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”A difficult and delicate process that is not simply a matter of the head, but more so of the heart” : Om försoning

Åberg, Louise LU and Wennberg, Sofia LU (2016) FKVA22 20152
Department of Political Science
Abstract (Swedish)
Reconciliation research consists of two practices, one focusing on the emotional and healing aspects of the process and another that focus on the political and legal actions. Yeudith Auerbach created a theory, the reconciliation pyramid, which aims to manage both aspects. The purpose of this thesis is to apply Auerbach's theory to the reconciliation process in two empirical cases, the Rwandan genocide and the war in former Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Hercegovina. The aim is to assess the empirical processes' functionality on an individual level. By the concept of functionality we refer to the extent to which individuals have achieved reconciliation in reference to steps in the reconciliation pyramid.

The reconciliation pyramid consists of seven... (More)
Reconciliation research consists of two practices, one focusing on the emotional and healing aspects of the process and another that focus on the political and legal actions. Yeudith Auerbach created a theory, the reconciliation pyramid, which aims to manage both aspects. The purpose of this thesis is to apply Auerbach's theory to the reconciliation process in two empirical cases, the Rwandan genocide and the war in former Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Hercegovina. The aim is to assess the empirical processes' functionality on an individual level. By the concept of functionality we refer to the extent to which individuals have achieved reconciliation in reference to steps in the reconciliation pyramid.

The reconciliation pyramid consists of seven different steps, each step brings the individual closer to reconciliation:
1. Acquaintance with Clashing Narratives
2. Acknowledging the Other’s Narratives, Without Necessarily Accepting Them as True
3. Expressing Empathy for the Other’s Plight
4. Assuming (at Least) Partial Responsibility for the Other’s Alleged Plights
5. Expressing Readiness for Restitution or Reparation for Past Wrongs
6. Publicly Apologizing and Asking for Forgiveness for Past Wrongs
7. Striving to Incorporate Opposite Narratives into Accepted Mutual Accounts of the Past

By analyzing scientific texts and interviews with locals in Rwanda and Bosnia-Hercegovina their individual narratives of the conflict and reconciliation process, are made clear. The narratives are interpreted in order to deduce the degree of functionality of the process among the locals. Thus, the reconciliation process in Rwanda is constructed in a manner that requires participation by the local population, e.g the Gacaca courts. The extent of individual functionality in Bosnia-Hercegovina is less due to international actors, who designed the reconciliation model in Bosnia-Hercegovina, lack of resources and their inability find a way to incorporate the local population in the process. Auerbach's reconciliation pyramid and the functionality analysis can, however, be used to explain why the individual functionality in the Bosnia-Hercegovina model is so low.
Keywords: reconciliation, Rwanda, Bosnien-Hercegovina, functionality, individual, narrative
Words: 6 992 (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Åberg, Louise LU and Wennberg, Sofia LU
supervisor
organization
course
FKVA22 20152
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
narrative, individual, functionality, Bosnien-Hercegovina, Rwanda, Reconciliation
language
Swedish
id
8516112
date added to LUP
2016-02-02 15:04:12
date last changed
2016-02-02 15:04:12
@misc{8516112,
  abstract     = {{Reconciliation research consists of two practices, one focusing on the emotional and healing aspects of the process and another that focus on the political and legal actions. Yeudith Auerbach created a theory, the reconciliation pyramid, which aims to manage both aspects. The purpose of this thesis is to apply Auerbach's theory to the reconciliation process in two empirical cases, the Rwandan genocide and the war in former Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Hercegovina. The aim is to assess the empirical processes' functionality on an individual level. By the concept of functionality we refer to the extent to which individuals have achieved reconciliation in reference to steps in the reconciliation pyramid.

The reconciliation pyramid consists of seven different steps, each step brings the individual closer to reconciliation:
1.	Acquaintance with Clashing Narratives
2.	Acknowledging the Other’s Narratives, Without Necessarily Accepting Them as True
3.	Expressing Empathy for the Other’s Plight
4.	Assuming (at Least) Partial Responsibility for the Other’s Alleged Plights
5.	Expressing Readiness for Restitution or Reparation for Past Wrongs
6.	Publicly Apologizing and Asking for Forgiveness for Past Wrongs
7.	Striving to Incorporate Opposite Narratives into Accepted Mutual Accounts of the Past

By analyzing scientific texts and interviews with locals in Rwanda and Bosnia-Hercegovina their individual narratives of the conflict and reconciliation process, are made clear. The narratives are interpreted in order to deduce the degree of functionality of the process among the locals. Thus, the reconciliation process in Rwanda is constructed in a manner that requires participation by the local population, e.g the Gacaca courts. The extent of individual functionality in Bosnia-Hercegovina is less due to international actors, who designed the reconciliation model in Bosnia-Hercegovina, lack of resources and their inability find a way to incorporate the local population in the process. Auerbach's reconciliation pyramid and the functionality analysis can, however, be used to explain why the individual functionality in the Bosnia-Hercegovina model is so low.
Keywords: reconciliation, Rwanda, Bosnien-Hercegovina, functionality, individual, narrative
Words: 6 992}},
  author       = {{Åberg, Louise and Wennberg, Sofia}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{”A difficult and delicate process that is not simply a matter of the head, but more so of the heart” : Om försoning}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}