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INCOMPLETE RECONCILIATION, A STEP TO LIVE TOGETHER

Nelson Molina Valencia, Ph.D Universidad del Valle. Colombia.

AN EXPERIENCE FROM COLOMBIA

AN EXPERIENCE FROM COLOMBIA

TWO NOTIONS

RECONCILIATION A social process. Construction of results. Complete or

incomplete.

FORGIVENESS An individual process. Particular decisions.

RECONCILIATION

COMPLETE Comes from feelings

and thoughts of the offended society as a whole.

Laws. It is a purpose.

INCOMPLETE Comes from the

relationship between the people affected and the offenders.

It is a direct practice. It is not always

proportional to laws. It is realistic.

The distance between the experience of reconciliation of the people involved in the conflict and government policies is huge.

Besides, it limits the effective possibilities of reconciliation in the country.

Truth, justice and reparation for all the cases of affected people are not possible.

Then, reconciliation must consider those limitations.

Reconciliation is a goal to prevent, in the first place, new acts of direct violence and destruction.

INCOMPLETE RECONCILIATION

The proposal is to explain the experience of reconciliation that is based on the relationship between

the offenders and the people affected by the conflict. By means of such an experience it is possible to

identify effective conditions for conflict transformation.

This path to reconciliation is characterized by tension

between appreciative conditions in the relationship (through

shared living conditions) and the discomfort resulting from

violence in affected individuals.

Dialogue, permanent verbalization and accompanying processes of collective memory are the most

important conditions which have made it possible to move towards reconciliation processes in small

communities in Colombia.

Reconciliation is a slow process, which has lasted for several generations. However, it is a way to achieve the conflict transformation. The most important thing is to renounce to violence as a form of relationship.

{ A realistic and appreciative perspective:

Incomplete reconciliation is similar to imperfect peace, but it is a complete and

perfect way to live together.

INCOMPLETE RECONCILIATION

Why is it realistic?

Why is it appreciative?

INCOMPLETE

COMPLETE

(Guernika by Quino)

Guernika. Pablo Picasso.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! nelson.molina@correounivalle.edu.co