Publication

This paper describes how dealing with a legacy of human rights violations is one of the most difficult challenges facing any society in the aftermath of violent conflict. The contributors explain that a decade after internationally mediated peace agreements ended wars in Guatemala and Bosnia and Herzegovina, both countries continue to struggle with a culture of impunity and violence. The paper ponders what lessons can be learned about the effectiveness of transitional justice mechanisms in dealing with the past, how a society may learn to live with the memory of genocide and crimes against humanity and how external actors can contribute to a process of reconciliation.