Lessons from Uganda were also drawn from Jackson Odong’s presentation. Jackson indicated that Uganda’s TJ policy was crafted with competency, albeit that it took a long time to be finalised. However, the country’s implementation process of the TJ policy leaves a lot to be desired. There is need to always consider implementation questions during the policy design process to avoid operational shortcomings. Odong pointed out that for a TJ policy to succeed, fundamental questions must be asked, and this was: “Will the policy proposed be able to resolve the following: - Order Human dignity Human rights culture Nurture democracy A key feature hat was present in the Ugandan model was the development of a Compendium on Conflicts. Odong also noted that Zimbabwe civil society needs to be wary of the fact that oftentimes governments hides behind TJ processes that seek to rehabilitate and develop victims. Thus, to avoid TJ at times governments push for developments hiding the truth and perpetuating impunity in the process. Plenary Lessons and comments raised • • • • The AU transitional justice policy took about 9 years to develop due to multiple levels of consultations and the need to build political will among members states Member states are not obliged to adopt the AU policy, but they can contextualise their needs using the guidelines provided in the policy There is a positive interaction between the AU TJ policy and other bodies such as the AU Court of Justice. How does the African Union policy on TJ interact with other African justice mechanisms such as the African Court and the African Commission? Group Observations and Reflections The right to Know (Chaired by Prof. Tobias Guzura –Zimbabwe Open University) The group observed that the right to know is crucial because it is enshrined in the constitution of Zimbabwe (section 62). As such the truth is a necessity for all victims. The right is als2o crucial for education and knowledge generation. The right should be enjoyed at individual, community and national levels. Lastly, the group note that the right to know should be enjoyed at specific times and spaces desired by the victims. 6