Reconciliation

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Reconciliation is stated as “restoration of a state of peace to the relationship, where the entities are at least not harming each other, and can begin to be trusted not to do so in future, which means that revenge is foregone as an option” (Santa-Barbara, 174). This definition is a starting point in understanding reconciliation but does not address the spirit of forgiveness involved. It is important to recognize harms that others have done but it becomes necessary to portray these in a positive and understanding manner. This supplies the persecutor with an image that is not so negative and “monster-like” but also provides for the victim acknowledgement that there has been harm done. For reconciliation to take place, all parties involved must be able to approach one another as though they were family members. They must approach each other with an orientation of goodwill for one another and an open heart desiring to understand the other. It is essential that both parties be open to an unexpected movement of the spirit: apology and forgiveness. Once reconciliation has begun, the long road of rebuilding trust and respect is instituted.

Vern Redekop spoke about orientation being critical to reconciliation. “Smudging” was used as an example of a practice among the “First Peoples.” This exercise uses smoke to symbolically wash the different parts of a persons body and reorient them towards positive goals. This begins with an orientation of being open to see good things and look at the past in the most positive way. Being open to the possibility of peace is crucial to a peace building process. The Handbook puts great emphasis on harm, discovering it and acknowledging it, while Redekop is more concerned with being open to forgiveness. ...

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...eness, then working together to rebuild trust and constructive relationships. Finally, people need to work together after reconciliation to prevent these conflicts from recurring. The greatest forces in reconciliation are love and forgiveness, the greatest hindrance is shame. We are driven mimetically and so we need exemplify a model that does not lead to future harms. If we as humans work together to form lasting and healthy relationships, we will one day achieve a peaceful society. Learning how to deal with hurt and conflict is crucial to human development as it teaches us to become better people and create valuable relations.

Bibliography

Redekop, Vern. The Paradoxes of Reconciliation. January 26-27, 2010.

Santa-Barbara, Joanna. (2009). Reconciliation In C. Webel, & J. Galtung (Eds.), Handbook of Peace and Conflict Studies (pp.106-120). New York: Routledge.

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