think you are the only one

Anonymous said...

3:30 I love you and want to know more about your work

Anonymous said...

I also want to know more about 3:30 and his work at the ministry of information

Anonymous said...

and their work is le coq sucker.