Now that TRRC has ended, and many Gambians and victims of the former (regime) are demanding justice before reconciliation. Yes, there should be (Justice) before reconciliation.

But let us as Gambians understand that despise the trauma, the end-point of a successful process of peacebuilding is reconciliation. And through reconciliation, societies move from a situation of negative (the stopping of hostilities) to a situation of positive peace (where trust and cooperation between former enemies are restored).

Lederach has defined reconciliation as the meeting point where truth, justice, forgiveness, and peace come together. In his definition, reconciliation means working with three specific paradoxes:

Reconciliation means an encounter between an open expression of the painful painful past and the search for an independent future.

.- Reconciliation provides a place for true forgiveness and forgiveness or mercy to meet, to acknowledge what has happened in the past, to apologize, and to forgive or let go of the past in favor of a renewed relationship.

. Reconciliation recognizes the need to give time and space to both justice and peace, where redressing wrongs is held together with a version of restoring harmony and well-being rather than vengeance.

The Gambia is a small community. Let's avoid hostilities and improve communication between the victims and perpetrators to advance reconciliation and build a New Gambia.

By Gambian Patriot