Source: (2012) Tikkun. Winter:35-37,69.
For many, the moment when a victim and an offender
come together is a peak moment of a restorative process.
This is the moment when the victims express how they
were harmed and what they need today and the offenders
take accountability for their crimes. But what is all of the “invisible†work that comes before this moment? For me it’s a
commitment to confronting negative behaviors and stunted
emotional growth that originated in my childhood. And for
the “offendersâ€â€” what does it take for them to truly articulate
their crime and its impact? What does it mean to make
accountability not a buzzword but a solid foundation for a life
path? Can one engage in processes of accountability without
healing, and shouldn’t they be connected? (excerpt)
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