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Transforming Ethnopolitical Conflict pp 421–440Cite as

Supporting Justice, Co-existence and Reconciliation after Armed Conflict: Strategies for Dealing with the Past

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Abstract

Civil wars and state repression have left many societies traumatised and shattered. Unsolved atrocities and injustices can easily provoke new cycles of violence. Impunity may undermine trust in the legal system, increasing the risk that vigilante justice will be resorted to and encourage further atrocities. Mistrust and hatred between former adversaries inhibits reconstruction, decision making and economic development. An amnesty deal may be required to end violence and enable a peace treaty. The call for compromise and national reconciliation may be necessary to ensure an end to hostilities, but past injustices that are never addressed can easily become a source of renewed violent conflict. Often victims can only make peace with their perpetrators if they know their own suffering and that of their loved ones is officially acknowledged. Furthermore, for the reintegration of perpetrators and victims into society they must be commonly accepted.

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Authors
  1. Gunnar Theissen
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Alex Austin Martina Fischer Norbert Ropers

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© 2004 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

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Theissen, G. (2004). Supporting Justice, Co-existence and Reconciliation after Armed Conflict: Strategies for Dealing with the Past. In: Austin, A., Fischer, M., Ropers, N. (eds) Transforming Ethnopolitical Conflict. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-05642-3_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-05642-3_20

  • Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-8100-3940-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-663-05642-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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