Come together or just let it be? The long and winding road to reconciliation

This paper attempts to determine whether there is a universally applicable process of reconciliation. In order to do so, it examines various transitional justice methods employed by societies recovering from extensive human rights violations. In particular it focuses on: recollective repression in the form of denial, rationalism and relativism, criminal prosecution for crimes against humanity, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, lustration of members of the previous regime from positions of authority, apology and compensation. It finds that although certain reconciliation processes may be relatively more effective in fostering social harmony, the application of a generic form of justice would be ineffective and socially destructive . Rather, it determines that enduring national stability and growth can only be achieved by employing a process which considers the unique characteristics of the conflict