Global Forgiveness Movement
- Kate Jackson-Meyer
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
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The Global Forgiveness Movement at the Human Flourishing Program uses evidence-based interventions to make the world a more loving and forgiving place.
What is forgiveness?
Forgiveness is replacing ill will with goodwill to those who have wronged us.
This means desiring the flourishing of the offender, but without necessarily forgetting the harm.
Forgiveness is compatible with accountability, truth, and justice.
Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciling with the offender because some relationships should not be restored; some relationships are toxic and need boundaries.
Forgiveness requires a two-fold movement:
1) a decision to forgive, and
2) replacing negative emotions towards the offender with more positive emotions.
Should we forgive?
Our research shows that forgiveness is good for individual and communal health:
Forgiving those who have harmed us leads to flourishing because it allows us to let go of negative feelings that can undermine our health and well-being.
Forgiveness lowers depression and anxiety.
Forgiveness can, over time, help free one from rumination and hurt.
What is the REACH Model of Forgiveness?
Psychologist Everett Worthington’s REACH Forgiveness model is one of the most widely tested models of forgiveness, and is synthesized in Do-It-Yourself workbooks.
(R) Recall the interpersonal hurt and the emotions associated with it.
(E) Try to empathize with the offender.
(A) Explore the idea that forgiveness can be seen as an altruistic gift to the offender.
(C) Make a voluntary commitment to forgive.
(H) Seek to hold onto or maintain forgiveness through difficult times.
Does the REACH Workbook actually promote forgiveness and mental health?
The REACH Workbook is evidence-based. The Human Flourishing Program was involved in comprehensively testing the workbook:
The study was a randomized controlled trial with 4500 participants across 5 relatively high conflict countries: Colombia, South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.
The results indicate that the workbook is effective in:
increasing forgiveness
reducing anxiety and reducing depression
increasing hope, and
increasing flourishing
References
Chen, Y., Harris, S. K., Worthington Jr, E. L., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2019). Religiously or spiritually-motivated forgiveness and subsequent health and well-being among young adults: An outcome-wide analysis. The journal of positive psychology, 14(5), 649-658, https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2018.1519591
Ho, M.Y., Worthington, E.L., Cowden, R.G., Bechara, A.O., Chen, Z.J., Gunatirin, E.Y., et al. (2024). International REACH forgiveness intervention: a multisite randomised controlled trial. BMJ public health, 2(1), https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000072
Long, K. N., Worthington Jr, E. L., VanderWeele, T. J., & Chen, Y. (2020). Forgiveness of others and subsequent health and well-being in mid-life: a longitudinal study on female nurses. BMC psychology, 8(1), 104, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-020-00470-w
Long, K. N., Chen, Y., Potts, M., Hanson, J., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2020). Spiritually motivated self-forgiveness and divine forgiveness, and subsequent health and well-being among middle-aged female nurses: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1337, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01337
Get Involved
Join our Forgiveness Community of Practice!
Meets on Zoom at 12pm ET the first Friday of every month starting September 4!
Learn about forgiveness research, forgiveness implementation best practices, and connect with others interested in spreading forgiveness!
Register here
Questions? Contact Kate Jackson-Meyer, Ph.D. at kjacksonmeyer@fas.harvard.edu.
