Transitional Justice Tag

Publications, Research, ,

Recently, a group of NGOs have been meeting to 'think-tank' the concept of Victim-Offender Mediation (VOM) as a practical link to assist the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to deal with the process of reconciliation. This consortium of NGOs was convened by Centre of Study of Violence and Reconciliation and the Letsema Conflict Transformation Resource of Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre. This paper gives a brief overview of the VOM concept, a proposed structure for Survivor-Offender Mediation in the South African TRC context, and some suggestions regarding the way forward.

Carl S. Stauffer and Brandon Hamber
20 Feb 1996
Publications, Research, ,

Legislation providing for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has recently been passed by South Africa's Parliament. This represents the culmination of a set of debates centred on how best to confront a past characterised by massive violations of human rights in a country which has recently undergone a transformation to democracy. This article tracks these debates from the beginnings of South Africa's transition in 1990 to the finalisation of the TRC legislation in mid-1995. It describes the aims, powers and structures of the TRC and in so doing engages with some of the more controversial and difficult areas of its work.

Graeme Simpson and Paul van Zyl
01 Feb 1996
Publications, Research, ,

This report answers the question as to why a witness protection programme is necessary in South Africa. It offers a brief evaluation of witness protection in South Africa up to and including the Goldstone Commission's witness protection programme. Thereafter, it examines some of the broader issues that need to be taken into account with the conceptualisation and establishment of such an initiative. The ultimate object of this paper is to provide concrete recommendations, suggestions and potential solutions to the various problems raised.

Gareth Newham
02 Oct 1995
Publications, Research, ,

This paper examines various issues relating to the investigation units (IU) of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Based primarily on extensive interviews with people involved in the Goldstone Commission's investigations and those involved in other relevant investigations into human rights violations, this paper highlights the issues that will need to be addressed in the establishment of investigation units for the TRC. 

Gareth Newham
01 Sep 1995
Publications, Research, , ,

This paper explores how the process of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) could operate as psychologically rehabilitative mechanism. It focuses on the potentially numerous traumatised individuals who will come into contact with the TRC and their likely experience of the process. The core argument is that the TRC is not a sufficient process in itself to promote individual and collective psychological rehabilitation and that a range of psychological structures and strategies will be needed to run parallel to the TRC. Types of structures are suggested and the psychological implications of truth and reconciliation process highlighted throughout.

Brandon Hamber
26 Jul 1995
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