Altruism, Intergroup Apology, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

by Samuel P. Oliner

"In reading this book I was captivated not only by the thoughtfulness of Sam Oliner's reasoning but also by the realization that it was written by one who personally suffered the ravages of the Holocaust. Orphaned, hunted, and terrorized for three years as a Jewish adolescent in Poland, Oliner demonstrates the remarkable ability to emerge from the darkness to shed light on the world of healing and to strive to improve the human condition for all." Robert Krell, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Canada, and Holocaust Survivor This book focuses on intergroup apology and its outcome. Over one hundred apologies have been made recently by leaders or groups to those they have harmed. Altruism, Intergroup Apology, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation offers examples such as truth and reconciliation commissions and also the recent example of Polish-Ukrainian leaders offering mutual apologies for a massacre that both groups inflicted on one another. Using cases that show a positive outcome, this hopeful book provides empirical evidence that there is a positive relationship between altruism, apology, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

328 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Carole Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Oliner documents the power of sincere apology and forgiveness to reconcile individuals and groups where deep hurts have been perpetrated, demonstrating a path to peace in our individual lives and among social groups and nations.