Home  ›  Key Issues  ›  Reconciliation and healing

Reconciliation and healing

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Google Plus Share to Google Plus Share by Email

Colonialism, slavery, war, genocide, and economic devastation leave legacies of trauma that can perpetuate cycles of violence. AFSC works to promote community-wide healing and restorative forms of justice so that people have an opportunity to speak their truths, heal from trauma, and seek reconciliation with one another.

Sign up for email updates

Stay in the loop with monthly stories and resources from AFSC.

Resources-

What does "peace" mean in Burundi?

We asked Burundians living and working in peace villages—new settlements for people affected by war, including ex-combatants, returned refugees, and victims of violence—what peace means to them.

Transitional justice mechanism: Lessons learned from Truth and Reconciliation Commissions

This report gathers observations and recommendations from the 60 participants of the international conference, Transitional Justice Mechanisms: Lessons Learned from Truth and Reconciliation Commissions.

Transforming our woundedness for peace: Voices from the frontline

This publication by the ACTION Asia network discusses how to transform woundedness into a tool for peace. 

Healing initiatives-

Maine and Burundi communities begin to heal through storytelling

Telling stories of violence and trauma can lay the foundation for healing and for reconciliation.

Facing the past, changing the future in Maine

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission begins to address the trauma and devastation caused by forced removal of Wabanaki children from their homes.

Stone in the belly: Transforming trauma in community

AFSC's Acting in Faith blog reflects on the process of dealing with trauma and what it means to heal. 

Restorative justice-

Mentorship leads incarcerated men to leave violence behind

In Maryland state prisons, men siphoned out of Baltimore as part of the “war on drugs” have fostered community and leadership development through the Friend of a Friend program. 

Twin Cities advocates share about healing justice work

Four advocates of healing justice share their experiences and explain why restorative rather than punitive practices work better for all involved. 

Discussion of restorative justice

Recorded Tuesday October 26, 2010, this forum look at the principles of restorative justice practice and heard from people in Philadelphia who are engaged in, and have lived through, the process.

Accompaniment: An experiment in healing justice

Laura Magnani, a member of Strawberry Creek Friends Meeting in Berkeley, Calif., and the director of AFSC’s Bay Area Healing Justice program, tells the story of how local Quaker congregations accompanied a formerly incarcerated man back into the community.

Preparing the way for truth and reconciliation in Maine

For decades, children across the country were routinely wrenched from their families and stripped of their identities in state-sanctioned efforts to assimilate Native children by placing them in foster care. Now, Denise has helped open the way for a truth and reconciliation process in Maine.

Denise Altvatar: Background of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

AFSC's Denise Altvatar speaks on the story behind the Truth and Reconciliation commissions in Maine.

Who we are

AFSC is a Quaker organization devoted to service, development, and peace programs throughout the world. Our work is based on the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. Learn more

Where we work

AFSC has offices around the world. To see a complete list see the Where We Work page.

Get AFSC's newsletter

AFSC Online