Roads to Reconciliation

The past two decades have witnessed the end of several civil wars and authoritarian regimes. In a period shaped by the ideal of democratization, in which more countries are emerging from deep-rooted conflicts, international attention is turning to the question of how societies with a grievous past face issues of accountability and reconciliation. How do societies deal with a past characterized by gross human rights violations? What kinds of processes-judicial as well as non-judicial-are most likely to generate a sense of reconciliation? Using an interdisciplinary approach, this book provides a systematic and comparative analysis of reconciliation processes in various societies that in recent years have made a transition from authoritarian to democratic rule, or from war to relative peace. Revisiting case studies from Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia through a lens of comparative analysis, shedding new light on how societies have dealt with their violent pasts, Roads to Reconciliation is essential reading for both scholars and practitioners concerned with human rights, transitional justice, or peace building.

The past two decades have witnessed the end of several civil wars and authoritarian regimes. The global media brings the height of the conflicts to an international audience, but as the wars end and tensions resolve the media turns away, neglecting the often painful and slow process of reconciliation. In this volume, experts with both practical and policy experience in international conflict explore how societies confront and negotiate a repressive past characterized by gross human-rights violations. Grounding readers in theoretical approaches, the book explores contemporary experiences of reconciliation in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Chapter 1 Chapter I: Starting Points Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Roads to Reconciliation: A Conceptual Framework Chapter 4 Chapter II: Roads to Reconciliation Chapter 5 The UN Chapter 6 The Second Generation UN-based tribunals: A Diversity of Mixed Jurisdictions Chapter 7 Africa Chapter 8 Healing and Social Reintegration in Mozambique and Angola Chapter 9 Rwanda: An Atypical Transition Chapter 10 The Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission Chapter 11 Latin America Chapter 12 Argentina: Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Chapter 13 The Salvadorian Truth Commissions of 1979 and 1992 Chapter 14 Europe and Asia Chapter 15 Reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina Chapter 16 The Limits of Reconciliation in Cambodia's Communes Chapter 17 Nahe Biti: Grassroots Reconciliation in East Timor Chapter 18 Chapter III: Reflections Chapter 19 Justice and Reconciliation Chapter 20 Coming to Terms with Irreconcilable Truths Chapter 21 Rule-Based Reconciliation