This morning I attended another event at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) regarding the role of apology in reconciliation. The event began with a screening of the film, Apology, a documentary about 'Sorry Day' in Australia. On February 13 of this year, the Australian Prime Minister issued a public apology to the aboriginals of Australia for the atrocities committed against them in the past. Watch the trailer. It's stunning.
If only there were more politicians like Kevin Rudd. Politicians who aren't afraid of appearing 'weak' by offering apologies that are rightfully deserved. Politicians who understand that the only way forward is to deal with the past. Politicians who understand the power of history, who understand that history lives in the present. Politicians who are humble enough to say, 'I'm sorry.'
I appreciate what the woman in the video said: Apology is not a panacea. It's not the end, nor the total solution. But it is a powerful symbol. Good faith apologies are not just empty words, but acknowledgments of history, of wrongdoing, of regret. Apology is a first, but necessary, step in the healing process. Apology acknowledges truth, and in doing so, creates the potential for a release of forgiveness and mercy. It cannot right the wrongs of the past, but it opens the door for shared responsibility for the future.
Apology is disarming. It stops the cycle of defensiveness and justification. It is a symbol that moves in the opposite spirit of anger, bitterness, competition, and self-righteousness. It is appropriate at all levels--individual, community, intergroup, and interstate. Apology sets us on the path to reconciliation, the key to sustainable peace.
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