Forgiveness is a cornerstone of many religious and philosophical traditions, and is essential for transforming anger, hatred, and resentment into pathways toward peace. In recent years, universities in the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) network have faced the impacts of social, political, and military conflicts that have fractured communities and strained social relationships. This project, led by Nicolas Vergier and Montserrat Alom at IFCU, addresses the need for healing and reconciliation by equipping university stakeholders in two regions affected by conflict and instability with tools to integrate forgiveness into academic and social environments.

The project will engage key institutional actors — senior university managers responsible for pastoral policy, their support units, and student health departments — in Catholic universities. They’ll be equipped with the skills, resources, and evidence base needed to embed forgiveness into university culture. To ensure methodological rigor, the IFCU will collaborate with a senior expert from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Madrid).

Drawing on IFCU's expertise and network, the project will implement targeted training and community-building activities in four universities across Africa and Central America: the Catholic Institute of Kabgayi (Rwanda), Uganda Martyrs University, the Catholic University of Honduras Our Lady Queen of Peace, and Rafael Landívar University (Guatemala). Each is located in a country that has experienced armed conflict, coups d'état, organized crime-related violence, and social and economic instability. 

The aim is to provide tools designed to improve social cohesion, conflict resolution, and students' psychosocial wellbeing by fostering a culture of forgiveness. Over the course of the project, 80 direct participants will be trained, with an expected indirect reach of 1,600 individuals. A virtual network will support ongoing knowledge exchange, ensuring the model can be replicated in other Catholic universities worldwide. Ultimately, these training tools will be shared within IFCU's global network, helping educators and students learn to forgive in more than 63 countries.