Does the concept of reconciliation bring anything ”new” or useful to peace processes? This is the core research question in the new book “Reconciliation as Politics. A Concept and Its Practice” written by Kjell-Åke Nordquist, Professor in International Relations. Nordquist departs from the fact that during the last three decades, the concept of “reconciliation” formerly used mainly in psychotherapy, religion and casual discussions, has entered the stage of both international and national politics. This change has occured simultaneously with changes in the perception of the relations between the state and its subjects as well as changes in the nature of wars, from “traditional” interstate wars to international intrastate wars, and a blurred distinction between times of war and times of peace.
Kjell-Åke Nordquist, currently Director of the Åland Islands Peace Institute, builds upon his experiences from a combination of research and field work carried out mainly in South East Asia (East Timor / Timor Leste) and Australia, in Latin America (mainly Colombia) and in the Middle East (Israel and Plaestine) during two decades. In the publication he discusses both the concept of “political reconciliation” and the potential use of political reconciliation in peace processes.
The publication in published by Pickwich publications as volume 13 in the Church of Sweden series, and can be purchased from the publishing house.