This chapter explores whether wrongs that groups do can be forgiven and, if they can, who can forgive them. After some introductory remarks and a brief discussion of apologies, we look in particular at three interlocking questions. The first is this: Can groups forgive or be forgiven? We ask this question because some say that, just as there cannot be peace and reconciliation between individuals if they pass over and ignore wrongdoing, so there cannot be peace and reconciliation between groups if they pass over and ignore wrongdoing. The second question, which is related, is: Can individuals forgive groups? In other words, are groups ‘forgivable’ (that is, able-to-be-forgiven) by individuals? The third question is: To what extent are individuals personally responsible for the actions they do on behalf of groups? For even if groups cannot forgive and be forgiven, are the individuals who acted for the groups personally responsible for what they do for the group?

In the following discussion, I usually refer to collections of people – whether corporations, nations or other social organisms – that have a distinct identity beyond that of the constituent members as ‘groups’. I refer to the wrongdoing that the groups do as ‘structural’ or ‘systemic’ wrongdoing or simply as ‘wrong’ or ‘wrongdoing’.

Individuals within groups may wrong other individuals on behalf of groups in relatively minor ways.