Thesis (MA (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores whether sustainable peace can be achieved in post-conflict
societies using the transitional justice approach. In particular, the truth commission
is investigated as a mechanism of transitional justice. The South African Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was selected as a case study to investigate the
relationship between sustainable peace and transitional justice. This thesis
analyses whether the TRC Commission followed its mandate, and whether there
are any specific definitions, conclusions or recommendations that the TRC through
its Final Report undertakes in order to fulfill a specific part of the mandate, namely
“to ensure that there would be no repetition of the past” (TRC vol. 5, chap. 8,
paragraph 14). This is done through a textual analysis of the Final Report of the
South African TRC, where inherent weaknesses of the Final Report in its aim of
achieving sustainable peace are read critically and deconstructively. It is further
analysed through linking the issue of sustainable peace to the field of transitional
justice and the study of political development on how future TRCs can deal with
the issue of sustainable peace.
This thesis comes to the conclusion that the South African TRC failed to contribute
to a significant analysis of how to prevent the repetition of the past. It is argued
that this is based on a lack of a coherent theoretical framework, as the Final
Report mixes two different truth finding mechanisms: micro-truth finding and
macro-truth finding, together with the just war theory. By analysing the TRC’s
theoretical framework through textual analysis, it becomes clear that micro- and
macro-truth finding is difficult to combine in one report, and that in the South
African case the micro-truth finding part is prioritised. However, the macro-truth
finding mechanism would have provided a more in depth analysis towards
sustainable peace – which in this thesis is read as Galtung’s positive peace and
Lederach’s structural peace – and is a necessary prerequisite in order to achieve
sustainable peace. Also the use of a traditional reading of the just war theoryThis thesis explores whether sustainable peace can be achieved in post-conflict
societies using the transitional justice approach. In particular, the truth commission
is investigated as a mechanism of transitional justice. The South African Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was selected as a case study to investigate the
relationship between sustainable peace and transitional justice. This thesis
analyses whether the TRC Commission followed its mandate, and whether there
are any specific definitions, conclusions or recommendations that the TRC through
its Final Report undertakes in order to fulfill a specific part of the mandate, namely
“to ensure that there would be no repetition of the past” (TRC vol. 5, chap. 8,
paragraph 14). This is done through a textual analysis of the Final Report of the
South African TRC, where inherent weaknesses of the Final Report in its aim of
achieving sustainable peace are read critically and deconstructively. It is further
analysed through linking the issue of sustainable peace to the field of transitional
justice and the study of political development on how future TRCs can deal with
the issue of sustainable peace.
This thesis comes to the conclusion that the South African TRC failed to contribute
to a significant analysis of how to prevent the repetition of the past. It is argued
that this is based on a lack of a coherent theoretical framework, as the Final
Report mixes two different truth finding mechanisms: micro-truth finding and
macro-truth finding, together with the just war theory. By analysing the TRC’s
theoretical framework through textual analysis, it becomes clear that micro- and
macro-truth finding is difficult to combine in one report, and that in the South
African case the micro-truth finding part is prioritised. However, the macro-truth
finding mechanism would have provided a more in depth analysis towards
sustainable peace – which in this thesis is read as Galtung’s positive peace and
Lederach’s structural peace – and is a necessary prerequisite in order to achieve
sustainable peace. Also the use of a traditional reading of the just war theoryThis thesis explores whether sustainable peace can be achieved in post-conflict
societies using the transitional justice approach. In particular, the truth commission
is investigated as a mechanism of transitional justice. The South African Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was selected as a case study to investigate the
relationship between sustainable peace and transitional justice. This thesis
analyses whether the TRC Commission followed its mandate, and whether there
are any specific definitions, conclusions or recommendations that the TRC through
its Final Report undertakes in order to fulfill a specific part of the mandate, namely
“to ensure that there would be no repetition of the past” (TRC vol. 5, chap. 8,
paragraph 14). This is done through a textual analysis of the Final Report of the
South African TRC, where inherent weaknesses of the Final Report in its aim of
achieving sustainable peace are read critically and deconstructively. It is further
analysed through linking the issue of sustainable peace to the field of transitional
justice and the study of political development on how future TRCs can deal with
the issue of sustainable peace.
