Noble intentions, nagging dilemmas : in search of context-responsive truth commissions in Africa; policy brief
Date
2010
Authors
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Publisher
Nairobi Peace Initiative-Africa (NPI-Africa), Nairobi, KE
Abstract
The Nairobi Peace Initiative Africa (NPI-Africa) and the West African Network for Peace-building (WANEP) carried out research on the role of truth commissions in post-accord societies in Africa. This policy brief recommends that truth commissions should be viewed less as default mechanisms of transitional justice and more as tools of last resort, and only when desired goals match the limited capacity of the mechanism. In retrospect, unique transitional and operational circumstances prevailed in South Africa, which rarely obtained in other contexts where truth commissions have been deployed. The paper presents findings from research and offers policy recommendations to truth commission proponents.
Description
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Policy Brief
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Keywords
TRUTH COMMISSIONS, AFRICAN COUNTRIES, PEACEBUILDING, RECONCILIATION, TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE, SOUTH AFRICA, NAIROBI, APARTHEID, SOUTH OF SAHARA, ACCESS TO JUSTICE, POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES