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Facilitating Reconciliation
Last modified 2008-01-08 02:37
Usually the Sycamore Tree Project® brings together victims with “unrelated” offenders, but PF Colombia recently held an STP programme in Bellavista Prison where victims met with the offenders who actually victimized them.
The session included several victims of violent crimes, including a
woman whose husband had been murdered. Though there was much
uncertainty at the beginning of the meeting, Lacides Hernandez, Board
Chairperson of PF Colombia, reports that there was “reconciliation and
forgiveness between the parties” by the end of the session.
Speaking about her husband’s killer, the widow said, “As a victim, I
want to be free from the pain and the resentment I had stored in my
heart for such a long time and now I want to express here that I truly
forgive Walter for all the harm he caused us.” The victims and
offenders had many positive comments about the programme.
“The results were chilling and very motivating for us to continue organising these encounters,” says Lacides.
January 2008
This article first appeared in the January 2008 issue of Prison Fellowship International's Global
Link.