Reports are in chronological order, most recent first. Bill Bole's remarks from the evening of conversation at the Lotos Club in New York City are available online. Woodstock issued an electronic occasional paper on "Forgivieness and Revenge, In Politics and Business." On May 10, 2006, Woodstock hosted an afternoon of coversation on "Forgiveness and Revenge, In Politics and Business" in the Woodstock Library. Panelists included Woodstock fellows Bill Bole and Robert Hennemeyer, who along with Drew Christiansen, S.J., co-authored Forgiveness in International Politics: An Alternative Road to Peace, and Georgetown business professor Robert Bies. John Langan, S.J., served as moderator. The conversation was reported in the December 2006 issue of the Woodstock Report. On November 14, 2006, Woodstock held a similar conversation in New York City with the same panelists. Drew Christiansen, S.J., moderated the event. On January 9, 2006, Woodstock fellow William Bole gave a talk at St. Ignatius Church in Baltimore
titled "Blessed are the Peacemakers: Forgiveness in
Politics as a Road to Peace," as part of the
Year of Prayer lecture
series sponsored by the Maryland Province of the Society
of Jesus .
Bole drew from Woodstock's 2004 book,
Forgiveness in International
Politics: An Alternative Road to Peace (U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops), which he co-authored with
Robert Hennemeyer and Drew Christiansen, S.J. Woodstock fellows Bill Bole, Robert Hennemeyer, and Drew Christiansen, S.J., have authored the book Forgiveness in International Politics: An Alternative Road to Peace, published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. An article on the publication appeared in the June 2004 Woodstock Report. The Woodstock Theological Center has issued the fourth and final volume
of proceedings in a series of colloquia on forgiveness in conflict resolution,
Forgiveness in Conflict
Resolution: Reality and Utility—The Experiences of the Truth Commissions.
The colloquium was held on March 11, 1998 and involved examinations
of the truth commissions in Chile, El Salvador, and South Africa in order
to ascertain whether forgiveness and/or reconciliation were part of the
truth commission experience, and if so, under what circumstances.
Copies of all four volumes of proceedings are available
from the Center. The Woodstock Theological Center has issued volume three of the proceedings
in a series of colloquia on forgiveness in conflict resolution, Forgiveness
in Conflict Resolution: Reality and Utility--The Bosnian Experience.
This colloquium was sponsored by the Woodstock Theological Center on the
Georgetown University campus on October 24, 1997 and included academics,
diplomats, conflict resolution specialists, government officials and church
leaders. The colloquia are part of a Woodstock study and consultation
that aims to discover and describe the meaning and applicability of "forgiveness"
in the resolution of conflict situations. This study is partially funded
by the United States Institute of Peace. The Woodstock Theological Center has issued the first and second volumes
of proceedings in a series of colloquia on the notion of Forgiveness in
Conflict Resolution: Reality and Utility. The first volume,
Forgiveness in Conflict Resolution:
Reality and Utility, contains the proceedings of a colloquium
held in December 1996 in order to test the applicability and the helpfulness
of "forgiveness" as a public concept in peacemaking and conflict
resolution. Conflict situations chosen for discussion were Northern Ireland,
Bosnia, and race relations in the United States. The second volume, Forgiveness
in Conflict Resolution: Reality and Utility—The Northern Ireland
Experience, covers the proceedings of a June 1997 colloquium exploring
the meaning and applicability of "forgiveness" in the context
of conflict resolution in Northern Ireland. The keynote speaker
for this colloquium was Cardinal Cahal B. Daly, former archbishop of Armagh,
Northern Ireland. Both publications are available
from the Center. [from Woodstock Report, October
1997, no. 51] The third in a series of five colloquia exploring the question of "forgiveness"
as a factor in resolving conflict, was held on Friday, October 24, in
the Woodstock Theological Center Library. Participants included diplomats,
conflict resolution specialists, theologians, and ethicists. Among the subjects explored in this colloquium were the histories of
grievances -- Orthodox, Catholic, and Moslem memories -- presented by
Dr. Paul Mojzes, academic dean, Rosemont College, and religion in Bosnia
-- the roles of the three major faiths, presented by Dr. William F. Vendley
of the World Conference on Religion and Peace. The Hon. Warren Zimmerman,
former ambassador from the United States to Yugoslavia, the Hon. John
Menzies, former ambassador from the United States to Bosnia, and Dr. Susan
Woodward, senior fellow in foreign policy from The Brookings Institution,
participated in a panel discussion on "Political Prospects After
Dayton." Gerard F. Powers, Esq., foreign policy advisor (Europe and
security policies) for the U.S. Catholic Conference was the moderator.
