It's our 20th Anniversary!
From where we began, to where we are right now!
Two decades of the transformative power of storytelling
To celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we’d love to share some images from our archive of past events and achievements, starting with the launch of our F Word Exhibition at the OXO Tower Gallery back in 2004.
The original version of the exhibition saw 6,000 visitors in its first week, and resulted in Marina Cantacuzino founding The Forgiveness Project.
The exhibition was attended by Dame Anita Roddick and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as several members of our new community of storytellers.
Since then, the F Word travelling exhibition has been displayed in 11 countries, including Australia, Libya, Kenya and The Netherlands. Our two permanent editions of the F Word (based in North America and the UK) have been shown in venues as diverse as a hospital, a shopping mall and a prison!
“I have seen the exhibition twice myself now and for me it is the most moving and helpful experience of my life – it helped me cope with my own experience when all other methods had not succeeded.” — Visitor to The F Word exhibition, UK
In reflecting on the very first exhibition, Marina says the following:
“In January 2004, with the war in Iraq still a topic of fierce debate, these narratives of hope went on display at the Oxo Gallery on London’s South Bank for ten days.
The response was both extensive and astonishing. Six thousand people saw the exhibition, we sold out of two thousand printed catalogues within a few days, the media were hungry for the story (coverage reaching 30 million people worldwide) and organizations and individuals all over the globe contacted me to ask if they could use ‘The F Word’ as a resource for their own peace and conflict resolution work.
Many visitors left powerful messages in the feedback book asking, ‘What next?’ one woman wrote candidly: ‘Now I would like to be photographed next to the man who attacked me’.”
Can you help?
Our 20th Anniversary falls at a time when families and communities are increasingly polarised and divided and when people are asking for The Forgiveness Project’s input and involvement. To sustain and grow our influence and footprint, we need support to continue our work in identifying, platforming and sharing restorative narratives.
Our aim is to promote and cultivate a curiosity around non-violent and restorative responses to hate and division as well as to explore the myriad of different ways that forgiveness can benefit the world.
We are grateful for your interest in our work. If you are able to donate, please consider doing so via the button below.
Integrity and Dignity: The Ethics of Restorative Narratives
On Saturday, 27th July, The Forgiveness Project co-Leads, Marina Cantacuzino and Sandra Barefoot, will be presenting a breakout session at The Marriot, Kigali, Rwanda entitled Integrity and Dignity: The Ethics of Restorative Narratives.
It’s a great honour that The Forgiveness Project has been invited by the Aegis Trust to run a session at the international conference ‘Listening and Leading: From Rwanda to the World’ which will be held in Kigali, at the end of this month.
In this, the thirtieth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, international speakers alongside those working in the field of peace building will come together to explore the art and science of peace, resilience and transformational justice.
Marina and Sandra will be presenting their learning and practice around the ethics of restorative narratives. Their session will chaired by the author, educator, and curator Rachael Cerrotti whose podcast We Share the Same Sky is a remarkable work which we highly recommend.
The full programme is available to view here, and more information on speakers, events, and attendance can be found via the button below.
Years At Home: Poetry book signing with Andrew Rice
Storyteller Andrew Rice has announced a book signing in celebration of his new series of poems titled Years At Home. This collection of over 130 poems spans his work from 2021 to present.
On September 11th, 2001, Andrew’s older brother, David, who was an investment banker, was killed when the World Trade Center collapsed. Since then, Andrew has dedicated himself to trying to understand the underlying causes of violence. Andrew is a former State Senator of Oklahoma City and member of Peaceful Tomorrows, a group founded by family members of September 11 victims seeking effective non-violent responses to terrorism.
Andrew’s poetry has received exemplary feedback, with critics saying the following:
“With Years At Home, Rice offers readers poetry covering a range of topics, from grief and loss, spiritual contentment, intimacy and romantic love, to the intrigue of mystery and the hopes for an unflinching fortitude and loyalty to oneself.
This collection offers an honest viewpoint and encourages the reader to be open to finding meaning in the most unlikely moments and places.”
Andrew’s book signing will take place on Tuesday 16th of July from 7pm at the Yellow Butterfly Foundation Community House, 2701 Dogwood Drive, Edmond, Oklahoma, 73013.
To purchase a copy of Years At Home, do follow the button below to Andrew’s Amazon page.
Reflecting on New Leadership
We are excited to see that James Timpson has been made Minister of State (Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation) in the Ministry of Justice for the new Labour Party government.
James Timpson has been widely applauded for his commitment to improving job opportunities for prison leavers: He has previously served as Chair of the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR) until 2016 and, later, the Chair of the Prison Reform Trust.
In her book Forgiveness; An Exploration, Marina addresses societal forgiveness, using James Timpson as an example of someone whose actions have shifted public opinion.
She writes: “James Timpson, chief executive of the family firm Timpson’s, employs more people with a criminal record than any other company in the UK (at least 10 per cent). Perhaps it is a sign that society is more forgiving of offenders than we think when he insists, ‘We have more customers who come and shop with us because of what we do, rather than who try and avoid us because of what we do’.”
We were equally delighted to find out that our storyteller Paul Kohler has been elected as MP for Wimbledon, representing the Liberal Democrats.
Speaking to the SW Londoner, Paul said “It feels really exciting, having lost in 2019 by 628 votes we have been working on this ever since that day we lost. What I must do now as an MP is provide a constructive but critical opposition to a Labour Government and we need to keep them on the straight and narrow and keep them honest.”
In Reflection: Turning-points: From Trauma to Transformation
“Thank you so much — this was so poignant and powerful”, was a comment left by an attendee of the launch of The Talk Show series, hosted by Eddy Canfor-Dumas and Peter Osborn from The Centre for Creative Conversation and featuring Marina and Sandra as their first guests.
For the first session, Marina and Sandra discussed the power of personal communication in building connection, and the value of effective talking and listening in allowing individuals to overcome these divides.
In reflection, Peter Osborn said the following:
“We were so fortunate to have Marina and Sandra as the inaugural guests on our very first TalkShow - a new online series highlighting the power of speaking and listening to affect beneficial change. The extraordinary human stories they shared informed and inspired our audience here in the UK and in the US, and as the series grows we’ll invite more and more people to watch the recording, which you can find here. So, huge thanks to them, and to everyone who contributes to The Forgiveness Project.”
For more information, including details on the next sessions, follow the button below.