Field reflections from Guatemala, May-June 2008

“…This intimate level of violence produced rigid power structures and hierarchies in the communities that have been difficult, if not impossible to erase.” The author’s research is the source for this reflection piece which examines if and how social fabric is rebuilt in post-conflict communities in the Ixcan and Ixil regions (Guatemala). Using case study and life story methodologies, the researcher conducted interviews with key informants and indigenous community members. The study focuses on community justice mechanisms that can prevent and deter violence, and the pathways to restoring community relations, two important goals of transitional justice