Discussing recent developments in conflict resolution from the perspective
of "forgiveness" were Dr.
Douglas M. Johnston, Jr., vice president, the Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS), and Olga
Botcharova, a visiting fellow at CSIS who conducts workshops on conflict
resolution and community rebuilding for religious bodies in Bosnia, Serbia,
and Croatia. Summary conclusions of the day were presented by Father Drew Christiansen,
S.J., director, Office of International Justice and Peace, U.S. Catholic
Conference, and Dr. Donald W. Shriver, Jr., president emeritus of Union
Theological Seminary (New York) and author of An Ethic for Enemies:
Forgiveness in Politics. [from Woodstock Report, June 1997,
No. 50] His Eminence Cardinal Cahal B. Daly, recently retired Archbishop of Armagh,
Northern Ireland, was the first presenter at the inaugural colloquium
of the Woodstock project, "Forgiveness
in Conflict Resolution: Reality and Utility." Participants in
the June colloquium on the role of "forgiveness" in the Northern
Ireland experience included diplomatic officials, conflict resolution
specialists, religious leaders, academics, and others. Cardinal Daly spoke of his efforts to promote reconciliation and peace
in Northern Ireland and on the Catholic perspective of forgiveness in
conflict resolution. Other speakers included Reverend Douglas Baker, the
Corrymeela Community, and Reverend Kenneth Newell, Fitzroy Presbyterian
Church, both of Belfast. Jane H. Ohlmeyer, professor of history, University
of Aberdeen, addressed the roots of the Northern Ireland conflict and
Paul Arthur, professor of politics, University of Ulster, Jordanstown,
spoke of the blocks to forgiveness in Northern Ireland. Following the
presentations there was discussion among participants. This project is partially funded by the United
States Institute of Peace. On June 17, 1997, the eve of the colloquium on Northern Ireland, Cardinal
Daly was the presenter at a Woodstock "Evening of Conversation."
The United States Institute of Peace has approved a grant of $37,000
to the Woodstock Center in support of a project entitled, "Forgiveness
in Conflict Resolution: Reality and Utility." Woodstock will
undertake a process of study, investigation, and consultation with a view
to discovering and describing the meaning and applicability of "forgiveness"
in the resolution of conflict situations. In doing this study, Woodstock will draw upon the expertise of specialists
in mediation and diplomacy, as well as theologians, ethicists, sociologists,
and political scientists. When possible and feasible, we will also call
upon the experience of people who have been or are personally involved
as participants in ethnic, racial, religious, national, or other conflicts.
The principal cases to be presented and studied will be Northern Ireland,
Bosnia, and racial tensions in the United States. Recourse will also be
made to the experience of truth commissions-e.g., those in El Salvador,
South Africa, and other countries, for the light they shed on the meaning
and function of forgiveness in conflict resolution. The grant of the United States Institute of Peace is restricted to the
international issues in the study (e.g., Northern Ireland and Bosnia)
because the Institute's mandate does not allow it to fund the study of
domestic issues. We are looking for funding for the role of forgiveness in U.S. race relations.
2007
Bill Bole's remarks on "The Politics of Forgiveness, and the Culture of Revenge"2006
Woodstock issues electronic occasional paper on "Forgiveness and Revenge, In Politics and Business"Woodstock holds conversations in Washington, D.C., and New York City
Woodstock fellow Bill Bole speaks on Forgiveness
2004
New book released - Forgiveness in International Politics: An Alternative Road to Peace
Winter 1998
Woodstock Issues Fourth Volume of Proceedings in a Series of Colloquia
Fall 1998
Woodstock Issues Third Volume of Proceedings in a Series of Colloquia
Spring 1998
Woodstock Issues Two Volumes of Proceedings in a Series of Colloquia
October 1997
Forgiveness in Conflict Resolution: Reality and Utility
- The Bosnian Experience
June 1997
Meeting on Forgiveness in Conflict Resolution:
The Northern Ireland Experience
Spring 1997
USIP Grant to Woodstock Theological Center for Project on "Forgiveness
in Conflict Resolution: Reality and Utility." See also: