Reconciliation: Reflections on the Theoretical and Practical Utility of the Term.

Source: (2004) In Yaacov Bar-Siman-Tov, ed., From conflict resolution to reconciliation. New York: Oxford University Press. Pp. 39-60.

Tamar Hermann acknowledges the need for concepts of societal peacemaking and stabilizing that go beyond traditional negotiation and conflict resolution strategies. However, according to the author, the concept of reconciliation is currently insufficient for the task. It is underdeveloped theoretically, with regard to the term’s origin and locus, its level or unit of analysis, its essence, and its purpose and timing. The author argues that ambiguities are also seen and theoretical deficiencies are amplified in the practice of reconciliation. The reconciliation efforts of peace groups and of Ehud Barak’s peace plan illustrate the problems of attempting to apply reconciliation in the Israeli-Palestinian case without due attention to the cultural context.