Latest update May 10th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 20, 2010 Editorial
In the wake of what one political scientist called a “third wave of democracy” beginning some three decades ago, there have been several institutional innovations to encourage peaceful coexistence among groups that might have been hostile to each other in the pre-democratic era. In the 1990’s “Truth Commissions” were introduced by human rights groups, most famously in South Africa, as a powerful device to begin and sustain the healing process that is so crucial for societies to go forward as a collective.
Our republic was midwifed by ethnic violence in the sixties that created strong undercurrents of antagonism that have been fanned mainly by ambitious politicians ever since as a quick but dangerous path to office. With the demonstrated success of Truth Commissions to deal with the contested narratives that inevitably ensue from conflicts, several political figures have clamoured for one to be instituted in Guyana.
Most recent has been the call of Brigadier Granger, the new contender for the PNC’s presidential nomination. With the interminable arguments in the columns and letters pages of our newspapers about “who started what” and “who did what” we are certain that most citizens heartily support his suggestion. If only to stop the arguments.
Truth commissions are generally understood to be “bodies set up to investigate a past history of violations of human rights in a particular country — which can include violations by the military or other government forces or armed opposition forces.” One expert delineates four main characteristics of truth commissions.
First, they focus on the past. The events may have occurred in the recent past, but a truth commission is not an ongoing body akin to a human rights commission.
Second, truth commissions investigate a pattern of abuse over a set period of time rather than a specific event. In its mandate, the truth commission is given the parameters of its investigation both in terms of the time period covered as well as the type of human rights violations to be explored.
Third, they are temporary bodies, usually operating over a period of six months to two years and completing its work by submitting a report.
And lastly, truth commissions are officially sanctioned, authorized, or empowered by the state. This, in principle, allows the commission to have greater access to information, greater security, and increased assurance that its findings will be taken under serious consideration.
Official sanction from the government is crucial because it represents an acknowledgment of past wrongs and a commitment to address the issues and move on. Furthermore, governments may be more likely to enact recommended reforms if they have established the commission.
From the experience of successful Truth Commissions, the chances of success depend highly on the clarity of statement of what is expected of it and above all, a commitment from the Government of the day.
Two experts describe the main goals for truth commissions are to create an authoritative record of what happened; to provide a platform for the victims to tell their stories and obtain some form of redress; to recommend legislative, structural or other changes to avoid a repetition of past abuses; and to establish who was responsible and providing a measure of accountability for the perpetrators.
On a basic level, truth commissions uncover the details of past crimes. In many cases, they serve to officially acknowledge what many already know about the past. It is a way for a government to establish legitimacy by espousing democratic ideals, the rule of law, formal legal equality, and social justice.
As such, although they investigate the past, truth commissions are as much about looking forward as back. Restorative, and not retributive, justice is the standard as the society seeks to acknowledge the violations to the victims.
Societal reconciliation is an often-professed but elusive goal of truth commissions, but at a minimum they can provide a deterrent for the future eruptions and end collective denial. Maybe it is time we have a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Guyana.
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