Rebuilding Civil Trust Societies in Transition: Linking Murphy’s Moral Reconciliation with Galtung’s Positive Peace

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Erfan Tarkesh 1
Mohamad Tohidfam 2
1 PhD Candidate in political science, majoring in political thought, Political Science Department, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor of Political Science Department, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/ipsan.2026.581869.1004
Abstract
Rebuilding civic trust is one of the fundamental challenges in post‑conflict and transitional societies—societies that grapple both with the moral wounds of the past and with the persistence of structural inequalities. This article examines the mechanisms through which sustainable trust can emerge by integrating two complementary theoretical frameworks: Colleen Murphy’s concept of moral reconciliation and Johan Galtung’s theory of positive peace.
The central question addressed is how an effective linkage can be established between moral repair and structural reform. The article argues that a narrow focus on institutional reconstruction, without accountability and reparation, leads to chronic distrust, while moral reconciliation that lacks structural transformation is likewise unsustainable.
Adopting a theoretical–conceptual approach, the study proposes an integrative model that identifies transitional justice, accountability, the removal of structural violence, the reduction of inequality, and the strengthening of social morality as complementary pillars for rebuilding civic trust. This framework may serve as an analytical guide for policymaking in societies undergoing political and social transition.
Keywords: Civic Trust; Transitional Justice; Moral Reconciliation; Positive Peace; Structural Violence; Galtung; Murphy.
Keywords
Civic Trust
Transitional Justice
Moral Reconciliation
Positive Peace
Structural Violence
Galtung
Murphy
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Peace Studies
Volume 1, Issue 3
Summer 2025
Pages 1-23