Social Reconciliation Research Articles

Sosyal Değişim, Tarihsellik ve Nesh Bağlamında Şeriat, Prof. Dr. Talip Özdeş, Fecr Yayınları, Ankara 2023, 110 s.

The number of qualified academic studies on what Sharīʿa is and its relationship with "social change", "historicity" and "naskh" has been increasing in recent years. In this context, the discussions and writings on social change, Qur'an, Sunnah, Sharīʿa, historicity and naskh on the axis of Westernism and Islam continue to form part of the agenda. One of these works is Prof. Dr. Talip Özdeş's "Sharīʿa in the Context of Social Change, Historicity and Naskh". With this study, it is aimed to eliminate the confusion around the concept of "Sharīʿa", to contribute to social reconciliation by eliminating the grounds for abuse, and the subject has been handled and processed with a purely supra-political scientific approach. This study first focuses on the issues of social change, historicity and naskh with an analytical approach in order to understand the concept of "sharīʿa" correctly and to place it on its center. Then, based on the same ground, the concept of "sharīʿa" is focused on. The concept in question has been examined lexically and semantically, and information and evaluations have been made on what it expresses in the Qur'an and its dimensions based on the integrity of the Qur'an. Again, the meaning relationship of the concept of "sharia" with the concepts of "shir'at" and "shar'î" from the same root has been emphasized, information and evaluations have been made. In this study, which has been prepared with a rich literature by using the basic sources in the field, the subjects have been handled in a concise manner and examined in various aspects from an academic and scientific perspective.

Exploring the Concept of Social Reconciliation Through the Experience of a Dance/Movement Therapy Group of Migrant Women in Spain

This paper explores the potential of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) as a means of contributing to social reconciliation processes. The study, conducted through a group process with migrant women living in Spain, suggests that the relationships developed between participants in the DMT group reflect some of the key elements underpinning theories of social reconciliation. The elements of trust, empathy, and a willingness to coexist with others can be understood as the return to a sense of community and belonging. Furthermore, working with migrant women appeared as an opportunity to explore the concept of social reconciliation beyond national borders as an initial step to understanding this phenomenon through DMT. In summary, it is proposed that Dance Movement Therapy, oriented towards the configuration of new forms of relationship, has the potential to contribute to the modification of polarization frameworks in group and community relationships, particularly in areas affected by conflict or social marginalization experienced by migrants and refugees.

‘Vivo en la villa de los nombres reales’: ética y política del nombre propio en Formas de volver a casa de Alejandro Zambra

This article analyzes the importance of characters’ names in Alejandro Zambra's 2011 novel FORMAS DE VOLVER A CASA. Although proper names in most fiction have some meaning, Zambra uses the names, lack of names, pseudonyms and nicknames of his characters, particularly the two narrators who double Zambra himself, to guide the reader toward the novel's subject: the ethical and aesthetic pitfalls of writing fiction, not testimony, about the evils of the Pinochet regime. Negotiating these pitfalls will help Zambra's avatars, and all Chileans, toward a social reconciliation that has yet to be complete. Zambra´s citing of Romain Gary in the novel´s epigraph affords a crucial link between the ethical and aesthetic implications here discussed.

Between Accountability and Reconciliation: The Making of “the Victim-Centered Approach” at the International Criminal Court

Abstract The International Criminal Court is the first international court to have incorporated the newly recognized right of victims to redress. However, there remains considerable skepticism about how the ICC and, more broadly, international criminal justice serve the purposes of victim redress. This article examines the development of the ICC’s reparations policy from the standpoint of how constitutive rules of international criminal justice have been changed. It illustrates how conflicting views regarding victim reparations have formed different preferences within the institution, even among the judiciary. Unlike existing studies that tend to regard the ICC as a monolithic law enforcement institution, this article demonstrates that the victim-centered approach to reparations at the ICC is a compromise between two models: an accountability model that tries to confine the scope of reparations within the clearly defined liability of the convicted person; and a reconciliation model that aims at reaching a large number of victims to facilitate the rehabilitation of the community. The finding has two implications. First, although the study reveals severe tensions between individual accountability and social reconciliation, the tensions can be reconciled through creative judgments. Second, related to the first implication, the ICC is not just a law enforcement institution, but also a policymaking institution, which has considerable leeway in designing reparations policy.

