Playing at Unity and Reconciliation

The problem is that unity and reconciliation do not just happen; they are delicate processes that take time, particularly in a country like Honduras where a society has been polarized by a controversial and provocative president and traumatized by his forceful overthrow. The reality is that, as wonderful as it would be to have unity and reconciliation in Honduras, the mood of the country is not conducive to these processes. I think Honduran society is tired of the relative uncertainty and instability that it has been living under for the past four and a half months, but I do not sense that there is an authentic desire or will to put aside differences and humbly ask for and grant forgiveness, and then cheerfully move on.

When individuals truly seek unity and reconciliation, the reasonable and enlightened thing that happens is that they meet face to face and say something like, "Hey, I'm sorry for the trouble and pain that I've caused you. Please forgive me." What also happens is that each person displays a willingness to listen intently to the other so that empathy and compassion can take hold. I do not believe that we are remotely close to seeing this kind of meeting between Roberto Micheletti and Manuel Zelaya. Neither are we close to seeing this happen between supporters of these gentlemen.

Sadly, all too often I hear relatives and colleagues and former friends and acquaintances refer to each other as "golpistas" (supporters of the coup) or communists. And these are the more polite epithets. If you happen to oppose Mr. Zelaya, you are naturally a golpista, an enemy of democracy. If you happen to support Mr. Zelaya, you must of course be a communist (... or at least a socialist), or at minimum... blind. The intention of this act of labeling or painting with a broad stroke is to diminish the person who doesn't happen to agree with your interpretation of the events, your perspective of what has happened. In other words, only you are the holder of the truth.

I'm afraid that until we begin to accept that each of us only grasps pieces of the truth of the events leading up to June 28 and everything that has happened since dawn that day, we will not be ready to begin moving toward unity and reconciliation in Honduras. We also have to realize that unity and reconciliation are dynamic processes that must be built up by taking baby steps (... like putting aside the labels, for example) and then adult steps consistently over a period of time.

It was a nice thought to attach feel good words like unity and reconciliation to a temporary government theoretically designed to resolve the complex political issues that divide Hondurans. But I think it was premature. The really hard work is still ahead of us.