In The Fray Magazine | Call for Submissions | January 2014: Forgiveness

Nelson Mandela, who spent twenty-seven years in prison before leading South Africa out of apartheid as its first black president, championed forgiveness as a means for the country to heal – but not without first using truth to hold perpetrators accountable and reconcile long-segregated communities. Across societies and racial groups, in workplaces and families, reconciliation seems the trickiest bridge to cross, involving the long span of history and the thin skin of pride. And yet forgiveness, a chorus of religious and ethical traditions tell us, is essential.

We want to hear your stories of forgiveness and reconciliation. We are seeking reportage and analysis of groups dealing with the challenges of forgiveness in their own ways. Send us stories – captured in prose, art, or photography – about how forgiveness has played out in the lives of individuals and communities. How have efforts at reconciliation succeeded and failed? How have war-ravaged countries – or abuse-ravaged families – managed to heal and reunite? What would the alternative have been?

Please review our submissions guidelines and send a one-paragraph pitch to the appropriate section editor NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31, 2014. You may attach a complete draft if you have one.

We also welcome submissions on any other topic that relates to the magazine’s themes: promoting global understanding, encouraging empathy, and demonstrating compassion.

We look forward to hearing from you.

In The Fray Contributor