Reparations after violent conflicts: Problems and possibilities

Abstract

There is no universal recipe for dealing with traumatic events of the past. Neverthe-less, there is a range of various responses that can be used in the wake of violent conflict in order to deal with the past and to promote goals such as reconciliation, the healing of trauma, the creation of a sense of justice and the consolidation of democracy and peace. These responses include, for example, prosecutions, truth commissions, reparations, amnesty, lustration, and the opening of secret police files. Generally, no response is sufficient on its own. In addition, due to various limitations caused by political, military, economic and social conditions, the different responses, singularly or in combination, cannot normally be implemented optimally.