participants, Midlands - 20 participants). 52% of all participants were female, whilst those aged 16-35 comprised 32% of the total participants. 2. Background One of the daunting tasks faced by a society left in ruin after a period of political unrest or crisis is the rebuilding of that society. In transitional societies, the outward signs of poverty and destitution often mask the importance of rebuilding those structural social institutions that form the basis of any stable society. Importance and often scarce resources are allocated to the repair of physical infrastructure in its many forms to the exclusion of social and spiritual souls of the same community. Roads and bridges, for example, are given priority over issues of justice and national healing despite the fact that coming to terms with past injustices is an important foundation to sustainable peace, stability and development. Often leaders fail to recognise that in order for people to come to terms with a traumatic past, a process of acknowledgement, forgiveness, reconciliation and healing is required as stepping-stones that lead to the rebuilding of a viable, legitimate democracy. Accountable political systems, institutionally independent judicial systems and strong networks of civic engagement can ultimately lead to increased levels of social trust, reconciliation and collective national healing. Since its inception, Zimbabwe has suffered from a culture of systematic violations of human Rights (HR), supported by impunity, disregard for the rule of law and an ineffective legal framework for greater HR accountability. Violence has manifested at every political event since Independence from colonial rule in 1980. Acknowledging Zimbabwe’s history is one of the key preconditions for building a stable future. Facing the past and accepting divergent ideas around a systematic approach to redressing the legacies of gross human rights violations continue to strain the development of political will for national TJ processes and alienate generations of citizens of this country. Acknowledging the complexity of Zimbabwean society addressing its recent past and also the need for approaching the past in a systematic and comprehensive way, the 2013 Constitution provides for the establishment of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission in sections 251-253 as one of the Independent Commissions supporting Democracy throughout the country. Its mandate is to address issues related to post conflict justice, healing and reconciliation and is mandated to deliver on its task over a period of ten years after the effective date. Five years after the effective date4, the NPRC has begun to work towards fulfilling its mandate. Building on the relative success of the establishment of National Peace Architecture, and in contributing to the national efforts, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum 4 On the ‘effective date’, there is a debate on the meaning of “effective date’. Civil society organisations and legal analysts have interpreted the effective date as meaning the date that the 2013 Constitution was promulgated. Whereas, statements by representatives of the Attorney General’s Office have interpreted the effective date to mean, the date that the commission begins its work. 3