Author Archive

Guy Mande: Forgiveness, also arose as a difficult process to deal with but again necessary for reconciliation within a given community. How can those who committed several atrocities be allowed to walk freely on the streets without any sense of accountability or reparation?

The United Methodist Women have put together a video of an interfaith conversation led by Harriet Olson, Deputy General Secretary of the United Methodist Women, on what the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities have experienced together since 9/11.

BBC News covers the extraordinary act of forgiveness by Rais Bhuiyan, a Bangladeshi Muslim, who reached out to his attempted murderer on death row to forgive and plea for his clemency.

Coming this Fall on PBS, will be a bold new mini-series, Women, War & Peace. The series, which begins in October 2011, challenges “the conventional wisdom that war and peace are men’s domain and to place women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security.”

Reconciliation has to do with making an effort of hearing and of listening to different views, though you may not like them. It is a discipline. It is a discipline of tolerance, and it is a determination to say, “What I cannot understand today, I may understand it tomorrow.”

Harriet Jane Olson: What would it be like if our history were shaped by the times of peace, and the wars were viewed as the interruptions? What if we trained some of our best and brightest strategists to create the conditions for peace, for dispute resolution and for investment in all of the things that help humans thrive?

Schools of Christian Mission are taking place across the country this summer to study The Journey: Forgiveness, Restorative Justice and Reconciliation. Find out where a school is taking place near you. The schools are open to everyone.

The June 2011 issue of Response Magazine has an article about JustPeace! Written by Mary Kate Sweeney, the article offers a detailed overview of our organization.

National Catholic Reporter: Bill Tammeus, Presbyterian elder and former award-winning Faith columnist for The Kansas City Star, offers a great reflection about the need for Christians to take mediation seriously as disciples of the Prince of Peace.

Here’s something we should already know if we have any familiarity with Jesus’ teachings: Christianity is built on forgiveness. It is fundamental to the faith, not a marginal, optional idea.