Reconciliation Acts - Towards a new theory of reconciliation in the wake of violence

This paper reconceptualises reconciliation in response to growing critiques that portray reconciliation as vague, overly discursive, and politically problematic. The paper introduces the concept of "reconciliation acts" (RAs), shifting focus from discourse to embodied practice. RAs are defined as embodied, performative, relational, and generative acts that create new social realities. Applying this framework across everyday, mid, and institutional settings, the paper demonstrates how reconciliation emerges through concrete acts, offering a new lens for a systematic understanding of transformation through agency in conflict-affected societies.