Doctoral research fellow  Inna Kliachko

This research project evaluates a Tech2Peace workshop that brings together young Palestinians and Israelis with the aim of fostering dialogue, reducing intergroup prejudice, and supporting peacebuilding processes in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Situated at the intersection of peace and conflict studies and psychology, the study examines how individual and collective trauma experiences, together with mentalization capacities, are related to intergroup hostility and the persistence of antisemitic and anti-Muslim prejudices. Drawing on mentalization theory, social trauma theory, and contemporary approaches in intergroup contact and prejudice research, the project explores psychological micro-processes of perspective-taking, affect regulation, and mutual recognition within structured intergroup encounters. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-methods design combining pre- and post-workshop questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation. Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis, with particular attention to moments of breakdown and restoration of mentalization in intergroup interactions. The project aims to contribute to scholarly debates on prejudice reduction in protracted conflict settings and to inform the design of mentalization-based interventions in peacebuilding practice.