Dealing with the Past: Balancing Truth and Justice In Establishing Reconciliation

This thesis examines the focal concepts and approaches in the field of transitional justice and argues for its positive contribution in the field of International Relations. It asks the question to what extent the method of truth-seeking is engaged in the implementation of measures of transitional justice and thereby fostering the reconciliation side of the spectrum or the opposite of dissension. The analysis suggests that reconciliation is part of the larger peace process and dissension is related to the process of othering. Reconciliation is further understood as being a reciprocal process with the creation of a shared historical narrative. In creating a truth-seeking framework and applying its indicators on the cases of South-Africa and Rwanda, an insight is created on the contribution of truth-seeking methods in transitional justices. Furthermore, this research argues that establishing a thick form of reconciliation is the aim of truth-seeking and the indicators of the created...Show moreThis thesis examines the focal concepts and approaches in the field of transitional justice and argues for its positive contribution in the field of International Relations. It asks the question to what extent the method of truth-seeking is engaged in the implementation of measures of transitional justice and thereby fostering the reconciliation side of the spectrum or the opposite of dissension. The analysis suggests that reconciliation is part of the larger peace process and dissension is related to the process of othering. Reconciliation is further understood as being a reciprocal process with the creation of a shared historical narrative. In creating a truth-seeking framework and applying its indicators on the cases of South-Africa and Rwanda, an insight is created on the contribution of truth-seeking methods in transitional justices. Furthermore, this research argues that establishing a thick form of reconciliation is the aim of truth-seeking and the indicators of the created framework are designed to consider to what extent the disrupted narrative, which constitutes the underlying problem, is resolved through the means of dialogue and sympathising.Show less

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Dealing with the Past: Balancing Truth and Justice In Establishing Reconciliation