Libby Hoffman
Exploring the Inner Translations of Peace and Restoration
For more than two decades, Libby Hoffman has dedicated herself to supporting community-led restoration initiatives, particularly in West African nations, and to bring these lessons of community restoration to the world. Following a devastating 11-year civil war in Sierra Leone, Libby Hoffman co-founded in 2008 the Fambul Tok program, which means “family talk” in Krio, to advance peace through reconciliation efforts deeply rooted in the context of the communities across Sierra Leone. A key culminating feature of these efforts is a bonfire ceremony of truth-telling, apology, and forgiveness, and the process involves three or four months of work leading up to the ceremony and at least another year of work beyond it to deepen and sustain the reknitting of the community. Vitally, the entire process is designed and led by the communities themselves. Earlier, in 2003, Libby founded Catalysts for Peace, a private foundation to “grow a new architecture for peace - one that works from the inside out, where those most impacted by violence and war” lead and cultivate the path to peace and reconciliation.
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