Who deserves to be forgiven?

Stories | Questions | Who deserves to be forgiven?

Forgiveness must be a personal choice: it ceases to be helpful if pushed or prescribed. No one has the authority to decide who should forgive and equally the stories on this website show that there are no rules when it comes to who deserves to be forgiven and who does not.

A pioneer of Restorative Justice, John Braithwaite, once said: "Forgiveness is a gift. We destroy its power as a gift by making it a duty."

Marian Partington

"My work has been about connecting with Rosemary West’s humanity and refusing to go down the far easier path of demonizing her."

Jo Berry and Patrick Magee

“I'm beginning to realise that no matter which side of the conflict you're on, had we all lived each others lives, we could all have done what the other did.”

Bud Welch

"About a year before the execution I found it in my heart to forgive Tim McVeigh. It was a release for me rather than for him."

Eva Kor

"I forgive not because they deserve it but because I deserve it."

Stories | Questions | Who deserves to be forigven? | Themes | Countries

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The Forgiveness Project is where it is today largely because of the support of countless passionate individuals helping us in many different ways. Read more

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