Transitional justice, a pending subject

This article shows important aspects that have to do with Transitional Justice as a pending subject in Mexican Law for social development with a descriptive, critical and analytical methodology that refers to the design of the research, critical observation of problems and analysis of sources of information that will be carried out on the topic in the context of the contemporary Mexican political situation. Several relevant topics are presented with a pluralistic perspective based on traditional justice and the theory of law, with the purpose of exposing how this model of justice works and under what criteria in our country. The first topic is the definition of Transitional Justice, the prevailing need to apply it in Mexican law as well as a current overview of the usefulness of its development to establish a deductive reference framework that allows us to elucidate what the current situation is like. in the life of the nation. Following this, there is a brief and concise contribution on the problems involved in Transitional Justice, as well as the methodological solutions that are presented, as well as the main theoretical approaches to address its study. The way is then clear to expose the topic regarding transitional justice in our country today. In this way, the necessary issues to conclude will be exposed: Transitional justice is located between those who fight against it based on an ideological conception and, on the other side, those who adopt it as a means to implement or consolidate an ideological project of longer range. Transitional justice becomes a tool to generate a connection between justice and peace, generating equality between victims and perpetrators and forming scenarios of compensation and social reconciliation.

Nāzilat dār al-akābir e il tentativo di riconciliazione sociale in Tunisia

Abstract In Nāzilat dār al-akābir (“The misfortune of the house of notables”, 2020), Amīra Ġanīm (1978) creates a fiction that fascinates Tunisian and Arab readers, reopening at the same time the debate on the significance of the historical character of al-Ṭāhir al-Ḥaddād (1899–1935), one of the most revolutionary social reformers of the 20th century. The misfortune to which the title refers is linked to the discovery of a mysterious letter sent by al-Ḥaddād to a young scion of a family of notables from the Tunis medina, Lallā Zubayda. The find raises the suspicion of an illicit love story between the two protagonists, triggering a series of heavy reactions and cascading events. To bring out the weight of al-Ḥaddad’s positions on colonial powers and the women’s rights issues, Ġanīm supports her fiction with historical documentation. Through the role of eleven narrators she manages to connect important events of almost a century ago with contemporary ones, up to the revolution against the Ben Ali regime and beyond it. In the article I intend to argue how Lallā Zubayda and her faithful maid, Luwīza, represent the two faces of the same country, symbols of a Tunisia martyred by patriarchal powers, colonialism and erroneous post-colonial policies, which have created the objective conditions for various internal clashes. The implicit message of the novel would be an urgent call towards a social reconciliation between social classes after an acute reflection on Tunisian identity and women’s rights, in a period of difficult political transition.

Ila Hadal Walaal: A Traditional Reconciliation Model for Healing Somalia's Wounds

Reconciliation involves rebuilding relationships among people and groups in society and between the state and its citizens. The protracted conflict in Somalia had devastating effects on Somali citizens. Formulating a genuine social reconciliation model that can contribute to trauma healing, trust building, and an enabled environment for forgiveness and sharing narratives continues to pose daunting challenges to peace and state-building in Somalia. This paper provides analytical thinking by coalescing traditional Somali reconciliation approaches and modern peace-building principles. It attempts to establish a new model based on Somali cultural norms and values. The paper pinpoints the legal, institutional, and political issues that are prerequisite for any viable and successful social reconciliation. It recommends capacity development of public institutions mandated to facilitate and oversee national, regional, and local reconciliation exercises while underscoring the pivotal role of women and other members of civil society.

Recovering the offender for society

In October 2011, the terrorist organization Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA) announced a definitive cease fire. Just a few months prior, restorative justice experiences had started between imprisoned former ETA members and victims of terrorism along with coexistence workshops in the Nanclares prison, events geared towards trying to heal wounds in the aftermath of political violence. Although these are mainly private and personal experiences, with emotional effects in the participants in the encounters, they may also facilitate projects of wider social reconciliation. This article points out the lessons we have learned during these experiences as far as ex-ETA militants are concerned and the potential of these restorative justice practices for active responsibility, individual healing and reintegration in the community.

The Tribal Law in Beer Sheva and its Effect on Vanishing Dispute and Bringing Reconciliation

This study's aim was to Examine how tribal customs contribute to conflict resolution, to Consider whether tribal customs in Beersheba were effective in settling disputes and to determine whether these tribal customs are used as a way to establish social reconciliation. In order to investigate the study problem a mixed method was applied, in which both interviews and questions were used. The sample of the study included 235 Bedouin citizens Be'er Sheva Israel. The main results were that, first Bedouins often support their tribal judiciary systems to resolve disputes. Second, Bedouins often prefer to go to the tribal sheikh or (the head of the family) to resolve distributes. Next, the majority of the participants agreed that they trust the tribal judiciary.

