Dawn Butler, the Member of Parliament for Brent South and Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement, enters the dialogue.

Agenda for Reconciliation (AfR) is a team of people engaged, individually or collectively, in a variety of peacemaking initiatives, whether in Britain or abroad. It grew out of a series of conferences on the same theme which took place during the 1990’s and early 2000’s at IofC’s international conference centre in Caux, Switzerland. These conferences were fruitful in drawing together similar initiatives from around the world, and in generating new ones.

Initiatives currently being undertaken concern

• Somali and Eritrean diasporas in Britain and their contribution to their communities and countries of origin.  Visit Somali Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy SIDD website
• Harambee leadership training programme in Africa
• Learning to be a Peacemaker programme for young European Muslims in partnership with Communities in Action Enterprises
• Development of the use of FLTfilms documentary resources by staff in British statutory agencies.

The renewal of relationships, from personal to international, has been a fruit of IofC from its very inception. It was the letters of apology that IofC’s founder, Frank Buchman, wrote for his bitterness towards those who had wronged him that set him on a new path. His later work for post-Second World War reconciliation between France and Germany, and between Japan and its neighbours, are arguably his greatest contributions to world history. His belief was that peace starts in individual hearts, with clearing one’s conscience and putting right relationships with those around us - and that there is no limit to the changes that can arise from such steps.

It is well-understood that reconciliation is an ambiguous word. In some areas where conflict is recent or on-going, it can be unusable; in other situations there is a general recognition of its need. In either context, it is long-term work. But in the end, as a senior Bosnian churchman said, ‘There is no other word!’

AfR is coordinated through a weekly meeting, held in the London centre of Initiatives of Change, and has a five-person Management Team: Amina Dikedi-Ajakaiye, Zahra Hassan, Berhane Woldegabriel, Jim Baynard-Smith and Peter Riddell (Convenor). Expressions of interest are welcome, and internships sometimes available.