Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict
Article Summary of "Transactional forgiveness has some success in El Salvador" by Dennis Sandole and Hugo van der Merwe
Citation: Dennis Sandole and Hugo van der Merwe. "Transactional forgiveness has some success in El Salvador" in Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice.
This Article Summary written by: Mariya Yevsyukova, Conflict Research Consortium
Borrowing from Chilean experience, Salvadorian priests act as intermediaries in the
contrition and forgiveness interactions. These transactions seek to heal the breach caused
by the human rights abuses of the Salvadorian military and police. The priests offered to
hear and hold confidential the confessions of soldiers who had committed rights violations
and murders. In turn the Priest would pass on the confessed information regarding the fate
of "disappeared" persons, and the locations of their bodily remains, to the
grieving families. Remorseful soldiers thus could relieve their consciences without fear
of severe retribution, and families could receive information on the fates of their loved
ones. By acting as intermediaries and acknowledging the soldier's contrition, the priests
have helped to produce reconciliation in the larger community.
Peace we want because there is another war to fight against poverty, disease and ignorance. -- Indira Gandhi
Featured Links Organizations Making Noteworthy Contributions to Efforts to Promote More Constructive Conflict Human Rights Watch An international human rights organization based in the United States, Human Rights Watch investigates human rights abuses worldwide and works to put an end to them.
Other Resources from Beyond Intractability Red State/ Blue State: US Political Polarization Though US politics has long been divided along ideological lines, the last two presidential elections have created increased polarization between liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. How did this happen? Is it good for the country? Can anything be done to reunited us?
The Beyond Intractability Knowledge Base Project Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess, Co-Directors and Editors c/o Conflict Information Consortium(Formerly Conflict Research Consortium), University of Colorado Campus Box 580, Boulder, CO 80309 Phone: (303) 492-1635; Fax: (303) 492-2154; Contact