دور الصلح في تحقيق السلم المجتمي

The study aims to elucidate the role of social reconciliation in achieving public peace, distancing oneself from chaos, disorder, and the spread of corruption, which disrupt the balance within societies. This is accomplished through the concept of social peace, highlighting its objectives and legitimate necessities, as well as emphasizing the importance of reconciliation in its achievement. The study also examines the outcomes resulting from activating the role of reconciliation in achieving social peace.

Integrated management strategy of coastal rehabilitation for controlling coastal erosion: A case study of the coastal area of Karawang Regency, West Java, Indonesia

The occurrence of coastal erosion in the coastal area of Karawang Regency has recently been thought to be a disaster, considering the condition is at an alarming status and is a lengthy problem. Hence, an integrated coastal rehabilitation effort is needed to address the impact of coastal erosion in the area effectively and efficiently. The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated management strategy for coastal rehabilitation for coastal erosion control in the coastal area of Karawang Regency by stressing solutions on socio-economic and institutional aspects. This study is a case study conducted through a survey method in the three coastal areas of Karawang Regency that were the most severely affected, namely Cibuaya Beach, Cilebar Beach, and Cilamaya Kulon Beach. Data were collected through observation techniques and in-depth interviews, strengthened by secondary data. Data analysis employed descriptively and decision-making methods of the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The study’s results recommend strategic priorities in managing coastal rehabilitation. Firstly, the coastal border area conservation strategy sets frontiers and rules for managing coastal borders following applicable laws and regulations. Secondly, the social reconciliation and law enforcement strategy facilitate and mediate conflict resolution through deliberation. Thirdly, the strengthening group capacity strategy promotes collaboration between groups of mangrove farmers and related groups to communicate knowledge and experiences. Fourthly, the community education strategy conducts socialization and public awareness of preserving the mangrove ecosystem.

Rekonsiliasi Konflik Ambon Berbasis Nilai–Nilai Kearifan Lokal Pela Gandong, 1999-2002

Pela gandong is a local wisdom that was born from the social dynamics of the people of Central Maluku. The values ​​contained in pela gandong became the initial capital for social reconciliation of the fractured relationship after the 1999-2002 conflict. This study tries to answer three main problems, namely: first, how did the conflict occur and what caused it. Second, what is the impact arising from the 1999-2002 conflict events and third, what is the role of pela gandong values ​​as a media for resolution after the 1999-2002 conflict. This research is a literature study (library research). This type of research is a qualitative research using a historical approach. The findings of this study prove that Pela Gandong as a medium for conflict resolution is more effective for the social historical reconstruction of Salam-Sarane, which is based on the integration of the value system contained in Pela Gandong, namely; brotherhood between countries, solidarity, harmony, and religiosity. These values ​​become the basis for maintaining the integrity of inter-religious life in Ambon.

Why Is There a Need for a Value-Based Zoning Application Method in Urban Areas in Turkey

In addition to the economic and social problems experienced due to migration from rural to urban areas in developing communities, there are also problems of 'physical settlement and use of property' in urban areas. After determining the needs for the solution of urban problems, it is necessary to "manage urban settlements and existing resources" in a fast, effective, accurate and sustainable approach. In this regard, the approaches implemented by central and local governments within the scope of the ‘11th Development Plan of the Republic of Turkey’, titled "Free Individual, Strong Society, More Democratic Turkey" published by the Ministry of Justice in 2021 are based on the perspective of 'individual rights and social reconciliation'. In addition, the importance of real estate property right, its strengthening and the need to use it without any problems were mentioned. In the process of ensuring the development of the 'zoning plan implementation in the Land Readjustment method' model including the sustainable, innovative and applicable qualifications for Turkey; Institutional level projects are produced by practitioners, users and academics. In this method/model development process, in the Land Readjustment (LR) method, it is important to 'pre-regulation and post-regulation equality of land value and protection of property rights' in the process of allocating zoning parcels to the property owner. In the phenomenon of sustainable urbanization, real estate is also the determinant of the social life of living in urban sociology in terms of 'problem-free use of property'. For this reason, innovative solution proposals are needed in cities where 'zoning planning and plan implementation processes will be carried out in a sustainable land management approach and interactively'. In this study, the deficiencies and negativities encountered both in the legislation and during the implementation of the LR method currently applied in Turkey will be revealed; in this regard, the methods applied in the world and the 'appliance based on value equality' models will be examined. Taking into account the social habits regarding the use of property, an answer will be sought to the question of why it is necessary to switch from the area-based application (equiproportion) principle to the value-based application (equivalence) model in the LR method in Turkey.

