The Role of Forgiveness in Reconciliation

One would notice that people and nation leaders across the world would find themselves asking forgiveness or declaring public apologies to each other for the things that they have done wrong to the other party. Aside from such measures, truth commissions- which usually entail an informal understanding between a majority group and a minority group-involve one party confessing their wrongdoings to the other party, making them immune from being prosecuted. This chapter focuses on the role of "forgiveness" in the reconciliation between states, nations, and other groups-whether or not this serves as a necessary condition for peacemaking.