Introduction

This Guide is intended for those who are involved in official or non-official truth commission, trials and tribunals, and initiatives for healing, compensation and reconciliation, whether working in governments, parliaments, the judiciary, NGOs or academia.

The Guide offers an overview of the experiences of over 50 truth commissions and similar bodies that have been in operation since the 1970s; the fast-growing body of literature on ‘transitional justice’, including domestic and international adjudication; world-wide initiatives in establishing memorials and monuments; and efforts in the areas of reconciliation, rehabilitation and compensation.

The author is a staff member of the Dutch section of Amnesty International. Views expressed in this paper are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the mission and working rules of Amnesty International. For comments and suggestions, please contact the author at amnesty@amnesty.nl.


CONTENTS

Summary
Part I - Truth Commissions
Part II - Lustration in Central and Eastern Europe
Case I - Germany and the former German Democratic Republic
Part III - Trials and Tribunals
Part IV - Memorials, Monuments and Museums
Case II - Spain: The Long History of Truth
Part V – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, Healing, Compensation


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