This commentary closes this special issue with the reflections from two individuals who, like many in these fields, cross the boundaries between scholar, activist and practitioner in their work with young people, teachers and wider society. They bring their experiences working with difficult pasts in the service of better futures to the reflections that they share in these pages. The authors invited Tricia Logan, Community Engagement and Outreach Officer for Canada's National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), to reflect on her experiences with education and transitional justice. Also invited was Karen Murphy, the International Director of global nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves, to reflect on the work she has carried out around the world with educators, community organisations, and state entities in addressing curricular and pedagogical reform through professional learning communities.