  Observational data require a rich variety of mechanisms to accelerate fast
particles in astrophysical environments operating under different conditions.
The mechanisms discussed in the literature include varying magnetic fields in
compact sources, stochastic processes in turbulent environments, and
acceleration behind shocks. An alternative, much less explored mechanism
involves particle acceleration within magnetic reconnection sites. In this
chapter we discuss this mechanism and show that particles can be efficiently
accelerated by reconnection through a first order Fermi process within large
scale current sheets (specially when in the presence of local turbulence which
speeds up the reconnection and make the acceleration region thicker) and also
through a second order Fermi process in pure MHD turbulent environments.
