African Reconciliation

In a year marked, like so many years, with news of war, tales of reconciliation often go untold. The conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia made news this week, but in other parts of Africa, stories of peacemaking unfold each day. Across the continent, communities are rebuilding civil societies through local traditions of forgiveness and apology, as well as formal structures such as truth and reconciliation commissions. Do these efforts lead to sustainable peace? Can forgiveness overcome revenge in the wake of atrocities? How do the victims of war cope with the return of ex-combatants? Does Africa hold lessons for the rest of the world?