The 2002 Research Symposium

At the Women Waging Peace Colloquium research meeting, "Between Vengeance and Forgiveness," delegates spoke about their experiences related to forgiveness, vengeance, and coexistence in their regions of conflict. Eileen Babbitt, Assistant Professor of International Politics at the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Co-Director of the Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, facilitated the discussion. After her work with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees regarding the reintegration process in Bosnia and Rwanda, Professor Babbitt was impressed by the difficulty of rebuilding a community in the aftermath of extreme violence. Through personal accounts, delegates reflected on the need for forgiveness and justice for viable peace. They also addressed the value of coexistence in the absence of peace.

Delegates from Armenia, Burundi, Eritrea, India, Israel, Kosovo, the Palestinian community, the Phillipines, Rwanda, South Africa, and Sri Lanka discussed forgiveness and vengeance in relationship to peace in their conflict areas. Specifically, the delegates from Sri Lanka spoke about forgiveness as starting from a point of agreement, not from each side stating their concerns. Vjosa Dobruna, from Kosovo, addressed the need to acknowledge of wrongdoing. She also said that forgiveness is individual and cannot be rushed by external forces. Aloisea Inyumba talked about using traditional forms of resolving conflict when existing laws do not provide justice. Her past work includes having Hutu women take in and care for Tutsi children in Rwanda after the genocide. A delegate from South Africa, Pumla Godobo-Madikizela, raised the need to treat perpetrators of violence as human to challenge them to recognize their crimes and reach out to victims. Her point was that the burden lies with the perpetrator to show remorse, not with the victim to forgive.

On the issue of coexistence, women from Afghanistan, Burundi, Colombia, Kenya, and Northern Ireland spoke about groups of people, led by women, attempting to establish coexistence in ongoing conflict. Through either traditional processes or modern-day laws, these groups are beginning to see their enemies as human through mutual communication and understanding. One participant, Atema Eclai of Kenya, stated that once opposing groups have had a chance to discuss their grievances, they can move on to rebuilding their communities.

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