Everywhere you look reconciliation is in the news and on the minds of world leaders right now. This week Reuters reports that a dozen Palestinian groups began a dialogue with the goal of reuniting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. In Afghanistan's troubled Helmand province, Governor Gulbag Mangal told the BBC the keys to defeating the Taliban are reconciliation and better governance.
A British broadcaster and a columnist are even talking about the idea of a truth and reconciliation commission for the banking industry as we try to find ways to end the recession. Those are just the examples from the last couple days. In the coming months and years we will find out whether any of these ideas will become concrete. Meanwhile, one method for achieving lasting reconciliation already appears to be working in Rwanda, by focusing on neighbors and turning them into community leaders.
By the hundreds of thousands, neighbors killed neighbors. Now the killers share dinner with survivors. The documentary film Reconciliation's Reach, will show how Rwandan women have become pioneers of reconciliation after genocide. An organization dedicated to rebuilding Rwanda is turning hated neighbors into friends, creating lasting peace in villages around the country. Survivors and perpetrators come together to learn about their past, apologize for their mistakes, and build a future together. This method of reconciliation has the potential to be used around the world.
Check back here often as we update you on the status of the documentary film Reconciliation's Reach. --