Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, Essay Example

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is highly prominent and the most advanced platform used by the country to provide a form of reconciliation and peace for the victims. In addition, open a platform for the past perpetrators that are guilty of inhumane treatment of others. The paper will provide ancritique while looking at the positive advantages of the TRC addressing all the information from those that are against the TRC. The TRC’s has a simple process that allows public amnesty inquires for the perpetrators while creating hearings to start the restorative process of healing. The TRC is a truth forum that presents the truth to reduce the number of inconsistent comments and lies that start wars and retribution. The TRC addresses the unchallenged information while healing the country(Hamber& Kibble 1).

The media does not like The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) because it brings together the victims of violated human rights and the group or people that did the violence. This is a noble jester regardless of the organization, party, or person attempting reconciliation instead of retaliation. Retaliation can exist for years and years without allowing both sides to heal and learn how to exist in the same region or country. Those countries that believe in globalizing and defending all human rights have the opportunity to bring these two parties together, which is good for any country, regardless of the agenda of the Truth and ReconciliationCommission. The reconciliation is a true commitment to undue any injustices and inhumane treatment to other people just because they have different beliefs. The first step is bridging the gap between violator and victim(Verwoerd 1).

It is easy to see the inconsistency of those against TRC becausethey condemn TRC because they do not address the community issues they deem important. The TRC commission concentrates on international humanitarian violations, human torture, genocide, and atrocious killing of human beings like animals. The TRC has help millions of Africans voices their concerns about being paid low wages in a lucrative economy of gold mining. In addition, to depriving the African people the same access to job training to succeed in the job market (Verwoerd 2). The support of the TRC should be welcomed by the people because they often bring information to the media and public otherwise would not be reported to the world.

History concerning human rights violation show that the perpetrator is never brought to justice because the state or government can never identified who was reasonable for the inhumane killing of people. In addition, bring the healing process to the forefront for the victims instead of starting another branch of retribution killings. The truth starts the healing process and slows down the retribution actions from the village of town. Conversely, the perpetrators openly come to the table while stopping violence(Wilson 1). (For many years the victims have never healed because they never received the chance to share the perpetrator how they change their lives. More importantly, the perpetrators are willing to publicly explain their sides about what they are fighting about. The South African people have face some many human rights violations that have not been solved and continue to pile up the bodies. The TRC is a good thing because pushes communication.

This action by the TRC that brings the human rights violator helps in several ways:

• The country does not start a war with the wrong parties who take claim for the attacks for the exposure in the news.
• The TRC brings the perpetrators to the table to accept the invitation and support of the TRC of amnesty, which allows the legal process to intervene with willing perpetrators.
• The TRC may not have the power to grant amnesty, however, they are stopping events of genocide by requesting the perpetrators to tell their sides
• This TRC helps builds a new South Africa because the human rights atrocities are being address in a civil manner rather than the alternative more killing, destruction of lives and more senseless wars
• The TRC brings restorative justice to the public. In relation to the United States when a great wrong has been done the people, riots stop when the two parties involved are in talks about the human rights violations. It’s the same premise TRC restores the lines of communication between opposing parties
• The TRC promotes healing to the victims by giving them a voice in the community, state, and government. In addition, the world has a chance to hear from the victim in their own words not the medias interpretation
• The political violence solutions are not working because they never find out which sector or group or political groups is responsible for the inhuman actions. The TRC helps identify both sides of the political problems which is not done by the South African authorities

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has the advantage to gathering all the documentation for the victim and perpetrators for the courts. This information is invaluable in the legal process but more important it is open the channels between unknown perpetrators and other violent groups. The TRC has open the conversation to addresses the current crimes against humanity including addressing the past transgression of genocide to bring both parties to the healing process of the country (Campbell 48). The people against the TRC do not understand that any environment that can allow the country to heal and show some positive actions helps prevent further bloodshed while the lengthy process goes to courts.

The advantages of the TRC are many because traditionally the religious groups do not respond to the government or the media claiming they have no agenda. However, religious groups will come forward if the amnesty is on the table during investigation with the legal authorities. Many times the religious extremist welcomes the platform to speak their piece, which may resolve many issues because they are not being heard. The best example is a religious sect is fighting against the government allowing a different religion to occupy their holy lands. However, with the TRC forum the government finds out they only want specific town in the region to remain intact. As a result, the government can grant the request because the majority the people that live in the religious town are Islamic. The TRC just negotiated a peaceful ending because the media did not get the chance to put all the Islamic groups into one class of violent people. In addition, the TRC helps with educating the public and media that the few religious groups do not represent all the entire class of people in that country.

It is the same effect in the United States when one person brings a bomb on a plane and the perpetrator is for example Canadian. The people will think that all people in Canada support the actions of the person from Canada. It is the same premise in South African. The perpetrator is Islamic extremist located in the north part of the country. The media will report the inhuman incident as if the entire Islamic country located in the northern parts agrees with their actions. The naysayers indicate that the commission never delivers on being an instrument that helps the legal system with legitimate investigating that makes change in the retribution cycle. The TRC is expected to fix what the government has not fixed over the years. It was not the TRC fault that created this inhumane atmosphere in the country. In response, the TRC had done more to create peace during the investigations because the victim and the perpetrators are using the media coverage to state their case. In the reality, any actions take that allows the cease-fire of killing even for a day is worth the TRC efforts.

Works Cited

Campbell, P.J. (2000) .The truth, and reconciliationcommission (TRC): Human rights and state transitions-The South African model. African Studies Quarterly, Vol. 4, 43-67

Hamber, B. & Kimble, S. (1999).From truth to transformation. The truth and reconciliation commission in South Africa. Catholic Institute for International Relations Report.pg 1.

Verwoerd, W. (1997).The TRC and Apartheid beneficiaries in a new dispensation.TRC Report. Vol 5, Ch.9

Wilson, R. (2001).The politics of truth and reconciliation in South Africa: Legitimatizing the Post-Apartheid State. Cambridge: Cambridge University