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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Tim Kelsall
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In Sierra Leone, international transitional justice has been pursued via a two-pronged approach. First, in a restorative philosophy, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission has attempted to provide an accurate historical record of the conflict, and to reconcile victims and perpetrators. Second, in a more retributive manner, an international tribunal is prosecuting individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This strategy has been much debated, but largely at elite levels. Arguably, however, it is at the grassroots where the two institutions face their greatest challenge. To provide a bottom-up view, this article discusses the results of a popular opinion survey. The results show that the overall understanding of the Commission and Court is poor and that, partly as a result, the two organs are perceived to have had limited success. In spite of this, most respondents continue to think that they are important to peace in Sierra Leone. Statistical, cultural, methodological, and qualitative interpretations of these findings are discussed. The results provide pointers to the prospects for transitional justice models of this type.
Author(s): Sawyer E, Kelsall T
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution
Year: 2007
Volume: 7
Issue: 1
ISSN (electronic): 1522-211X
Publisher: Tabula Rasa Institute, Inc.
URL: http://www.transitionaljustice.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3152