This thesis comes to the conclusion that the South African TRC failed to contribute
to a significant analysis of how to prevent the repetition of the past. It is argued
that this is based on a lack of a coherent theoretical framework, as the Final
Report mixes two different truth finding mechanisms: micro-truth finding and
macro-truth finding, together with the just war theory. By analysing the TRC’s
theoretical framework through textual analysis, it becomes clear that micro- and
macro-truth finding is difficult to combine in one report, and that in the South
African case the micro-truth finding part is prioritised. However, the macro-truth
finding mechanism would have provided a more in depth analysis towards
sustainable peace – which in this thesis is read as Galtung’s positive peace and
Lederach’s structural peace – and is a necessary prerequisite in order to achieve
sustainable peace. Also the use of a traditional reading of the just war theory contributes to an individualisation of the truth finding process and does not
sufficiently support the macro-truths. Finally, by deconstructing the term never
again it is shown that this approach should not be used in the TRCs or in the wider
field of transitional justice
v / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek of volhoubare vrede in postkonfliksamelewings met
behulp van die oorgangsgeregtigheidsbenadering bereik kan word. Meer bepaald
word die soeklig gewerp op die waarheidskommissie as meganisme van
oorgangsgeregtigheid. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Waarheids-en-Versoeningskommissie
(WVK) dien as gevallestudie om die verwantskap tussen volhoubare vrede en
oorgangsgeregtigheid te bestudeer. Die tesis probeer vasstel of die WVK sy
mandaat uitgevoer het, en of die Kommissie se finale verslag enige bepaalde
omskrywings, gevolgtrekkings of aanbevelings bevat “om te verseker dat die
verlede hom nie herhaal nie” (paragraaf 14, hoofstuk 8, volume 5 van die WVKverslag).
Dít vind plaas deur middel van ! tekstuele ontleding van die finale WVKverslag
wat die inherente swakpunte van dié dokument in sy strewe na volhoubare
vrede krities en dekonstruktief benader. Die verslag word voorts ontleed deur die
kwessie van volhoubare vrede te verbind met die gebied van oorgangsgeregtigheid
sowel as ontwikkelingstudies oor hoe toekomstige WVK’s die
kwessie van volhoubare vrede kan hanteer.
Die tesis kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die Suid-Afrikaanse WVK nie ! bydrae
gelewer het tot ! sinvolle ontleding van presies hoe om ! herhaling van die
verlede te voorkom nie. Daar word aangevoer dat dít te wyte is aan die gebrek
aan ! samehangende teoretiese raamwerk, aangesien die finale verslag twee
verskillende waarheidsoekende meganismes vermeng – die mikrowaarheidsoeke
en die makrowaarheidsoeke – en ook van die geregverdigde-oorlog-teorie gebruik
maak. Deur die tekstuele ontleding van die teoretiese raamwerk van die WVKverslag
word dit duidelik dat ! mikro- en makrowaarheidsoeke moeilik in een
verslag te kombineer is, en dat, in die Suid-Afrikaanse geval, die mikrowaarheidsoeke
voorkeur geniet. Tog sou die makrowaarheidsoeke ! grondiger
ontleding bied vir die suksesvolle verwesenliking van volhoubare vrede, wat in
hierdie tesis as Galtung se ‘positiewe vrede’ en Lederach se ‘strukturele vrede’
5
verstaan word. Trouens, die makrowaarheidsoeke is ! voorvereiste om
volhoubare vrede te bereik. ! Tradisionele lesing van die geregverdigde-oorlogteorie
dra ook by tot ! individualisering van die waarheidsoekende proses, en bied
nie voldoende ondersteuning vir die makrowaarhede nie. Laastens word daar deur
die dekonstruksie van die uitdrukking nooit weer nie getoon dat hierdie benadering
nie in WVK’s of op die groter gebied van oorgangsgeregtigheid tuishoort nie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5302 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Rage, Anne-Britt |
| Contributors | De Jager, Nicola, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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