Navigating reconciliation through the TJRC, the presenter noted that there are three elements
underpinning reconciliation and these are:
Ÿ Relationship building
Ÿ Encountering past injustices and not allowing them to hide moving forward
Ÿ Acknowledgment of past human rights violations is critical
“Reconciliation therefore, represents a place, the point of encounter where concerns about both
the past and the future can meet. Reconciliation as an encounter, suggests that space for the
acknowledging of the past and envisioning of the future is the necessary ingredient for reframing
the present. For this to happen, people must find ways to encounter themselves and their
opponents, their hopes and their fears.”
Tecla Namachanja
2018 TJ Policy Symposium
Truth Seeking and Presentation Strategies
Elisabeth Baumgartner, Swisspeace
Participants also learnt the importance of archiving and preserving data for TJ purposes. Archives are
living documents which the government and CSOs working in TJ should consider crucial. They
provide evidence to assist in truth recovery and memory preservation. In most countries, archiving
has not been seriously done due to lack of resources, knowledge and sheer ignorance in some
instances. However, for effective truth recovery and memory preservation, there is need to develop
proper documentation and storage facilities with repositories. Management of archival systems and
access to the archives are crucial to avoid 'deliberate' loss and destruction. Elizabeth’s presentation on
archival and truth recovery revealed that;
Ÿ Archiving is not a question of the past issues but the future responsibilities that should be carried
by the government and stakeholders
Ÿ Archives support the right to know, the right to justice and the right to reparations.
Ÿ It is important to consider the content, context and structure of the information under
consideration for archiving
Gender Inclusion, Diversity and Policy Options: Panel Discussion
(Nonhlahla Sibanda-Moyo, Nikiwe Ncube and Virginia Muwanigwa)
In a bid to understand the impact of gender dynamics on women in transitional justice processes a
panel discussion was held. Gender goes beyond the two binaries of men and women or boys and girls
by taking into consideration social constructs, systems and structures that perpetuate patriarchy
within societies. The panellists underscored that while men are the usually the target of violence
during wars and conflicts, women end up bearing the brunt of violence given their social roles in
homesteads. For instance, women are used as sex objects and political baits in times of conflict and
violence (war wives and sex slaves). On the other hand, women are portrayed as victims mostly yet
they are also the brave people who face the real challenges in times of conflict. The presentations
underscored that TJ processes in Zimbabwe should;
Ÿ Create spaces for women to talk about their experiences without fear. However, there is also need
to ensure that the create spaces may not end up making women's narratives invisible in the TJ
processes. In South Africa, it was learnt, about 60% of women reported their cases to the TRC, but
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2018 TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE POLICY SYMPOSIUM REPORT
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