Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2010
Summary
“I cry over what has happened, even though I cannot change anything. Then I look inside myself to understand how it is possible that no one knew, how it is possible that so few did something about it, how it is possible that often I also just looked on. Then I wonder how it is possible to live with this inner guilt and shame.”
“What kind of man … uses a method like this one with the wet bag to people … to other human beings … repeatedly … and listening to those moans and cries and groans … and taking each of those people very near to their deaths … what kind of man are you, what kind of man is that, that can do … what kind of human being can do that.”
This book focuses on political reconciliation, the process of rebuilding damaged political relationships. Political reconciliation is widely recognized to be one of the most important challenges for societies attempting to democratize following periods of repressive rule or civil conflict characterized by widespread and systematic human rights abuses. Indeed, the consensus among politicians, academics, and human rights activists is that political reconciliation is a condition for successful democratization and a critical component of peacemaking globally. The well-being of current and future generations in transitional societies is considered to be dependent on the success of efforts at political reconciliation.
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- A Moral Theory of Political Reconciliation , pp. 1 - 38Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010