WHAT IS RECONCILIATION?

Reconciliation is a process of restoring relationships between deeply divided social or ethnic groups who have been party to hurtful and destructive conflicts. For a reconciliation process to be effective, the underlying key elements must be included:

• Acknowledgment of harm done by either party to the other
• Genuine expression of remorse
• Asking for or granting pardon
• Remedying the consequences of the harm
• Defining a new mutually beneficial relationship that addresses the root causes of thepast conflict and guarantees that past mistakes will not be repeated *

Reconciliation is a means to address the fundamental causes of conflict as well as mend profound emotional trauma and in so doing, produce resilient solutions which break the cycle of violence and hatred. Once a conflict has escalated toward violence a return to normalcy becomes increasingly difficult and vengeance is an attractive preference. Reconciliation is not only an effective approach for healing in post-conflict situations but is also a powerful tool for crisis prevention.

WHAT ARE ICTs?

The term ICT refers to any technology that can be used to facilitate communication or disseminate information; this includes but is not limited to radio, television, internet, and phones. ICTs, thus present new opportunities to make communication faster, easier, and more inclusive. ICTs have dramatically altered people's perceptions, behaviors and methods of communication.

The effectiveness of any given ICT largely depends on the society in question; whereas in developed countries most people enjoy wide access to computers, internet, and wireless networks, in the developing world only few elites have such privileges making conventional ICTs, such as TV, Radio, etc., the most viable option.

HOW CAN ICT’s BOLSTER RECONCILIATION?

We believe that Information Communication Technologies have a special role to play in helping to facilitate societal reconciliation. By analyzing a number of ICT based reconciliation projects taking place in war-torn societies throughout the world, Roads to Resolution has been able to identify best practices for incorporating ICTS to maximize reconciliation. Additionally, we review and identify existing ICT for Reconciliation programs and conflict zones.

Roads to Resolution, an ICT for Reconciliation project in itself, aspires to become a valuable resource for conflict-ridden societies desperate for innovative ideas to restore harmony.