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February 22, 2007
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| Photo by John Baucher. Hands Across the Divide Derry/Londonderry |
RECONCILIATION: the process of repairing social ties and community
trust in the aftermath of violent conflict, or in societies undergoing a
transition from totalitarian to democratic governance.
Reconciliation, along with transitional justice, is a key condition for achieving
sustainable peace in the aftermath of international or intrastate conflict.
Depending on the gravity of the offenses committed and the country's particular
situation, reconciliation may mean mere coexistence, an active dialogue between
the two sides of a conflict, or the acknowledgement of past abuse and
forgiveness. Each reconciliation process is unique and usually involves several
of the following components:
· Prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes and other abuses
·
Truth-seeking—through special truth commissions such as the South African Truth and
Reconciliation Commission
· Reparations for victims
· Establishment of memorials
· Dismantling of abusive political
structures and institutions, and establishment of democratic ones
·
Confidence-building measures such as various cultural and educational
initiatives to rebuild trust.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In his discussion on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Charles Ingrao states that,
"All sides benefit from reconciliation rather than revenge" (see
discussion). Ingrao argues that the International Crime Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia fulfilled some aspects of reconciliation in the region. What
are the other elements, according to Ingrao, that must be addressed for
reconciliation to occur?
2. Truth commissions and trials are among the most used mechanisms of
reconciliation in postwar situations. Consider the case of South Africa
and discuss the benefits as well as the limits of using truth commissions and
trials to bring about postwar reconciliation.
3. Read the report on History and the Politics of Reconciliation. In your
opinion, what is the role of historical education in achieving reconciliation
and what mechanism (truth commissions, historical commissions, trials, and so
forth) is best placed to bring about reconciliation in post-conflict societies?
RESOURCES:
Selected Carnegie Council Materials Conference Report: History and the Politics of
Reconciliation
Genocide and Aftermath: Rationalizing the Process of Truth and
Reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Special
Report: "Reparations for Slavery" Debate
Pablo de Greiff, The Role of Reparations in Transition to Democracy
Juan E.
Méndez, "National Reconciliation, Transnational Justice, and the
International Criminal Court."
Special Section: Amnesty, Justice and Reconciliation.
Ethics and International Affairs. Volume 13 (1999).
Panel:
Evaluating Justice and Reconciliation Efforts
Further Reading Barkan,
Elazar. The Guilt of Nations: Restitution and Negotiating Historical
Injustices. (New York: Norton, 2000).
Booth, James W. "Memories of Justice," American Political Science Review
95, no. 4 (December 2001): 777-791.
Borneman, John. "Reconciliation after Ethnic Cleansing: Listening, Retribution,
Affiliation." Public Culture 14, no. 2 (2002): 281-304.
Brooks,
Roy L. ed., When Sorry Isn't Enough: The Controversy over Apologies and
Reparations for Human Rights. (New York: New York University Press,
1999).
Christodoulidis, Emilios A. "Truth
and Reconciliation' as Risks." Social and Legal Studies 9, no. 2
(2000): 188-190.
Crocker, David. "Retribution and Reconciliation." Philosophy and Public
Policy 20, no.1 (2000): 1-6.
Digeser, Peter. Political Forgiveness. (Ithaca: Cornell University
Press, 2001).
Hamber, Brandon and Kelly, Gráinne. "A Working Definition of
Reconciliation." Democratic Dialogue (September 2004).
Kriesberg,
Louis. "Coexistence and the Reconciliation of Communal Conflicts." In
The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence, edited by Eugene Weiner. New
York: Abraham Fund, 1998.
Long, William J. and Peter Brecke, War
and Reconciliation: Reason and Emotion in Conflict Resolution.
(Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003).
McCarthy, Thomas. "Vergangenheitsbewältigung in the USA: On the Politics of Memory of
Slavery." Political Theory 30, no. 5 (2002):
623-648.
------ "Coming
to Terms with Our Past, Part II: On the Morality and Politics of Reparations for
Slavery." Political Theory 32, no. 6 (2004): 750-772.
Minnow,
Martha. Between Vengeance and Forgiveness. (Boston: Beacon
Press, 1998).
Muldoon, Paul. "Reconciliation and Political Legitimacy: The Old Australia and the
New South Africa", Australian Journal of Politics and History 49, no.
2 (2003), pp. 182-196.
Prager, Carol A.L. and Trudy Govier (eds.), Dilemmas of Reconciliation: Cases and Concepts. (Waterloo,
ON.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2003).
Schaap, Andrew. "The Time of Reconciliation and the Space of Politics."
Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. Working Paper
2003/8.
Soyinka,
Wole. The Burden of Memory, The Muse of Forgiveness. (New York:
Oxford University Press, 1999).
Torpey, John. Politics and the Past: On Repairing Historical Injustices.
(Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003).
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