The Divide

How far is the distance between us? Can it really be too wide to cross, or too deep to heal?

All over the world, there are divides. Whether it is through prejudice, conflict or seemingly random acts of violence, the human race will always find a way to split itself into factions. Sometimes this is a matter of personal politics; sometimes it is necessary for survival.

And yet, there are exceptions. Although the world is more divided than ever, it is our human impulse towards forgiveness that persists, inspiring friendships in the most unlikely of places.

In The Divide, Maurits Chabot takes us on a journalistic quest across the world in seven true stories, from Rwanda, along the border posts of Palestine and Israel, through an art gallery in Oslo, and into the heart of the American prison system. These seven stories, each as unique as the last, capture the phenomenon of forgiveness and compassion in the face of the most extreme conflicts.

In increasingly divisive times, we must ask ourselves: who is that person across the divide? What is their story? And how far is the distance between us?