On February 9, 2022, the Knowledge Platform hosted a seminar with Prof. Nurit Shnabel and Prof. dr. Katherine Stroebe about reconciliation and the restoration of trust in Groningen. Problems related to gas extraction have severely damaged trust and relationships in Groningen. Years of broken promises, systemic changes and radical shifts in policy have impacted the relationships between citizens, governments and industry. Can these broken relationships be restored and trust regained? And if so, how?

 

Together with prof. Nurit Shnabel (Tel Aviv University, Israel) and Prof. Katherine Stroebe (University of Groningen), we reflected on the necessity of and possibilities for the restoration of relations and trust in Groningen. The aim of the seminar was to involve scholars and scholarly insights in discussions about reconciliation and the restoration of trust in Groningen.  

 

Speakers

Nurit Shnabel works at the Psychology Department of Tel Aviv University and is the head of the Improving Social Relations Lab. Her research focuses on reconciliation and the restoration of relations, paying particular attention to socioemotional needs  of groups and individuals in the context of intergroup and interpersonal conflict. Katherine Stroebe  researches the social psychology of justice at the University of Groningen. As head of the research group Gronings Perspectief, she studies developments in, amongst other things, health, well-being and trust in Groningen.  

 

Program

Relying on the many studies of Gronings Perspectief, Katherine Stroebe discussed whether and how trust and relationships have been damaged in Groningen. Between which actors has trust been breached? Subsequently, drawing on examples from across the world where the relationship between government and (a group of) citizens has been damaged, Nurit Shnabel reflected on the state of affairs in Groningen. Furthermore, her work on interpersonal and intergroup conflict provided insights into what can be done in Groningen to foster reconciliation and to restore relationships and trust. After the two presentations, there was time for a plenary discussion.  

 

Do you want to know more about the societal impact of gas extraction in Groningen? An English translation of the summary and reflection of our literature study Insight into impact is now available !