ABSTRACT
No Future without Forgiveness was the title of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s (2000) book about the truth and reconciliation process in South Africa. The importance of honesty and forgiveness as a nation moves to build peace and emerge into a more just society is further underscored by the sentiments of Monsignor Juan Gerardi who spoke of the documentation of atrocities in Guatemala stating that it requires a reconstruction of history “… of pain and death, understanding the reasons for it, the why and how” (Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, 1999, p. xxiii). As a leader, Gerardi understood that the truth was essential in order for a society to democratize and ultimately realize freedom for its citizens. “To open ourselves to truth and to face our personal and collective reality are not options that can be accepted or rejected. They are indispensible requirements for all people and societies that seek to humanize themselves and to be free” (Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, 1999, p. xxiv).
