No Future Without Forgiveness

Rating:
Summary: Beyond retributive justice.
Review: ". . . to go beyond retributive justice to restorative justice, to move on to forgiveness, because without it there was nor future."

This is a beautiful book, the work of a beautiful mind. Tutu, retired Anglican archbishop and Noble laureate, presents his reflections on the work of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and on his personal insights and problems as the Chair of the TRC. The Commission was conceived as a tool in South Africa's transition from an oppressive apartheid regime to an open constitutional democracy. The lessons are important ones to learn in a world where human abuses continue in many forms and in many parts of the world.
Mans capacity for cynical self-obsession, paranoiac blindness to that which he perceives as being outside himself, and for the kind of abuse that arises between himself and his external world -- including his fellow beings, is difficult to come to grips with. Tutu discuses this with as much compassion and dignity as anyone likely can. Something dark lurks near the will of man, manifesting opportunistically, often unacknowledged, in fact unnoticed. Yet, in perceiving it clearly, wisdom informs us that we must resist too easily becoming holier-than-thou; we're not all that pure ourselves. As Tutu reminds us, many times, "there, but for the grace of God, go I." The temptation is to respond in kind, injustice for injustice, violence for violence, and obviously, many do respond in this way. There is a better way.
Justice, charity, and finally forgiveness, speak to us too, and wisdom will not turn a deaf ear. The TRC was established to, among other things, bring to light the hidden abuses of South Africa's recent history. Many of the violent crimes in question were sadistic, deeply disturbing, and of course, covert. The evidence and details of these atrocities would not be feasible, in most cases, for prosecutors to obtain, meaning that violent crimes and conspiracies would remain untreated. Resentment and suspicion would fester, probably resulting in still more violence. Another result would be that a sound basis for reparation could not be developed. By offering amnesty to perpetrators, many shrouded truths were brought to light, apologies were offered (in many cases sincere no doubt), in the African way of "ubuntu" forgiveness was often gifted (which is amazing), and the wronged found a measure of healing. It simply could not have happened in a setting significantly different than the TRC. "After all, forgiveness, reconciliation, reparation were not the normal currency in political discourse." Here is certainly a model for a conflict-riddled world.

"As related in the Old Testament, the prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a host of enemies. But the prophet remained strangely calm and somewhat unconcerned while his servant grew ever more agitated. The prophet asked God to open the servant's eyes and the servant then saw that those who were on their side were many times more than those against them. We South Africans have experienced this in our lives -- that the forces of good turn out to be many times more than the forces of evil." p202.

Tutu writes with great care, qualifying and clarifying his thoughts, such that he is often given to writing Dostoevsky-sized sentences (50-60+ words). I do not have a problem with this, but it may be distracting to some readers who are used to reading lighter fare. Without reservation, I highly recommend this volume to anyone with an interest in human relations and justice, psychological well-being, conflict resolution, and/or spiritual growth.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible - every human being should read this book
Review: After the fall of apartheid in South Africa, a remarkable shift occurred. Rather than forming war crimes tribunals, rather than whitewashing or ignoring the past, the democratically-elected government, led by President Nelson Mandela, formed a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In exchange for amnesty, those guilty of war crimes were required to appear before the commission and make a complete and full disclosure of any and all atrocities committed, receiving in turn a full pardon.

This is extremely difficult and painful reading. The atrocities are grisly, and I only had to read about them, not listen to them, nor experience them. In clear, unvarnished prose, Archbishop Tutu covers the difficulties in forming and leading such a commission, the differences and problems the commission members themselves had, and the response to it on the part of South African citizens. Yet, with all of the limitations Archbishop Tutu outlines, this was a remarkable, hopeful, amazing process, unlike any in human history. The book concludes with a fascinating, intriguing discussion on the nature of forgiveness. A wonderful, painful and inspiring book: one that shares the best and worst of the human condition, written by a great moral leader of our time. This book should be required reading for every human being alive.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible - every human being should read this book
Review: After the fall of apartheid in South Africa, a remarkable shift occurred. Rather than forming war crimes tribunals, rather than whitewashing or ignoring the past, the democratically-elected government, led by President Nelson Mandela, formed a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In exchange for amnesty, those guilty of war crimes were required to appear before the commission and make a complete and full disclosure of any and all atrocities committed, receiving in turn a full pardon.

This is extremely difficult and painful reading. The atrocities are grisly, and I only had to read about them, not listen to them, nor experience them. In clear, unvarnished prose, Archbishop Tutu covers the difficulties in forming and leading such a commission, the differences and problems the commission members themselves had, and the response to it on the part of South African citizens. Yet, with all of the limitations Archbishop Tutu outlines, this was a remarkable, hopeful, amazing process, unlike any in human history. The book concludes with a fascinating, intriguing discussion on the nature of forgiveness. A wonderful, painful and inspiring book: one that shares the best and worst of the human condition, written by a great moral leader of our time. This book should be required reading for every human being alive.

Rating:
Summary: A powerful message we can all learn from.
Review: Archbishop Tutu is an incredible world leader--one who is likely to be even better known 100 years from now than he is today. This is because in his work on the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in South Africa he, and the people of South Africa, have accomplished somthing truly remarkable. They decided that the only way to move forward from the horrors of apartheid was to do so with awareness and forgiveness. What an amazing account we now have here in Tutu's book on this experience. He helped lead South Africa to freedom, and now he has helped pave the way for a future of healing and peace. While we see humanity's ugly potential for cruelty in the testimony of survivors, this book is most especially a great testament to the power of human will and ideals to change the world. I wish Archbishop Tutu could win another Nobel prize for his work.

Rating:
Summary: a way out of the madness of retribution
Review: As I read this, I thought: this must be unusual for fellow Americans to read. We have tended to be a people obsessed with forms of revenge, retribution, surveillance, and punishment we euphemize as "justice" and, since the Bush administration took over, "state security." Ironically, those who pass for followers of the man who said to "love your enemies" have been among the most determined supporters of eye-for-an-eye, letter-of-the-law, and, most recently, preemptive strike.

In this book the former Archbishop of Capetown has given us not only an eye-opening account of the brutalities and intricacies of post-Apartheid justice, but a model for moving beyond the various forms of institutionalized retribution. Pointing out the unworkability of trying and sentencing perpetrators of apartheid, he describes the joys and difficulties of the "truth and reconciliation" approach to justice: the granting of political amnesty to those who make a full confession of their crimes. An additional beauty of the process is its openness to the stories of those who were victimized, many of whom have been willing to pass up the opportunity for legal revenge in order to speak about their sufferings to those who were responsible for them.

Although this amnesty--as opposed to what Tutu calls "amnesia," the denial approach to the past--has not been a perfect solution to the fallout of apartheid, it has offered the world a model of reconciliation at the level of the trans-punishment consciousness of a Gandhi, a Jesus, a Martin Luther King Jr. For that reason alone it bears study by readers who are ready for alternatives to the cycles of retribution that inundate the world even now with ever-widening circles of "moral" warfare and all the rest of the self-justifying brutality that only creates new injustices.

Rating:
Summary: a way out of the madness of retribution
Review: As I read this, I thought: this must be unusual for fellow Americans to read. We have tended to be a people obsessed with forms of revenge, retribution, surveillance, and punishment we euphemize as "justice" and, since the Bush administration took over, "state security." Ironically, those who pass for followers of the man who said to "love your enemies" have been among the most determined supporters of eye-for-an-eye, letter-of-the-law, and, most recently, preemptive strike.

In this book the former Archbishop of Capetown has given us not only an eye-opening account of the brutalities and intricacies of post-Apartheid justice, but a model for moving beyond the various forms of institutionalized retribution. Pointing out the unworkability of trying and sentencing perpetrators of apartheid, he describes the joys and difficulties of the "truth and reconciliation" approach to justice: the granting of political amnesty to those who make a full confession of their crimes. An additional beauty of the process is its openness to the stories of those who were victimized, many of whom have been willing to pass up the opportunity for legal revenge in order to speak about their sufferings to those who were responsible for them.

Although this amnesty--as opposed to what Tutu calls "amnesia," the denial approach to the past--has not been a perfect solution to the fallout of apartheid, it has offered the world a model of reconciliation at the level of the trans-punishment consciousness of a Gandhi, a Jesus, a Martin Luther King Jr. For that reason alone it bears study by readers who are ready for alternatives to the cycles of retribution that inundate the world even now with ever-widening circles of "moral" warfare and all the rest of the self-justifying brutality that only creates new injustices.

Rating:
Summary: a way out of the madness of retribution
Review: As I read this, I thought: this must be unusual for fellow Americans to read. We have tended to be a people obsessed with forms of revenge, retribution, surveillance, and punishment we euphemize as "justice" and, since the Bush administration took over, "state security." Ironically, those who pass for followers of the man who said to "love your enemies" have been among the most determined supporters of eye-for-an-eye, letter-of-the-law, and, most recently, preemptive strike.

In this book the former Archbishop of Capetown has given us not only an eye-opening account of the brutalities and intricacies of post-Apartheid justice, but a model for moving beyond the various forms of institutionalized retribution. Pointing out the unworkability of trying and sentencing perpetrators of apartheid, he describes the joys and difficulties of the "truth and reconciliation" approach to justice: the granting of political amnesty to those who make a full confession of their crimes. An additional beauty of the process is its openness to the stories of those who were victimized, many of whom have been willing to pass up the opportunity for legal revenge in order to speak about their sufferings to those who were responsible for them.

Although this amnesty--as opposed to what Tutu calls "amnesia," the denial approach to the past--has not been a perfect solution to the fallout of apartheid, it has offered the world a model of reconciliation at the level of the trans-punishment consciousness of a Gandhi, a Jesus, a Martin Luther King Jr. For that reason alone it bears study by readers who are ready for alternatives to the cycles of retribution that inundate the world even now with ever-widening circles of "moral" warfare and all the rest of the self-justifying brutality that only creates new injustices.

Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable Role Model to Follow
Review: Desmond Tutu brings us all a poignant and beautiful portrayal of how love for your neighbor, and forgiveness of injustices must prevail over getting back and fighting, because "there is no future without forgiveness."

His journey was not an easy one, however, with a solid spiritual base, and an extemporary model of sustained dedication to the indwelling truth in his heart, he was able to lead a nation out of apartheid, and into peace and equality.

His humanness and depth make this book one to refer back to, and his model of spiritual equality for all people one to follow for us all.
Deserves 10 Stars! Barbara Rose, author of, 'Individual Power' and 'If God Was Like Man'

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I always thought Archbishop Tutu was an amazing man, and this book has confirmed that for me yet again! This is an incredible, discturbing, and ultimately uplifting testament to the power of faith and forgiveness.

Rating:
Summary: Great Topic, but Something is missing
Review: I enjoyed the amazing scope of Desmond Tutu's thought process and his ability to commit it to paper; but sometimes I found exploring one thought from so many angles a little unnecessary. I also had trouble with the absence of enough Aparthied history to ensure complete comprehension by all readers of all ages. I longed for more explanation to help me get through this book and really appreciate what happened during Aparthied and in the aftermath for which the commission Tutu was a member was formed.