ABSTRACT
The dynamics of time shape the contours of both conflict and division and the reconciliatory and transformative responses that may follow. Little argues that complex temporality is a residual factor in conflictual societies because the full ramifications of conflict are never wholly played out. This chapter examines several aspects of this complex temporality, from the idea of 'transition', to the continued impacts of colonialism, and contemporary intergenerational relations, all of which frame and constrain efforts at reconciliation and conflict transformation. Reconciliation is often associated with periods of regime change and democratic transition. The evident need for a more expansive temporal frame to reconciliation work sits in tension with the fact that strategic gains often rest on a sense of urgency or 'ripeness'. Yet reconciliation and conflict transformation efforts are often imbued with impatience, which can become another source of conflict if it is not addressed.
