Ibrahima Fall, UN Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region in Africa, talks to Themon Djaksam about the themes of the conference.

Peace is more than the absence of war, discovers Caz Hore-Ruthven.

John Bond hears from Africans who are risking their lives to end conflict.

The first of two Agenda for Reconciliation conferences focussed on peace-building initiatives. It included private 'dialogues of the heart' between citizens from the Great Lakes area of Africa (Rwanda, Burundi, Congo and Uganda) and also among people from Sierra Leone; and a round table meeting of people from Bosnia Herzegovina involved in setting up a truth and reconciliation process there. Here we print extracts from Donald Shriver's keynote speech on forgiveness, and (below) Mary Lean meets some of the peace builders who took part.

Good governance starts with individuals, discovers Paul Williams.

The Government of New Zealand has taken the unheard of step of apologizing to the Maori people--and beginning to redress their grievances. The architect of this process, Attorney General Sir Douglas Graham, spoke at the Agenda for Reconciliation conference in Caux in August. Mary Lean met him afterwards.

It's not just the ethereal scenery that brings people from conflict areas to Caux in Switzerland. Mary Lean takes part in a remarkable meeting of hearts.

What happens when people with a common cause disagree about the way forward? Trade unions, political parties, churches, lobby groups and charities all face this dilemma from time to time. Some groups delay a decision and become absorbed in internal wrangling; others split. Mary Lean explores the experience of MRA in Britain, which has recently sold the Westminster Theatre.

Caux's history made it the ideal place for a high-level symposium on reconciliation. Mary Lean reports.