Forgiveness and reconciliation: Paradise lost or pragmatism?

Abstract

Amongst men, forgiveness can only mean: to give up vengeance, to keep quiet and do as if nothing happened, which means: to walk away by principle, while vengeance will always remain with the other and does not put an end to the relationship. … Reconciliation, on the other hand, originates in the acceptance of what befalls us. … Whoever reconciles with the other just accepts to carry on his shoulder the burden that, anyhow, weighs on the other. This means that it re-establishes equality. This is why reconciliation is the exact opposite of forgiveness which establishes inequality." (Hannah Arendt cited in Maggiori, 2005, section entitled Un ange passé, para. 2).

Teachers and social cohesion in the Global South: expanding the notion of education quality

“…Furthermore, it is through education that engagements with past injustices, historical memory, transitional justice processes, and better communal interaction in the social arena are thought about and tackled, often bringing different communities together to encourage processes of forgiveness and healing. This is especially the case in societies with histories of direct conflict (Hamber 2007).…”

“I Forgive to Forget”: Implications for Community Restoration and Unity in Northern Uganda

“…Though the concept of forgiveness was often treated as a subject exclusively discussed by theologians and philosophers, (Fincham, 2000;Toussaint et al 2001: 249) this perception has changed over the years gaining notable interest in the social sciences, and according to Hamber (2007), has become integrally linked to questions of transitional justice at the wider community level with its discussion at the interpersonal level being limited. It is therefore of interest to investigate the role of interpersonal level forgiveness for social harmony in the face of violations of individual rights at domestic and household levels.…”

“…People are often instructed to forgive and forget by local counsellors, religious and traditional leaders and elders in the community. Many social scientists working in this field, however, remain concerned that political leaders can manipulate a situation to create false reconciliation and impose the 'forgive and forget' notion on the people (Hamber, 2007:119) with serious individual and community level mental and psychological consequences, and therefore such advice must be used carefully and in the right context.…”

South Africa and Rwanda: Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, Peacebuilding, Religious and Local African Authorities in Conflict Situations

“…Reconciliation should be more feasible if people are able to form working political relationships that cross divisions. Some form of apology or public acknowledgement of wrong doing is necessary for healing the wounds of the past (Hamber, 2007 Kaminer et al (2001), suggest that it is reciprocal recognition that is the bases of relieve and freedom in reconciliation, without which the victims continue to feel that they still exist in a relationship of bondage with their oppressors. In some cultures in Africa, like in Sierra Leone, Rwanda and South Africa, reconciliation is not limited to simplistic verbal utterances or binding agreements (Hamber, 2002(Hamber, , 2007.…”

“…This section looks at the meaning of reconciliation, the overlap in some liberal and neo-liberal ideas and how they are related with the former. In understanding reconciliation, we drew inspiration from the works of Kirmayer (2004), Staub, Pearlman and Miller (2003), Philpott (2006), Murphy (2010), Hayner (1999) and Hamber (2007).…”