Description
Book SynopsisThe truth commission is an increasingly common fixture of newly democratic states with repressive or strife-ridden pasts. From South Africa to Haiti, truth commissions are at work with varying degrees of support and success. To many, they are the best--or only--way to achieve a full accounting of crimes committed against fellow citizens and to prevent future conflict. Others question whether a restorative justice that sets the guilty free, that cleanses society by words alone, can deter future abuses and allow victims and their families to heal. Here, leading philosophers, lawyers, social scientists, and activists representing several perspectives look at the process of truth commissioning in general and in post-apartheid South Africa. They ask whether the truth commission, as a method of seeking justice after conflict, is fair, moral, and effective in bringing about reconciliation.
The authors weigh the virtues and failings of truth commissions, especially the South Afr
Trade Review
"This volume of essays, which concentrates on the South African experience while drawing on others elsewhere, is a useful and timely reminder of the tough and messy compromises that were made between the competing demands of justice and retribution, peace and forgiveness."--The Economist "This is an important book for those interested in contemporary efforts to deal with modern atrocities ... The diverse group of contributors brings exceptionally wide exposure and depth to the subject."--Booklist "An engaging collection of essays ... "--Reed Brody, The Nation "The essays themselves are accessible clear, well-written, and engaging and extraordinarily relevant as we struggle to develop an appropriate response to oppressive regime throughout the world. Truth v. Justice's greatest strength lies in both the individual and collective force of the essays each of which not only is intelligently written and important in its own right, but also demonstrative of the author's clear engagement with one another's concerns. The result is a comprehensive and thought-provoking analysis of the truth commission."--Karen Newirth, International Law and Politics "One of the most painful and conspicuous gaps is the impunity usually enjoyed, after their removal from power, by men who, while in power, trampled on the human rights of their own pwople or even waged war against them. Truth v. Justice focuses on the most promising device our civilization has invented to remedy that particular and all too familiar shortfall of justice."--Geoffrey Best, Times Literary Supplement "A highly civilized, lively and provocative exchange between interesting people of diverse backgrounds and positions."--Saul Smilansky, Times Literary Supplement
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii I. Truth Commissions and the Provision of Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation by Robert I. Rotbtrg 3 II. The Moral Foundations of Truth Commissions by Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson 22 III. Restoring Decency to Barbaric Societies by Rajeev Bhargava 45 IV Moral Ambition Within and Beyond Political Constraints: Reflections on Restorative Justice by Elizabeth Kiss 68 V Truth Commissions, Transitional Justice, and Civil Society by David A Crockcr 99 VI. The Moral Foundations of the South African TRC: Truth as Acknowledgment and Justice as Recognition by Andre du Toit 122 VII. Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa: The Third Way by Alex Boraine 141 VIII. The Uses of Truth Commissions: Lessons for the World by Dumisa B. Ntsebexa 158 IX. Amnesty, Truth, and Reconciliation: Reflections on the South African Amnesty Process by Ronald C. Slye 170 X. Amnesty's Justice by Kent Greenawalt 189 XI. Trials, Commissions, and Investigating Committees: The Elusive Search for Norms of Due Process by Sanford Levinson 211 XII. The Hope for Healing: What Can Truth Commissions Do? by Martha Minow 235 XIII. Doing History, Doing Justice: The Narrative of the Historian and of the Truth Commission by Charles S. Mater 261 XIV Constructing a Report: Writing Up the "Truth" by Charles Villa-Yicencio and Wilhelm Yerwoerd 279 The Contributors 295 Index 299
