TOPIC:  American PTSD: Diagnosis & Prescription — In this discussion, Mark Gerzon invites Rotary members to explore what is underneath the  political dysfunction and culture wars that  currently plague America. Informed by his forthcoming book American PTSD: Healing Our Collective Traumas and Reclaiming Our Future, Mark will examine the American Psychological Association’s assertion that Americans today are “suffering from the symptoms of collective trauma.” Using his own and the audience’s life histories, he will show that trauma is an underlying cause of our current cultural crisis and identify several healing practices that can restore our civic health. 

BIO:  Mark Gerzon is the founder and now board chair of Mediators Foundation, a 40-year old incubator for social action projects that bridge divides and strengthen democracy. His career includes designing bipartisan retreats for the US Congress and working in conflict zones with the United Nations Development Program. Over the past thirty years, he released several books on the challenges facing American democracy, including A House Divided (1966), Leading Through Conflict (2006), and The Reunited States of America (2016).