Speaker: Charles Villa-Vicencio
Respondent: Allan Boesak
Charles Villa-Vicencio, a political scientist and theologian whose research and activism focuses on transnational justice and reconciliation warns that the truth commission notion is not a silver bullet solution to bring about transformation and that the pursuit of any transition is the realization of political reconciliation and stability, which is a two-step process.
He suggests the first step is negative reconciliation, which is merely an attempt to resolve ones differences through arguing and confrontation. The second step, he terms positive reconciliation, defining it as the development of institutions of government equipped to deal with the past through reparations, and is a sequential process that can not be done all at once.
Since positive reconciliation takes time, Villa-Vicencio claims that this transition period poses a major risk to the success of rebuilding a nation. He explains that in South Africa’s case, the inability to move from the negative to the positive stage is because ‘they have failed to keep their eyes on the prize, to see the bigger picture, and instead have settled for the day to day.’ He contends that positive reconciliation is deeply rooted in religion, and therefore its realization depends on maintaining faith and hope, a hope that builds when one recognizes the indicators of positive reconciliation, such as:
- The ability to celebrate religious, cultural and other forms of diversity without compromise on a commitment to unity
- The need to imagine an alternative world to the one we already have, one that is infused with hope
- Prioritizing the needs of the least among us over our self-gratification
- Discovering a public theology that is simple and practical enough to make sense to people of all faiths
- Dwelling with a measure of comfort between what exists and what is not yet born
- Experiencing a restless spiritualty that empowers us to always ask for more than what the political order can offer
- Being a non-anxious presence in an anxious and desperate world, knowing that the ideals for which we hunger and thirst are slowly being realized
Allan Boesak, Executive Director of the Desmond Tutu Center, responds to Villa-Vicencio by defending his belief that South Africa’s choice to pursue reconciliation over violence remains the model for countries in conflict. He asserts, however, that the way in which it has pursued reconciliation should not be the model. He agrees with Villa-Vicencio that South Africa has failed to keep their eyes on the bigger picture. He argues that, in addition to knowing what reconciliation means theologically, South Africans must also consider what it means politically if the country is to move from a negative reconciliation to a positive reconciliation.
CLICK HERE to watch a video recording of the seminar.
The seminar was a joint initiative of the Desmond Tutu Center and the Center For Faith and Vocation at Butler University.
