PEACE AND RECONCILIATION

PAR IS PEACE AND RECONCILIATION. PAR IS THE HEART OF OUR ORGANIZATION.

PEACE

The concept of peace is understood here as:

Working together for peace since 2004: Ustadz Abdulkadir Abubakar, Dr. Wendy Kroeker, Ms. Joji Pantoja, Bishop Efraim Tendero. We have been working together with Muslim leaders towards peace and reconciliation in our land. We mutually respect each others’ cultural and religious differences and at the same time, we appreciate and nourish our commonalities. We approach peacebuilding from each other’s cultural and religious perspectives, especially that we’re growing in our awareness that we have so much common grounds to work together for justice-based peace.

This is a comprehensive approach to achieving inner and outer peace by fostering harmony in four key areas: our relationship with the Creator, with being, with others, and with the creation. Each harmony represents a transformative journey that promotes personal growth, ethical living, and societal change.

Harmony with the Creator emphasizes spiritual-ethical transformation, encouraging individuals to align with divine principles such as love, justice, and compassion. This transformation requires deep self-reflection and a commitment to ethical living that transcends daily distractions and materialism. Through this spiritual connection, one fosters a compassionate and equitable society.

Harmony with being, or physical-psychological transformation, involves nurturing both body and mind. By cultivating healthy habits and mental resilience, individuals can approach life’s challenges with balance and self-compassion. This harmony highlights the importance of self-care, helping individuals contribute to peace and healing within and around them.

Harmony with others, or social-political transformation, focuses on promoting justice and equity within society. This involves recognizing human dignity and working toward systemic change that uplifts marginalized communities. By advocating for policies that prioritize the common good, individuals contribute to a more inclusive and peaceful world.

Finally, harmony with creation calls for ecological-economic transformation. It encourages sustainable living and economic systems that respect the earth’s resources and promote justice. This shift involves adopting practices that protect the environment and support ethical economic models, contributing to the well-being of both people and the planet.

By embracing this Harmonious Worldview, communities embark on a path toward holistic peace, where personal transformation leads to broader societal change, ultimately fostering a world rooted in love, justice, and sustainability.

RECONCILIATION

Reconciliation is a profound and complex process that seeks to heal broken relationships, particularly between those who were once antagonists. It is more than just resolving conflict; it is about building bridges between people, communities, and nations that have experienced deep divisions and pain. At its heart, reconciliation is focused on creating spaces where individuals and groups can confront their painful past, acknowledge the present, and work together toward a shared future.

TOP: Since 2006, our local and global volunteers have been collaborating with the Talaandig Indigenous People in Barangay Sungko, Lantapan, Bukidnon. With permission from the Talaandig Tribal Council, PeaceBuilders Community helped facilitate conflict transformation and reconciliation processes between them and the Unifrutti Group of Companies, one of the biggest agribusiness corporations in Mindanao. After nearly two years of negotiation, the two parties forged a covenant for inclusive development. Since then, the Talaandig Tribe has welcomed partnerships with Settlers and foreign organizations, grounded in justice, mutual dignity, equality, and fair trade. | BOTTOM: Facilitated by PeaceBuilders Community in a conflict transformation and reconciliatory processes, Datu MIgketay Vic Saway (Chair, Council of the Seven Tribes of Bukidnon), and John Perrine (Chairman, Unifrutti Group of Companies) agreed to become partners in an integral, inclusive development through a sacred covenant.

The Painful Past: Confronting What Was

Every process of reconciliation begins with the painful acknowledgment of the past. Whether it’s between individuals, communities, or entire nations, antagonism often stems from historical wounds—moments of betrayal, violence, injustice, or oppression. These events leave lasting scars that shape how groups view each other, creating barriers of distrust, anger, and fear.

For reconciliation to be authentic, the painful past must be addressed openly and honestly. This requires creating a time and a place where all parties can come together to share their stories, express their grievances, and acknowledge the wrongs that have been committed. This is often the most challenging part of reconciliation because it requires vulnerability and a willingness to revisit traumatic experiences.

However, without confronting the past, true healing cannot occur. Avoiding or minimizing past wounds only deepens resentment and perpetuates cycles of conflict. Reconciliation invites us to face the past head-on, not for the sake of blame or retribution, but for the purpose of understanding and transformation. It is in this painful confrontation that the seeds of healing are planted.

The Shared Future: Building What Can Be

Reconciliation is not solely about dwelling on the past; it is also about envisioning and building a shared future. Antagonists are often trapped in a narrative of division, where the other is seen as a permanent enemy or threat. This mindset prevents any possibility of moving forward together.

A critical component of reconciliation is the recognition that while the past has divided us, the future must be shared. Whether in families, communities, or international relations, we are interconnected and interdependent. The challenge, then, is to find innovative ways to embrace this shared future despite the painful history.

This requires imagination, creativity, and hope. It demands that we move beyond the zero-sum mentality where one party’s gain is seen as the other’s loss. Instead, reconciliation fosters a vision where mutual benefit and collective well-being become the driving forces. The shared future does not erase the past but integrates it, creating a new narrative where former antagonists can coexist and collaborate.

The Present: Dealing with What Is

Reconciliation is ultimately a process that deals with the present reality. It is not just about addressing the past or planning for the future; it is about transforming the present. The present is where the past’s pain and the future’s hope intersect, and it is in this moment that the real work of reconciliation takes place.

In the present, antagonists must face each other as they are—with their wounds, fears, and uncertainties. It is here that dialogue, negotiation, and healing occur. Reconciliation requires creating safe spaces where open communication can flourish. This may take the form of truth-telling forums, peace circles, or structured dialogues facilitated by neutral parties. These spaces allow for the expression of pain, the acknowledgment of harm, and the commitment to a different way forward.

Innovative methods are essential in dealing with the present challenges of reconciliation. Traditional approaches, while valuable, may not always suffice. In complex and deeply entrenched conflicts, new strategies must be developed that are context-specific and culturally relevant. This could include restorative justice practices, community-based reconciliation initiatives, or joint economic projects that bind former adversaries together in mutual dependence.

At the heart of this work is the willingness to stay in the present moment—resisting the temptation to escape into the past or future. Reconciliation happens in the here and now, in the difficult but necessary conversations, in the slow rebuilding of trust, and in the small but significant acts of forgiveness and cooperation.

The Path Forward

Reconciliation is a journey, not a destination. It is a continuous process of addressing the past, embracing the future, and transforming the present. For those involved, it requires patience, humility, and persistence. It is rarely linear, often involving setbacks and relapses into old patterns of division. Yet, the pursuit of reconciliation is worth the effort, for it holds the promise of peace, justice, and restored relationships.

The goal of reconciliation is not to erase differences or to force unity. Rather, it seeks to build relationships where differences can be acknowledged and respected without leading to violence or exclusion. It is about creating a time and place where former antagonists can coexist, collaborate, and work together toward a common good.

True reconciliation is an ongoing commitment to justice, healing, and hope. It acknowledges the painful past, but refuses to let it define the future. It embraces the necessary shared future, knowing that peace and prosperity are only possible when all parties are included. And it deals with the present reality, recognizing that change happens in the moment, through the actions and attitudes we choose today.

In a world often divided by conflict, reconciliation offers a way forward. It calls us to face the pain of the past, to imagine a future of shared flourishing, and to work tirelessly in the present to bring that vision into reality.

Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/peace-and-reconciliation/

OUR GLOBAL PEACE COMMUNITY

We are sent by Mennonite Church Canada Witness in partnership with our international community.