Beyond Forgiving film was screened at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), a leading institution in London for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, on 10 November 2014.
‘There are many powerful quotes in this film but one line that Ginn delivers has stuck with me since first watching it , "How does one move from victim to survivor to wounded healer?”', stated the host, SOAS student Marta Pacini, as she opened the evening.
Imad Karam and Talia Smith from Initiatives of Change engaged the 26 students in a discussion on the role forgiveness plays in justice. ‘Can forgiveness occur when injustices and oppression are still happening?’ asked one female student. Other questions ranged from the effectiveness of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and the current situation in the country to whether the concept of forgiveness is applicable to other situations like Palestine and Israel? As a Palestinian from Gaza, a pene-exclave region of Palestine, Imad responded: ‘Palestine needs justice and a political solution first; at the moment individual forgiveness would only go so far’.
The audience also showed interest in Initiatives of Change and many wanted to know more; one student from Zimbabwe asked if IofC had any activities there and if Beyond Forgiving has been used. He was invited to be introduced to the Initiatives of Change team in Zimbabwe.
It was a thought-provoking evening with an intellectual and interested audience. ‘When's the next film?’ one participant eagerly commented.
These screenings, along with others recently held in the UK, are efforts to continue the debate that was opened on the Beyond Forgiving UK Speaking Tour in May. The various events allowed people to reflect and join the discussion on forgiveness, reconciliation and healing. There were opportunities on the Tour for further dialogue around the issues raised; it is the hope that the Beyond Forgiving initiative will fill this gap. The outreach team planned screenings and workshops at the Dutch Reformed Church (London), the Prison and Young Offender Institution (Feltham) and Oxfordshire Quakers.
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