‘[D]onning the Garb of a Pit Girl again’: Imagining the ‘Pit Brow Lassie’ in Late-Victorian Fiction

Abstract This article analyses various representations of the figure of the ‘pit brow lassie’ with a particular emphasis on two novels; Frances Hodgson Burnett’s That Lass O’ Lowrie’s (1877) and John Monk Foster’s A Pit Brow Lassie (1889). It argues that pit brow women provided a focus for discussions of the interplay of class and gender roles in Victorian Britain. The article begins by tracing the history of attitudes towards women’s employment in the mines in Victorian Britain and the role which visual representations of pit brow women played in the campaigns for and against their employment. It then analyses the way in which the representation of the pit brow women in That Lass O’ Lowrie’s shifts from an ideologeme of pity to one of respect and self-respect. It argues that Burnett’s novel is, in part, a re-purposing of earlier ‘Condition of England’ novels with gender replacing class as the main axis of social reconciliation. As part of this re-purposing it argues that while the novel uses the perceived deficiencies of working-class women to justify the agency of their middle-class counterparts, it also represents its working-class heroine as an object of middle-class desire. Next the article explores John Monk Foster’s A Pit Brow Lassie highlighting the ways in which it both normalizes and defends the work of pit brow women and, in contrast to Burnett’s novel, makes female labour integral to the development of its plot. It analyses the ways in which Foster’s representation of pit brow women differs from Burnett’s and argues that these differences arise from a combination of generic, publication and authorial factors. However, despite these differences the article argues that Foster’s novel also eschews the ideologeme of pity in favour of respect/self-respect.

Ritual Techniques in Affliction Rites and the Lutheran-Catholic ecumenical Liturgy of Lund, 2016

Protest and reconciliation rituals play a contested but important role in social change. This essay analyzes how rituals of reconciliation effectively negotiate between competing factions and norms by using ritual techniques as embodied symbols. Against the horizon of theory from Victor and Edith Turner and Cas Wepener, participant observation of the Lutheran and Catholic Joint Commemoration of the Reformation “Common Prayer” in Lund, Sweden on October 31, 2016 reveals five stages: crisis/diagnosis, redress, forgiveness and acceptance, binding, and reparative mission. Each is marked by its own characteristic techniques, whereas some symbolic elements manifest the different stages throughout the liturgy. This liturgy demonstrates how one liturgy can speak to various factions and stages in the process of accommodating a new norm (Christian unity) within a contested set of identities (“Lutheran” and “Catholic”). It is in the stages of forgiveness and binding that the relationship between the ritual-symbolic realm and the real work of social reconciliation is most directly visualized.

Empathy and Loving Attention

AbstractThe failure to understand the needs, beliefs, and values of others is widely blamed on a lack of empathy, which has been touted in recent years as the necessary ingredient for bringing us together and ultimately for tackling issues of social justice and harmony. In this essay, I explore whether empathy really can serve the role it has been tasked with. To answer this question, I will first identify what empathy is and why its champions believe it plays such an essential role in social life. With this in mind, I contend that promoting empathy on its own may make solidarity among diverse populations more difficult to achieve and undermine social reconciliation. Instead, I argue for a different approach that begins with acknowledging our self-oriented perspective and how it shapes what we see, appreciate, and interpret, before turning to others with a kind of loving attention. Unlike empathy, loving attention allows us to see others as they really are, not as we imagine we would be in their shoes, and is that kind of perception that is necessary for bridging divides and building solidarity in our contemporary world.

CULTURE ET RÉCONCILIATION POST-GUERRE : DE L’OPTIMISME À LA RÉSILIENCEPOST-WAR CULTURE AND RECONCILIATION: FROM OPTIMISM TO RESILIENCE

Culture and Post-War Reconciliation: from Optimism to Resilience. At the end of the civil war, Lebanon tried to rebuild itself but fairly quickly wars, assassinations, repeated political crises and an influx of refugees weakened it. From 2019, it is downright descent into hell with an aborted popular revolt and a whole series of financial, economic and health disasters culminating in the explosion of August 4, 2020, which transformed it into a true martyr nation. Once again, the Land of the Cedars falls back into the cycle of the absurd, even into the circularity of the myth of Sisyphus, going so far as to relive scenes of violence reminiscent of the civil war as if we were returning to the “Zero Hour”. These recent events show that the structural causes that led to the conflict among Lebanese have not yet been resolved. Today the majority of them are lost, living day to day without hope or perspective. Faced with this fatality, should we question the impact of artistic projects aiming at social reconciliation following a conflict? Can culture in general and theater in particular still be vectors for promoting peace? In which category of the process of social transformation can we place these artistic practices today? Do the practitioners of this approach always do sustainable reconciliation work or rather attempt at societal resilience? Does this resilience still have a therapeutic role that heals wounds and trauma? Or does it risk contributing to pushing the Lebanese into denial by adapting them to their new reality?

