Can unity be achieved through restoration? A case study of how restorative justice mechanisms impacted national unity in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper examines three key restorative justice mechanisms – participation, narrative, and reparation – used by the post-apartheid South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), in order to determine how restorative tools can affect national unity and interracial reconciliation following a period of violent conflict. Insights from thirteen interviewees involved in the TRC process reveal that the restorative justice mechanisms of participation and narrative were generally successful in promoting national unity, while flawed attempts at financial reparations significantly harmed interracial relations. This research demonstrates that restorative justice tools can successfully engender national unity, but can also prevent reconciliation if executed incorrectly. This work provides three key takeaways for future practitioners: (1) Restorative tools can adversely impact reconciliation among some groups while fomenting national unity among others; (2) Developing unrealistic expectations about restorative process outcomes is harmful for reconciliation; (3) Restorative justice mechanisms do not operate in isolation but are interrelated.