Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre, Rwanda

This compendium focuses on reconciliatory spaces to showcase theoretical frameworks applied throughout the SJHR program. I include research from reconciliation efforts in post-genocide Rwanda and post-colonial Australia to inform a comparative analysis of the current racial justice efforts within the American church. This context is at the heart of my research on reconciliation, and I glean its themes from other reconciliatory spaces. This is not to say that the former two are perfect or complete, in fact reconciliation between Indigenous and white Australians remains a challenge, for example. However, I believe that looking at the uniqueness of each context, and the attributes of reconciliation needed, could lend greater insight into racial justice efforts within the American church. Although each context is nuanced and fundamentally different in nature and scope from the others, common themes emerged. I have sought to identify these "tools" of reconciliation which could perhaps apply to other communities experiencing rifts, evidence of which can be seen in my research on immigration and inclusion. I position reconciliation efforts as emblematic of an approach to social justice, and this work stands as a symbolic culmination of my journey through the program, as well as a posture on which to lean as I pursue relevant professional work.

From Critical Humanitarianism, I focus on post-genocide Rwanda to highlight survivor empowerment, grassroots activism on the community level that supports interpersonal healing, and reparations as approaches to sustainable aid and transformative justice. This shifts the focus from a normative perspective to a participatory one, so that a change in power dynamics toward equality can occur. From Research Methods, I interrogate both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to discover meaningful reconciliatory efforts in Australia between Indigenous and white Australians. Participatory and interpretivist approaches in particular point to the importance of simultaneously addressing systemic racism and emphasizing reconciliation through education and participatory research.

Finally, I analyze reconciliation within a divided church, elevating a racial justice framework that emphasizes salient themes discussed above. In all contexts, truth-telling must happen in reconciliation; to go without makes efforts shallow, unsubstantial, and short-term. Reframing narratives to include marginalized experiences allows space for divided parties to converge, encouraging participation and agency, and working to foster empathy. Reparations play a critical role in restorative justice and facilitate reconciliation in action. Moving beyond restorative justice, I show that reconciliation is at work in other contexts such as immigration. Through my coursework in Migration, Asylum & Refugees, I focus on a framework that centers migrants in the debate on immigration. I show that media and political discourse impacts integration experiences of migrants, and that an approach which amplifies migrants' agency and participation fosters positive inclusion experiences within communities. These themes contribute to making “room at the table” for all people, which engenders dignity and respect, allows everyone to benefit, and favors flourishing.