Çatışma Çözümleri ve Uzlaşma Süreçlerinde Kimlik: Suriye’de Mezhepsel Kimlikler ve Çatışma Sonrası Suriye

Suriye çatışma çalışmaları literatüründe yer bulan önemli örneklerden birisidir. Suriye’deki olayların çok sayıda sebebi mevcut olsa da mezhepsel kimlikler, bu kimliklerle bağlantılı gelişen materyal kazanımlar ve bunun etrafında şekillenen bir çatışma döngüsü göze çarpmaktadır. Suriye’deki şiddet sona erdiğinde ya da farklı bir biçime dönüştüğünde çatışma öncesi ve sırasında olduğu gibi çatışma sonrası süreçlerde de kimlik vurgusu ve mezhepsel kimlikler, siyasi ve toplumsal hayatta yer bulmaya devam edecektir. Bu nedenle çatışma sonrası çözüm ve uzlaşma gibi süreçlerinin gerçekleştirilmesi ve bu süreçlerde kimliklerin ve kimlik dönüşümlerinin dikkate alınması gerekmektedir. Ülkede kimliklerin araçsallaştırılarak çatışma unsuru haline getirilmesinin önüne geçilmesi önem arz etmektedir. Bu süreçler ülkede hakiki anlamda barışın gelmesi ve şiddetin tekrarlanmaması için gereklidir. Çatışma çözümleri ve uzlaşma literatüründe somut çözümlerle beraber kimlik dönüşümlerinin gerçekleştirilmesi en çok bahsedilen konulardan birisidir. Bu süreçler uygun şekillerde gerçekleştirilmezlerse şiddetin belli dönemlerde tekrar eden döngüsel bir niteliğe bürünmesi sık rastlanan bir durumdur. Çalışmada Suriye’deki mezhepsel kimlikler, çatışma sonrası beklenen çözüm ve uzlaşma süreçlerinde kimliğin yeri ve kimlik dönüşümleri ile olası toplumsal uzlaşma yaklaşımlarından bahsedilecektir.

Faith, Hope and Love: A Theological Approach to Reconciliation within Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism in South Africa does not have the luxury of operating according to a modernistic epistemology if it is to be relevant in a secular, post-Christian South African context. People want to live in peace, and the issue is how the Evangelical Church can contribute to nation-building. This article attempts to reframe the theological understanding of reconciliation by adding to Western Evangelicalism's presuppositions that focus predominately on divine-human reconciliation -the proclamation of the gospel at the expense of human-human reconciliation – the demonstration of the gospel, namely social/racial reconciliation. In this paper, it is argued that using faith, hope, and love will aid in a biblical and holistic understanding of reconciliation by deconstructing how this term is understood within Evangelicalism. This approach will hopefully free evangelicals from individualism, fundamentalism and fideism. Using Vorster’s sense of reconciliation, this paper adds a fourth aspect that is negated within Evangelicalism, namely social reconciliation. This paper thus seeks to ask the important question, how do Evangelicals understand restitution in relation to reconciliation?

The Past Explains the Present: Dealing with Anfal in the Kurdistan Region

Abstract“Transitional justice” refers to a set of strategies for promoting reconciliation in societies that have been ravaged by conflict and human rights abuses in the recent past. In some cases, however, the political leaders of post-conflict societies choose not to pursue transitional justice, instead preferring to keep the status-quo peace. This essay explores the situation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq after the genocidal Anfal campaign of the late 1980s. The Kurdish political authorities at the time did not use any transitional justice measure against the Kurds who collaborated in the persecution and killing of their fellow Kurds. Instead, they declared a unilateral amnesty for all collaborators, without the consent of the victims’ families. This paper argues that this grant of “blanket amnesty,” which protected the accused from legal liability at the expense of victims’ right to justice, brought neither justice nor peace. Conversely, it negatively affected the process of democratization, rule of law, and social reconciliation in the region. The paper concludes that justice and lasting peace will not be realized in the region if the abuses of the past are left unaddressed.