Revisiting Reconciliation

Studies and statistics show that around 50% of
conflicts tend to re-emerge within ten years since
the achievement of a peace agreement. War spurs war,
the literature seems to suggest, since often the
parties find themselves enclosed in what may be
defined a conflict trap.
The aim of the present work is twofold: it seeks to
explore reconciliation in
post-conflict scenarios, while trying to revisit the
concept in order to readdress it for breaking the
cycle of
vengeance and violence. The research includes the
specific
cases of the process of reconciliation after the
Holocaust and the Nanking Massacre.
Although strong peculiarities in each case were
found, the analysis also revealed similarities in
both German and Japanese societal and individual
reconciliations, specifically in escaping the
responsibility of those dramatic events. Furthermore,
in general a greater attention for
social-psychological aspects of reconciliation, such
as healing, mercy and forgiveness together with a
better understanding of the psychodynamics behind
mass atrocities are advocated. Finally, the primacy
of building a culture of conciliation against the curative character of reconciliation is reviewed.

Autorentext

Born in Milan in 1980, Luca is undergraduate in International and Diplomatic Science at Bologna University (Italy). He especially developed researches on post-conflict scenarios during his M.A. in Conflict Resolution at Lancaster University (UK) in 2006/7. Since January 2008, he works as a consultant in international development projects.

Klappentext
Studies and statistics show that around 50% ofconflicts tend to re-emerge within ten years sincethe achievement of a peace agreement. War spurs war,the literature seems to suggest, since often theparties find themselves enclosed in what may bedefined a conflict trap.The aim of the present work is twofold: it seeks toexplore reconciliation inpost-conflict scenarios, while trying to revisit theconcept in order to readdress it for breaking thecycle ofvengeance and violence. The research includes thespecificcases of the process of reconciliation after theHolocaust and the Nanking Massacre.Although strong peculiarities in each case werefound, the analysis also revealed similarities inboth German and Japanese societal and individualreconciliations, specifically in escaping theresponsibility of those dramatic events. Furthermore,in general a greater attention forsocial-psychological aspects of reconciliation, suchas healing, mercy and forgiveness together with abetter understanding of the psychodynamics behindmass atrocities are advocated. Finally, the primacyof building a culture of conciliation against the"curative" character of reconciliation is reviewed.