Reconciliation

One of the principal conceptualizations of Reconciliation is John-Paul Lederach’s meeting place of the (oft-competing) goals of peace, truth, justice & mercy. Conceptualizations like this help to explain why Reconciliation & transitional justice are often grouped together. While there is a significant degree of overlap between the two, there are also differences. Notably, Reconciliation is strongly people-centered—& indeed is a profoundly personal phenomenon (it is hard to imagine how someone could be reconciled by someone else)—whereas transitional justice is more focused on institutions & victims.

Reconciliation and social cohesion are sometimes used synonymously, especially at the community level; while they are inherently linked, they are distinct concepts. Social Cohesion, like Reconciliation, is a fluid concept that carries different connotations depending on context, identity, culture & social & political dynamics. Many people—including Search for Common Ground—view social cohesion as the glue that bonds society together, which is essential for peace, democracy & development. Reconciliation is sometimes thought of as a process of restoring or rebuilding the Social Cohesion that is fractured by large-scale conflict— violent conflict, armed conflict & war.

Reconciliation is an essential & necessary part of peacebuilding & political & social change, serving as a catalyst for a lot of other movement towards peace, particularly the relationship-building & social cohesion work that underpins peacebuilding. It also seems logical to assume that peace processes & peace agreements can lead to reconciliation, but it is important to be careful not to overly essentialize this fact; the Dayton Accords serve as an illustration of how peace agreements might not necessarily lead to reconciliation & may instead harden people’s positions.

Reconciliation as part of peacebuilding occurs across various temporal dimensions: past, present, & future. This can be defined as acknowledging the past, establishing new norms & relationships & developing a peaceful & inclusive society. While it is tempting to look at these processes as unfolding sequentially, both reconciliation & peacebuilding are non-linear, parallel, & co-dependent. Effectively integrating reconciliation into peacebuilding means taking into account the fact that reconciliation activities can happen at any time during the conflict cycle.

For a collection of Reconciliation resources, please visit our Resource Library. Please also see a synthesis of insider understandings of Reconciliation & a collection of testimonials on Reconciliation in practice.